Periodic Table of the Elements: Aluminum


Name: Aluminum
Symbol: Al
Atomic Number: 13
Atomic Mass: 26.9815
Atomic Volume: 10.0 cc/mol
Discovered By: Wöhler
Discovery Date: 1827
Origin of Name: Aluminum - (Latin) alumen, alum (alum, a compound of aluminum, AlKS 2 O 8 10H 2 O)
Toxicity: Not toxic. Dust of finely dispersed aluminum is toxic. Compounds are not toxic.
Summary: Aluminum is the most abundant metal in the earth's crust (8.1%), but is not found in Nature as the free metal. Aluminum metal is coated with a thin film of aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ) which prevents further corrosion. Aluminum was very expensive before 1886 when a convenient method of obtaining aluminum metal from the ore was discovered. Aluminum is known as aluminium in countries other than the USA.


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