Atomic Properties of Al
- Atomic Number of Al
- 13
- Atomic Mass of Al
- 26.9820 u
- Electron Configuration
- [Ne] 3s2 3p1
- Electronegativity
- 1.61
- Block
- p-block
- Group
- 13
- Period
- 3
Aluminum (Al) is element 13 on the periodic table. Atomic mass of Al: 26.9820 u. Al is in period 3, group 13. Melting point of Al: 933.47 K.Density of Al: 2.70 g/cm³.
The lightweight metal wrapping your food and flying you across oceans
No known biological function. Third most abundant element in Earth's crust but rare in living things. Some concerns about aluminum accumulation in brain.
Discovered by Hans Christian Oersted in Denmark, 1825
Name origin: Latin: alumen, aluminis, (alum).
Silvery-white lustrous metallic element of group 3 of the periodic table. Highly reactive but protected by a thin transparent layer of the oxide which quickly forms in air. There are many alloys of aluminum, as well as a good number of industrial uses. Makes up 8.1% of the Earth's crust, by weight. Isolated in 1825 by H.C. Oersted.
Aluminum has 1 naturally occurring isotope, plus 1 notable radioactive isotope.
| Isotope | Atomic Mass (u) | Abundance | Half-Life | Decay Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2613Al (Al-26)Aluminum-26 isotope | 25.9868917 | 0% | 717,000 years | β⁺, EC |
| 2713Al (Al-27)Aluminum-27 isotope | 26.98153853 | 100.00% | — | — |
Data source: NIH PubChem (aggregated from IUPAC, NIST)
Isotopes of Aluminum have important real-world applications in science and industry.
26Al is produced from spallation reactions of protons, produced by cosmic rays, on argon. 26Al has been used for dating geological samples, such as marine sediments, manganese nodules, rocks, and meteorites [119], [120]. The abundances of 26Al to 10Be have been used to study erosion and transport of soil and sediments on a thousand- to million-year time scale, because production rates of 26Al to 10Be are greatest at the surface and decrease exponentially with depth (Fig. IUPAC.13.1) [121], [122]. Intense cosmic-ray bombardment in space produces 26Al in meteorites and other bodies, such as the Moon. After a meteorite falls to Earth, 26Al production ceases due to atmospheric shielding; the decay of 26Al to 26Mg has been used to determine the terrestrial age of a meteorite (i.e. the time elapsed since the meteorite fell to Earth) [119].
Used for many purposes from airplanes to beverage cans. Too soft in its pure form so less than 1% of silicon or iron is added, which hardens and strengthens it.
Never occurs in free form. Obtained by electrolysis from bauxite (Al2O3).
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