Using Metals
2 guided lessons · 18 checks · 2. Inorganic Chemistry → Extraction & Uses of Metals
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Uses of aluminium and copper
Aluminium and copper earn their places by conduction. Aluminium combines low density with strength, conducts heat and electricity well, and shrugs off acidic food, so it appears in aircraft, saucepans, overhead cables and food cans. Copper conducts electricity and heat, is easily worked, and does not react with water, which suits it to wiring, saucepans and water pipes.
What you know already
From Extraction & Uses of Metals you have seen how metals are won from their ores. Choosing which metal to use then comes down to matching properties to the job: conducting heat or electricity, resisting corrosion, staying non-toxic and keeping costs low. This note maps the uses of aluminium, copper, iron and steel onto exactly those properties.
Key points of understanding
- Aluminium's low density and high strength make it ideal for aircraft bodies.
- Aluminium is unreactive and shrugs off acidic foodstuffs, so it is used for food cans.
- Overhead electrical cables use aluminium because it conducts electricity very well.
- Copper's conductivity and ductility make it the standard choice for electrical wiring.
- Water pipes rely on copper being unreactive with water, non-toxic and malleable.
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1.Uses of aluminium and copper
Aluminium and copper earn their places by conduction. Aluminium combines low density with strength, conducts heat and electricity well, and shrugs off acidic food, so it appears in aircraft, saucepans, overhead cables and food cans. Copper conducts electricity and heat, is easily worked, and does not react with water, which suits it to wiring, saucepans and water pipes.
Key points
- Aluminium's low density and high strength make it ideal for aircraft bodies.
- Aluminium is unreactive and shrugs off acidic foodstuffs, so it is used for food cans.
- Overhead electrical cables use aluminium because it conducts electricity very well.
- Copper's conductivity and ductility make it the standard choice for electrical wiring.
- Water pipes rely on copper being unreactive with water, non-toxic and malleable.
Guided content from the SME authoring corpus — note rn_sf7s7s6bQ2cZv29s, pinned at 286b5ac81d43 · promoted SyllabAI/syllabai-resources e967e75f1339