Here's why:
* Metals tend to lose electrons to form positive ions (cations).
* Magnesium has a low ionization energy, making it easy for it to lose electrons and become a Mg²⁺ cation.
* Metallic bonds are formed by the attraction between the positively charged metal ions and the delocalized electrons that move freely within the metal structure.
Therefore, magnesium is not covalent or ionic. It is a metal with metallic bonding.
