C - Getting Metals From Rocks Flashcards
What is a metal ore?
A rock that contains enough metal to make it worthwhile extracting metal from it!
In many cases the ore is an _____ of the metal
Oxide
What’s the main aluminium ore?
Bauxite
The __________ of metal extraction can change over time
Profitability
As ________ improves, it becomes possible to extract more metal
Technology
What are the two main ways that metals are extracted from their ores? And the way in which copper could also be extracted…
- Reduction by carbon
- Electrolysis
• Displacement reaction
What does ‘concentrating’ and ore mean?
Getting rid of the unwanted rocky material
In reduction with carbon, metals need to be extracted from their ores using a _________ reaction
Chemical
How do you know whether metals can be extracted by reduction with carbon or electrolysis?
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
What list do you have to look at to determine how reactive metals are?
The reactivity series
If the metal is ABOVE carbon on the reactivity series it needs to be extracted by…
Electrolysis
If the metal is BELOW carbon on the reactivity series it needs to be extracted by…
Reduction with carbon
When an ore is reduced, ________ is removed from it
Oxygen
What’s one big disadvantage of electrolysis?
It’s expensive because lots of ENERGY is needed to MELT metals
Can carbon with reduction purify metals?
NO - electrolysis can
What are the two uses of electrolysis?
- To purify metals
* To extract metals
HOW do you reduce by carbon?
By SMELTING (heating and melting) the metal to extract it from its ore e.g. In a blast furnace
What is smelting?
The process of extracting a metal from its ore by heating and melting e.g in a blast furnace
What metal is used in electrolysis to be purified?
Copper
Copper can be easily extracted by ________________, but after that’s been done, it’s still not ______
Reduction with carbon
Pure
Impure copper doesn’t _______ ____________ very well, this isn’t very useful because a lot of copper is used to make ___________ _______
Conduct electricity
Electrical wires
What’s a better electrical conductor, impure copper or pure copper?
Pure copper!
What does electrolysis mean?
Splitting up with electricity
What does electrolysis require in order for the electricity to flow through the whole thing…
The electrolyte
The electrolyte has _____ ____ which conduct electricity and allow the whole thing to work
Free ions
What’s the negative one that attracts all the pure metal…
Cathode
What’s the positive one that’s made of impure copper?
Anode
What’s the sludge?
The unwanted material from the pure metal that falls to the bottom
Explain in detail how electrolysis is used to get copper…
- 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
How do you extract copper from a solution?
Using a displacement reaction
How does a displacement reaction work?
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
Displacement reactions - Finish the formula …
Copper sulfate + iron ➡️
Iron sulfate + copper
Why is it important that we recycle as much copper as possible?
Because the supply of copper-rich ores is limited and demand is growing which could lead to shortages in the future
What are 2 examples of new methods to extract copper?
- Bioleaching
* Phytomining
What is bioleaching when extracting copper?
Where specific bacteria basically dissolve/eat the metal content out of the ore which can then be extracted by filtering for example
What is phytomining when extracting copper?
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!
