The most useful ore of aluminum is bauxite, in which Al is present as hydrated oxides, Al₂O₃ × H₂O. The number of kilowatt-hours of electricity required to produce 4.00 kg of aluminum from electrolysis of compounds from bauxite is __________ when the applied emf is 5.00 V.

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The production of aluminum from bauxite requires electrolysis, which involves the conversion of Al3+ ions to aluminum metal. The process requires 3 moles of electrons per mole of aluminum. The molar mass of aluminum is 26.98 g/mol, so 4.00 kg of aluminum is approximately 148.3 moles. The total charge required is 3 times the number of moles of aluminum times Faraday's constant (96485 C/mol). The energy in kilowatt-hours is calculated using the formula: Energy (kWh) = (Charge in Coulombs × Voltage in Volts) / (3600 × 1000). Plugging in the values gives approximately 59.6 kWh.

The Most Useful Ore of Aluminum Is Bauxite, in Which