Aluminum
Aluminum, the thirteenth element on the periodic table, is a silvery white metallic solid,
sometimes a powder, and is mined from the mineral bauxite. Aluminum has an atomic mass of
26.98154 amu, a density of 2.6989 g/cm3, and aluminum's electron levels are 2-8-3.
Aluminum, a member of the boron group, was discovered in 1825 by Hans Christian Oersted
from Sweden. It has a valence of +3, and it melts at 933.5 K, and boils
at 2740 K. Al does not corrode easily, or create sparks when struck. It is not magnetic,
and high dietary levels of Al have beel linked to Alzheimers. Aluminum oxide can cause cystic
fibrosis.
Al's electron configuration is [Ne]3s2p1.
Al's electronegativity is 1.61.
May 18, 1997, updated August 7, 1998
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