3.4 Extracting Copper

Question 1

Name 4 ways we can extract copper

Answer 1

• smelting
• displacing copper sulphate
• phytomining
• bioleaching

Question 2

How does smelting work?

Answer 2

1. Heating copper ore strongly in furnace to produce crude copper (impure copper)
2. Use electrolysis to purify the copper

Question 3

Name 3 problems of smelting

Answer 3

• uses lots of electricity
• expensive
• impacts on environment

Question 4

Why do we need to find ways to remove copper from low grade ores?

Answer 4

Copper rich ores are a limited source and we need copper

Question 5

How can we use sulphuric acid to extract copper?

Answer 5

1. React copper oxide with sulphuric acid to make copper sulphate
2. Add magnesium to displace the copper
3. Or purify the copper using electrolysis (used more in industry because magnesium would be too expensive to get

Question 6

Name 3 problems of using sulphuric acid to produce copper

Answer 6

• lots of electricity
• expensive
• bad for environment

Question 7

How does phytomining work?

Answer 7

1. Use plants to absorb copper compounds from the ground
2. Burn plants
3. Use the ash that was produced to extract the copper

Question 8

How does bioleaching work?

Answer 8

Use bacteria to produce solutions containing copper compounds

Question 9

Which methods for extracting copper have the worst environmental impacts?

Answer 9

Smelting and using sulphuric acid

Question 10

How can we use other metals (more reactive than copper) to extract copper?

Answer 10

Solutions of copper can be reacted with more reactive metals to displace the copper

Question 11

Why is scrap iron good for displacing copper?

Answer 11

It is scrap so is very cheap

Question 12

How can we extract copper from copper rich ores?

Answer 12

Smelting