C - Getting Metals From Rocks

Question 1

What is a metal ore?

Answer 1

A rock that contains enough metal to make it worthwhile extracting metal from it!

Question 2

In many cases the ore is an _____ of the metal

Answer 2

Oxide

Question 3

What’s the main aluminium ore?

Answer 3

Bauxite

Question 4

The __________ of metal extraction can change over time

Answer 4

Profitability

Question 5

As ________ improves, it becomes possible to extract more metal

Answer 5

Technology

Question 6

What are the two main ways that metals are extracted from their ores? And the way in which copper could also be extracted…

Answer 6

• Reduction by carbon
• Electrolysis

• Displacement reaction

Question 7

What does ‘concentrating’ and ore mean?

Answer 7

Getting rid of the unwanted rocky material

Question 8

In reduction with carbon, metals need to be extracted from their ores using a _________ reaction

Answer 8

Chemical

Question 9

How do you know whether metals can be extracted by reduction with carbon or electrolysis?

Answer 9

If it’s BELOW carbon then it needs to be extracted by reduction with carbon

If it’s ABOVE carbon then it needs to be extracted by electrolysis

Question 10

What list do you have to look at to determine how reactive metals are?

Answer 10

The reactivity series

Question 11

If the metal is ABOVE carbon on the reactivity series it needs to be extracted by…

Answer 11

Electrolysis

Question 12

If the metal is BELOW carbon on the reactivity series it needs to be extracted by…

Answer 12

Reduction with carbon

Question 13

When an ore is reduced, ________ is removed from it

Answer 13

Oxygen

Question 14

What’s one big disadvantage of electrolysis?

Answer 14

It’s expensive because lots of ENERGY is needed to MELT metals

Question 15

Can carbon with reduction purify metals?

Answer 15

NO - electrolysis can

Question 16

What are the two uses of electrolysis?

Answer 16

• To purify metals

* To extract metals

Question 17

HOW do you reduce by carbon?

Answer 17

By SMELTING (heating and melting) the metal to extract it from its ore e.g. In a blast furnace

Question 18

What is smelting?

Answer 18

The process of extracting a metal from its ore by heating and melting e.g in a blast furnace

Question 19

What metal is used in electrolysis to be purified?

Answer 19

Copper

Question 20

Copper can be easily extracted by ________________, but after that’s been done, it’s still not ______

Answer 20

Reduction with carbon

Pure

Question 21

Impure copper doesn’t _______ ____________ very well, this isn’t very useful because a lot of copper is used to make ___________ _______

Answer 21

Conduct electricity

Electrical wires

Question 22

What’s a better electrical conductor, impure copper or pure copper?

Answer 22

Pure copper!

Question 23

What does electrolysis mean?

Answer 23

Splitting up with electricity

Question 24

What does electrolysis require in order for the electricity to flow through the whole thing…

Answer 24

The electrolyte

Question 25

The electrolyte has _____ ____ which conduct electricity and allow the whole thing to work

Answer 25

Free ions

Question 26

What’s the negative one that attracts all the pure metal…

Answer 26

Cathode

Question 27

What’s the positive one that’s made of impure copper?

Answer 27

Anode

Question 28

What’s the sludge?

Answer 28

The unwanted material from the pure metal that falls to the bottom

Question 29

Explain in detail how electrolysis is used to get copper…

Answer 29

• Electrons are pulled off copper atoms at the ANODE, causing them to go into the solution as Cu2+ ions
• the ions near the cathode gain electrons and turn back into copper atoms
• The unwanted stuff is dropped at the anode as sludge, whilst the pure copper atoms bond to the cathode

Question 30

How do you extract copper from a solution?

Answer 30

Using a displacement reaction

Question 31

How does a displacement reaction work?

Answer 31

You put a reactive metal into a solution of a dissolved metal compound and the reactive metal will replace the less reactive metal in the compound

Question 32

Displacement reactions - Finish the formula …

Copper sulfate + iron ➡️

Answer 32

Iron sulfate + copper

Question 33

Why is it important that we recycle as much copper as possible?

Answer 33

Because the supply of copper-rich ores is limited and demand is growing which could lead to shortages in the future

Question 34

What are 2 examples of new methods to extract copper?

Answer 34

• Bioleaching

* Phytomining

Question 35

What is bioleaching when extracting copper?

Answer 35

Where specific bacteria basically dissolve/eat the metal content out of the ore which can then be extracted by filtering for example

Question 36

What is phytomining when extracting copper?

Answer 36

Involves growing plants in soil that contains copper. The plants can’t use the copper so it gradually builds up in the leaves. They burn the plants and are then left with copper and ash!