Aluminium

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Aluminium
Properties
Atomic symbol Al
Atomic number 13
Classification Standard Metal
Atomic mass 27.0 amu
Other Information
Date of discovery 1825
Name of discoverer Hans Christian Oersted
Name origin From the Latin alumen.
Uses Aluminium is a very strong metal yet it is lightweight. It has many uses such as in airplanes, automobiles, and soda cans.
Obtained from Bauxite

Aluminium, or Aluminum, is an abundant metal (second only to silicon in the Earth's crust) which is commonly used in packaging, housing materials, appliances, as a structural material for vehicles as well as many other uses. Despite its abundance and usefulness, aluminum has only commonly been in use for about a century.[1]

Naming

Aluminium is the international standard IUPAC name for this element but Aluminum was adopted by the American Chemical Society in 1925[2] and this remains the standard in the USA.

The British chemist Humphrey Davy actually proposed the name aluminum before discovery of the element but agreed for it to be changed to aluminium to match the 'ium' endings of many metals.[3]

References

  1. United States Geological Survey, Aluminum Statistics and Information
  2. Alunet accessed 25 March 2007
  3. About.com accessed 25 March 2007