Aluminum

It's a Straight Up G It's Used to Package Foods For You and Me

You Can Use A Can Opener To Open Me

It's Used In Airplanes, Bars, and Fancy Cars

Aluminum's an Element, the Most Useful One

Aluminum has been named number one!

 

 

Hans Christian Oersted first extracted aluminum from Bauxite in 1825 in Copenhagen, Denmark.  Aluminum comes from the Latin word for alum, “alumen.”  The proper spelling of aluminum used to be “aluminium” until 1925 when the American Chemical Society used “aluminum” for the spelling instead.  Aluminum was named the metal of the 20th century due to all of its industrial uses and it is the third most common metal on Earth.  Aluminum is one of the lightest metals and it is the most abundant metal in the earth’s crust.  Aluminum is never found in nature and it is a “poor metal” but when it is an alloy it can be as hard as steel.  Aluminum has an atomic number of 13 and it is a silvery solid.

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Aluminum is widely used in a number of products. Aluminum is found as parts of cars, airplanes, and it is used a lot in construction.  If a car has parts that are partially made of aluminum alloy, the car will weigh less so better gas mileage will be the result and the price of the car will be higher as well.  Aluminum alloys are used to help create racing bicycles so the bike can go faster and at the same time, it will be strong.  A powerstation turbine contains aluminum alloys along with a section of an underground cable and overhead cables to help supply electricity.  Aluminum alloys also are located in an airplanes engine and fuselage.

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The largest demand for aluminum is in the food and drink industry because it is so useful for packaging. More common products it is used for are things found in the kitchen such as soda cans, cooking utensils, and foil. Aluminum mostly just helps protect our food by packaging it. If you look in your kitchen, you will find that many items consist of aluminum.

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Aluminum is a metal that can be obtained from bauxite.  This metal cannot be found free in nature but it can be found in soil and it begins as part of minerals located in rocks.  Aluminum is a metal in a group with no name and it has no taste.  Aluminum makes up around eight percent of the Earth’s crust, and it is the most abundant metal in the Earth’s crust.   

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Aluminum is a recyclable metal and the most common aluminum product we recycle is soda cans.  According to a study, recycling has been around half of the total use for aluminum.  To recycle aluminum, it takes about 1/20 of the energy it took to originally take to create the aluminum.  In California, it costs five cents extra CRV to buy a can of soda.  In eight states, you can exchange your aluminum soda cans for five cents. 

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Aluminum is the most abundant metal on planet Earth.  Aluminum is soft and weak, but aluminum alloys are as tough as steel.  Aluminum is as metal that is easy to shape and it can be welded at extremely high temperatures.  It can also be brazed or soldered with other metals and it boils at 2519 degrees Celsius and it melts at 660.32 degrees Celsius.  Aluminum is a good reflector that has a silvery color and it can be passivated. 

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Table
Atomic Number 13  
Chemical Symbol Al  
Atomic Mass 26.982  
Number of Electrons and Protons 13  
Number of Neutrons 14  
Color Silverish  

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Links to Students' Websites With Elements That Go With Aluminum

Silicon-#14

Sulfur-#16

Bromine-#35
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Glossary

Extract: To remove or take out

Abundant: Existing or available in large quanitities

Bauxite: An amorphous rock that is the chief commerical ore of Aluminum

Ion: An atom or molecule with a net electrical charge from the loss or gain of one or more electrons

Fuselage: The main body of an aircraft

Alloy: A metal made by combining two or more elements with metal

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Bibliography
 

"Aluminum." Chemistry: Periodic Table and More. 06 Feb. 2009 <http://www.chemicool.com/elements/aluminum.html>.
"Aluminum." Los Almos National Labs Chemistry Division. 15 Dec. 2003. 06 Feb. 2009 <http://periodic.lanl.gov/elements/13.html>.
Aluminum. 2008. The Aluminum Association. 6 Feb. 2009 <http://www.aluminum.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home>.
Bowman, Kenneth A. "Aluminum." World Book Encyclopedia. Chicago, IL: World Book Inc., 2008.
Eleek Recycled Aluminum Countertop and Tiles. Digital image. Trendir - Home Decorating Trends magazine. 27 Feb. 2009 <http://www.trendir.com/archives/001235.html>.
Emsley, John. The Elements. New York: Oxford UP, 1991.
Gagnon, Steve. "It's Elemental - The Element Aluminum." Science Education at Jefferson Lab. 06 Feb. 2009 <http://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele013.html>.
Knapp, Brian. Aluminum. Danbury: Grolier Educational, CT.
Stwertka, Albert. A Guide to the Elements. New York: Oxford UP, Incorporated.



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Last Updated: Monday, May 18, 2009 10:46 AM