Aluminium (Al)
"The Modern Marvel, a lightweight hero who resists corrosion and is the champion of recycling."
A memorable persona to anchor Al in your mind.
2.7
Grams per cm³
660.323
Celsius (°C)
184
Radius (pm)
Daily Life Link
The aluminum foil in your kitchen or the soda can you drink from.
Discovery & History
Year Discovered
1825
Discovered By
Hans Christian Ørsted
Origin of Name
"The name is derived from the Latin name for alum, 'alumen' meaning bitter salt."
Technical Properties
Atomic Mass
26.982 u
Standard State
solid
Boiling Point
2519°C
Electron Configuration
[Ne] 3s23p1
1st Ionization Energy
5.986 eV
Electron Affinity
N/A
Oxidation States
"A silvery-white, lightweight, and non-magnetic metal."
Did You Know?
In the mid-1800s, aluminium was more valuable than gold because it was extremely difficult to extract from its ore.
It is the most abundant metal in the Earth's crust, but it is never found in its pure form in nature.
Aluminium does not rust; it reacts with oxygen in the air to form a tough, transparent, protective layer of aluminium oxide on its surface.
Recycling one aluminium can saves enough energy to run a television for three hours.