Aluminium (Al)
"Meet Captain Al, the Featherweight Force! Strong, sleek, and supremely resistant to rust, he's the ultimate eco-warrior, ready to protect and be recycled for endless missions."
A memorable persona to anchor Al in your mind.
2.7
Grams per cm³
660.323
Celsius (°C)
184
Radius (pm)
Daily Life Link
That shiny, super-light soda can in your hand? Yep, that's Aluminum at its best!
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 gleaming, silvery-white metal that feels incredibly light, almost defying its inherent strength."
Did You Know?
Earth's Crust King: Aluminum is the most abundant metal in Earth's crust, making up about 8% of its weight! (But you won't find it pure in nature, it loves to bond!)
Once More Precious Than Gold: Believe it or not, in the 1800s, Aluminum was so hard to extract that it was more expensive than gold and platinum! Napoleon III even had fancy aluminum cutlery.
The Plane's Best Friend: Its incredible strength-to-weight ratio makes it the go-to material for aircraft, helping planes soar effortlessly through the sky.
The Anti-Rust Armor: Instead of rusting like iron, Aluminum forms a super-thin, tough, transparent oxide layer on its surface that actually PROTECTS it from further corrosion. How cool is that?