Robinson,+Tracy

Aluminum_Its atomic number is 13.

Atomic Mass_26.981539 amu

Solid,Liquid,Gas_Solid

Metal,Non-Metal,Metalloid_Metal

Aluminum is the third most abundant element of the Earth’s crust, behind that of oxygen and silicon. Of the metallic elements, it is the most abundant, 7.3% by mass of the total crust. Due to Aluminum’s high affinity to bind with oxygen, it is not found in naturally occurring in its elemental state, but only in combined forms such as oxides or silicates. The metal originally obtained its name from the Latin word for alum, //alumen.// The name //alumina// was proposed by L. B. G. de Moreveau, in 1761 for the base in alum, which was positively shown in 1787 to be the oxide of a yet to be discovered metal. Finally, in 1807, Sir Humphrey Davy proposed that this still unknown metal be referred to as //aluminum.// This was then altered further to that of //aluminium// so to agree with the "ium" spelling that ended most of the elements. This is the spelling that is generally used throughout the world. That is, until the American Chemical Society in 1925 officially reverted the spelling back to //aluminum//, which is how it is normally spelled in the United States. Though the existence of Aluminum was established by Sir Humphry Davy in 1808, it would take years upon years of deliberate research to find an efficient method to unlock the metal from its ore and even more years to create a production process that would allow the metal to be commercially practical. One of the most common end uses of aluminum is packaging, including drinks cans, foil wrappings, bottle tops and foil containers. Each of these relies on aluminum to provide a way of containing the food cleanly, and to protect it from changes in the local environment outside the packaging. Aluminum is still used in a very big way in the food packaging industry despite recent health worries linking aluminum to Alzheimer's disease. Aluminum's natural resistance to corrosion aids it in its role in packaging (and many other areas), as unlike in iron, aluminum oxide forms a protective and not destructive layer. Aluminum is also completely impermeable, (even when rolled into extremely thin foil), and also doesn't let the aroma or taste out of food packaging, the metal is non-toxic and aromaless itself too, making it perfect for packaging. [] [] []