my homework was to find out how do you get aluminium for rocks! I've been looking around but every web site i've been on only says that aluminium comes from rocks, but it doesn't say how you get it from rocks.e.g you get wool from sheep by shearing of their coat.so if anyone knows how you get aluminum from rocks please tell me i need your help.
Well, you start with an aluminum rich rock (cheaper to process). The raw ore after physical concentration (removal of secondary minerals) is reacted by an electrolytic process. This means that electricity is used to convert the aluminum ion in the raw rock into the metal aluminum. Sort of like the reverse of a battery, to keep things simple. Aluminum smelters tend to be set up in places with cheap electricity, because the process uses a LOT of electricity. That is why there are several up here in quebec, we have cheap hydro electricity and the government gives decent deals to the smelters on top of the already low market price. Do a search on aluminum smelting to find out more. Not sure what your level of knowledge is so not sure how much you will understand.
Aluminum is derived from a rock called Bauxite, which consists of a mixture of up to three aluminum minerals. Bascally they mine it, smelt it (heat to very high temperatures) and you get aluminum. You'll probably get a better answer form someone who is more familiar with the process, but that's a very rough idea.
