Aluminum (or aluminium, as it’s commonly known in many parts of the world) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. It’s a soft, silvery-white metal with a low density and melting point, making it easy to form and mold. It’s the third most abundant element in the Earth’s crust, and is extracted from bauxite ore using a process called the Bayer process.

Aluminum has a wide range of applications due to its low weight, high strength, and excellent corrosion resistance. It’s used extensively in transportation, particularly in the aerospace industry, where its light weight is a significant advantage. It’s also used in building construction, electrical transmission lines, and consumer goods such as food packaging and aluminum foil. Aluminum’s recycling rate is high, making it an environmentally friendly choice for many applications.

Despite its ubiquity in modern life, aluminum was only discovered in the early 19th century, and was considered a rare and precious metal until the development of commercial-scale production methods in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Since then, its use has grown exponentially, making it one of the most important metals in modern manufacturing.