When digging into the Earth's crust (the solid outer layer of our planet), scientists have discovered that the rocks and dirt are made of specific chemical elements. Knowing which elements and metals are the most common is a basic Chemistry and Geography fact.
Despite Aluminium being the most abundant metal in the crust, the core (the very center) of the Earth is overwhelmingly made of Iron and Nickel!
The most abundant METAL in the Earth's crust is Aluminium (Al). It makes up about 8.1% of the total weight of the Earth's crust.
However, you cannot just dig up pure shiny aluminium from the ground. Because it is highly reactive, it is always found tightly bonded with oxygen and other elements in rocks, most commonly in an ore called Bauxite.
The second most abundant metal in the Earth's crust is Iron (Fe), which makes up about 5% of the crust's weight.
You must read exam questions very carefully!
In the 1800s, extracting pure aluminium from Bauxite rock was incredibly difficult and expensive. It wasn't until 1886, when the Hall-Héroult electrical process was invented, that aluminium became cheap enough to use for everyday items like soda cans.
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