Element Information
| Group | 13 | Melting point | 660.323°C, 1220.581°F, 933.473 K |
| Period | 3 | Boiling point | 2519°C, 4566°F, 2792 K |
| Block | p | Density (g cm−3) | 2.70 |
| Atomic number | 13 | Relative atomic mass | 26.982 |
| State at 20°C | Solid | Key isotopes | 27Al |
| Electron configuration | [Ne] 3s23p1 | CAS number | 7429-90-5 |
| ChemSpider ID | 4514248 | ChemSpider is a free chemical structure database | |
What is Aluminium?
Aluminium is a soft, silvery-white, ductile, nonmagnetic metal in the boron group.
It is the third most abundant element in the Earth’s crust. Depending on the surface reference, aluminium appears in the range from silvery to dull grey.
Properties of Aluminium
Various physical properties of aluminium have been discussed below:
- The element is highly reactive. It has about one-third of stiffness and density of steel.
- Aluminium has good corrosion resistivity.
- It is capable of superconductivity.
- They are many unknown isotopes of hydrogen with the mass number ranging from twenty-one to forty-one.
Chemical Properties of Aluminium
1. Aluminum Reaction with HCl
Aluminum reacts with dilute hydrochloric acid at room temperature. The metal aluminium dissolves in hydrochloric acid, producing aluminum chloride and colorless hydrogen gas. The reaction taking place between aluminium and hydrochloric acid is irreversible.
2Al + 6HCl → 2AlCl₃ + 3H₂↑
2. Aluminum Reaction with Sodium hydroxide
Sodium aluminate is also formed by the action of sodium hydroxide on elemental aluminium which is an amphoteric metal. The reaction is highly exothermic once established and is accompanied by the rapid evolution of hydrogen gas.
2NaOH + 2H2O → 2NaAlO2 + 3H.
3. Aluminum Reaction with water
Aluminum metal rapidly develops a thin layer of aluminum oxide of a few millimeters that prevents the metal from reacting with water. Aluminium reacts with water to produce hydrogen gas according to the equation.
Uses of Aluminium
- It is used in the transportation of railway, trucks, automobiles as castings.
- It is used in packaging.
- Al(II) compounds are observed in the reactions of Al metal with oxidants.
- Using aluminon the presence of aluminium can be detected in qualitative analysis.