Mechanical methods include crushing of the Mg pieces "in situ", rapid stirring, or using ultrasound (sonication) of the suspension. Iodine, methyl iodide, and 1,2-dibromoethane are commonly employed activating agents. Chemists use 1,2-dibromoethane because its action can be monitored by the observation of bubbles of ethylene. Also, the side-products are innocuous:
m ɪ k æ n ɪ k ə l WORD_BOUNDARY m ɛ θ ə d z WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ ŋ k l uː d WORD_BOUNDARY k ɹ ʌ ʃ ɪ ŋ WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ v ð ɪ WORD_BOUNDARY ɛ m d̠ʒ iː WORD_BOUNDARY p iː s ɪ z WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ n WORD_BOUNDARY s ɪ t uː WORD_BOUNDARY ɹ æ p ɪ d WORD_BOUNDARY s t ɜː ɹ ɪ ŋ WORD_BOUNDARY ɔ ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY j uː z ɪ ŋ WORD_BOUNDARY ʊ l t ɹ ʌ s aʊ n d WORD_BOUNDARY s ɑ n ɪ k eɪ ʃ ə n WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ v ð ə WORD_BOUNDARY s ə s p ɛ n ʃ ə n WORD_BOUNDARY aɪ ə d iː n WORD_BOUNDARY m ɛ θ ə l WORD_BOUNDARY aɪ ə d aɪ d WORD_BOUNDARY æ n d WORD_BOUNDARY w ʌ n WORD_BOUNDARY t uː d ɪ b ɹ ə m oʊ θ eɪ n WORD_BOUNDARY ɑ ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY k ɑ m ə n l i WORD_BOUNDARY ɛ m p l ɔɪ d WORD_BOUNDARY æ k t ɪ v eɪ t ɪ ŋ WORD_BOUNDARY eɪ d̠ʒ ə n t s WORD_BOUNDARY k ɛ m ɪ s t s WORD_BOUNDARY j uː s WORD_BOUNDARY w ʌ n WORD_BOUNDARY t uː d ɪ b ɹ ə m oʊ θ eɪ n WORD_BOUNDARY b ɪ k ʌ z WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ t s WORD_BOUNDARY æ k ʃ ə n WORD_BOUNDARY k æ n WORD_BOUNDARY b iː WORD_BOUNDARY m ɑ n ɪ t ə ɹ d WORD_BOUNDARY b aɪ WORD_BOUNDARY ð ɪ WORD_BOUNDARY ɑ b z ə ɹ v eɪ ʃ ə n WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ v WORD_BOUNDARY b ʌ b ə l z WORD_BOUNDARY ʌ v WORD_BOUNDARY ɛ θ ɪ l iː n WORD_BOUNDARY ɔ l s oʊ WORD_BOUNDARY ð ə WORD_BOUNDARY s aɪ d p ɹ ɑ d ʌ k t s WORD_BOUNDARY ɑ ɹ WORD_BOUNDARY ɪ n n ɑ k j uː ə s WORD_BOUNDARY