Aluminum is extremely reactive, and the classic method of liberating this energy is through thermite reactions. Without the oxidation layer on aluminum, it would be an extremely hazardous substance.
"Breaking bad" covered this with an etch-a-sketch. Sometimes chemistry can be surprising.
That's neat but I don't really follow. Why isn't the oxidation layer just a higher impedance material? Why is quantum tunneling required to explain a light switch?
"Breaking bad" covered this with an etch-a-sketch. Sometimes chemistry can be surprising.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermite