[justlovechemistry]

Aluminum: In the Sky and In Your Kitchen

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Atomic number: 13
Atomic weight: 26.982 amu
Classification: Metal

Aluminum is light and strong, so it is used to make aircraft parts. Even better, aluminum is affordable, so you can find products made of aluminum in your kitchen in the form of cans and aluminum foil (hence, the name). So you can encounter aluminum in the sky and in your kitchen. Weird, eh?

Aluminum does not rust, unlike iron. The reason aluminum does not rust because it forms a layer of corundum upon reacting with the air, which is a very hard and opaque substance. This corundum is harder than the actual metal itself, and it actually protects the aluminum from further damage. So aluminum literally creates a shield over time to protect itself. In contrast, iron forms a layer of red, flaky substance that falls off.

Aluminum is used to purify water. This is super important because if your tap water isn’t purified properly, it can be poisonous. Your hair may turn green if you wash yourself with tap water that isn’t purified properly, and in the worst case scenario you may get a brain disorder.