Aluminum -- by Natalie Graeser

Why is this element important in everyday life?

Aluminum is used in a number of different things. For example kitchen utensils, outside building decorations, and in thousands of industrial applications, just to name a few.

Where is this element found in nature?

An artificial mixture of sodium, aluminum, and calcium fluorides has replaced cryolite, a natural ore found in Greenland. Even though aluminum is the most abundant metal to be found on earth's crust, it is never found free in nature. Aluminum can also be found in granite and many other common minerals.

What are the properties of the element? Aluminum is distinctly metallic and has familiar properties of metals.

General Characteristics =

Aluminum is a silvery-white metal with many characteristics. It is light, nonmagnetic, nonsparking, and stands second among metals in the scale of malleability, and sixth in ductility.

Atomic Symbol =Al

Period Number = 3

Group Number and Family Name =group 13 Boron family

Atomic Number = 13

Atomic Mass = 26.981

Density =2.70g/cm

Melting Point =660.4 ⁰ C

Boiling Point =2467 ⁰ C

Electron Configuration =1s²2s²2p⁶3s²3p¹

Shorthand Notation =[Ne] 3s²3p¹

Common Reactions = The mixture of a powered aluminum and the oxide of a less active metal is called a thermite reaction.

Interesting Information =Aluminum's alloys are of great importance in the construction of aircrafts and rockets. Aluminum can form a highly reflective coating for visible light and radiant heat when evaporated in a vacuum. The coatings soon form a thin layer of protective oxide and will not deteriorate. This can be used for telescope mirrors, decorative paper, packages, and toys.

Who is ?

Hello, I'm your host, Natalie Graeser and I would like to welcome you to our game show "Name that element." You will be given ten clues about an element and after the tenth clue you have to try and guess what it is. Good Luck! Your first clue is that it can be produced from clay. The second clue is tat it is the most abundant metal to be found in the earth's crust. Your third clue is that it can be found in granite and many other common minerals. The fourth clue is that it is a silvery-white metal. The fifth clue is that it is light, nonmagnetic, and non-sparking. Do you know what it is yet? Don't worry you still have five more clues. It can be used for kitchen utensils or outside building decorations for the sixth clue. The seventh is that it is very light weight. For the eighth, when pure, it is soft and lacks strength. The ninth clue is that the atomic number is 13. The final clue is that its alloys are of great importance in the construction of aircrafts and rockets. You are right, the element is ALUMINUM! You have been awarded the official chemistry expert award. Congratulations!