Aluminum By Parvane Baharian |
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Al Oscar Well, here I am, Oscar the grouch to tell you all I know about aluminum. First of all, let me tell you honestly that I am not giving this presentation out of the goodness of my heart, I am under severe force of Big Bird and the rest of the Sesame Street gang. Now you're all probably asking yourselves, why would Oscar know anything about aluminum. Well, I'll have you know that, contrary to popular belief, my first name is Al (and last name Oscar), which is the symbol for Aluminum. Furthermore, my outside shell is made partly out of aluminum (the garbage can), making me a mole of that element. For all you who are clueless as to what a mole is, a mole describes a quantity of mass and a number of particles of a certain element, and in my case that element is Aluminum. Also, a mole is equal to a hugemongous number--6.02 x 10 to the 23rd power. You know, the only person I know who could ever count that high would be the Count here on Sesame Street, but I better not say that too loud because I really don't have the patience to listen to him ramble on and on. Anyways, because I am a mole of aluminum, Big Bird is forcing me teach all of you everything I know about Aluminum -- so here it goes: Aluminum is the most abundant metallic element in the earth's crust, making me pretty darn important in the scheme of things. Aluminum is a lightweight, silvery metal that has an atomic weight of about 27.0g. Aluminum is also a very strongly electropositive metal and extremely reactive. To give you all an example of this fantastic (you can tell I'm getting bored when I use words like that) concept, examine what happens when aluminum comes in contact with air. What happens is aluminum rapidly becomes covered with a tough, transparent layer of aluminum oxide which keeps corrosiveness away. This is the reason materials made of such high quality as Aluminum, like my outer shell, will never rust or tarnish. In fact, Aluminum is such a superior element that, it can reduce may other metallic compounds to their base metals. This happens when thermite, a mixture of powdered iron oxide and aluminum, is heated and the aluminum quickly removes the oxygen from the iron which melts the iron--I am just so efficient! Also, eventhough I hate to admit it, aluminum is found in beautiful things, like rubies, sapphires, and gemstones like that. My element was first discovered in 1807 by the British scientist, Sir Humphrey Davy. I think that this Davey guy is the only person I can honestly say I am grateful to. He plucked me and my fellow aluminum colleagues out of oblivion and utter despair of being unrealized and unaccredited for the spectacular things we were doing. Afterall we had done such great things that nobody recognized as us for doing, such as keeping the Egyptians and Babylonians alive by existing in aluminum salts they used for the preparation of dyes and medicines. Now we are finally being recognized for the feats we have accomplished. I am definitely going to make all the Sesame Street gang read this so they can once and for all understand why I keep to myself in a grouchy way in my aluminum covering. Aluminum is so extremely useful in this world today that I could tell you about it forever, but I can't stand this for much longer. Aluminum's high strength-to-weight ratio makes it useful in the construction of aircraft, railroad cars, regular automobiles, and any other applications in which those such things as mobility and energy conservation are important. Because of it's high heat conductivity, aluminum is even used in cooking utensils. Aluminum is very light which is very beneficial in long-distance, high-voltage power transmission. This metal is even becoming more and more used and valued architecturally for structure as well as for beauty. For example, excellent insulators are aluminum siding, storm windows, and foil. It's also used as a material in low-temperature nuclear reactors because it takes in few neutrons. One of aluminum's greatest accomplishments besides my outer covering of a garbage can, is aluminum foil which is a common household connivance to keep food from spoiling (I don't understand what's wrong with spoiled food, but oh-well). Also, aluminum, unlike some other inconsiderate elements, doesn't harm the environment. This is because of its light weight which allows it to be widely used for containers, bottles and cans that can all be recycled -- not left to erode away in the environment. Aluminum is clearly a useful, productive, and highly efficient element, and that's all I have to say about it no matter how much I love it. I am never, ever going to forgive Big Bird for making me do this presentation of aluminum, because now I have the hugest migraine headache ever! Well, at least I have one consolation to keep me sane--I am a mole of the most superior element, Aluminum. |
