13AlAluminium26.98153857[Ne] 3s² 3p¹
post-transition metal

Aluminium

Aluminium (or aluminum; see different endings) is a chemical element in the boron group with symbol Al and atomic number 13. It is a silvery-white, soft, nonmagnetic, ductile metal. Aluminium is the third most abundant element (after oxygen and silicon), and the most abundant metal, in the Earth's crust.

Electronic structure

A stylized shell model. Electrons are quantum objects, not particles following these literal paths. Sizes and motion are illustrative.

Electrons by shell
Electron configuration
3s2
3p1

10 is the [Ne] core total across two shells.

Properties

At a glance

Atomic number
13
Atomic mass
26.981539 u
Phase
Solid
Density
2.7 g/cm³
Melting point
933.47 K
Boiling point
2,743 K
First ionization energy
577.5 kJ/mol
Electronegativity
1.61
Electron affinity
41.762 kJ/mol
Molar heat capacity
24.2 J/(mol·K)
Period
3
Appearance
silvery gray metallic

Conditions and isotopes affect measured properties. Some properties of short-lived elements are predicted. Electronegativity uses the Pauling scale.

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Explore the stories, imagery, and reference data in more depth. Properties with no value in the reference are marked unavailable.