Extracting Metals Flashcards
1
Q
Less reactive metals
A
We can find less reactive metals such as gold as nuggets on the ground. This is because they wouldn’t have reacted with any other minerals
2
Q
More reactive metals
A
More reactive metals are found in rocks as compounds called minerals. If a rock contains a high enough percentage of metal atoms to make it viable for commercial exploitation, it is called and ore.
3
Q
What type of bonding do we find in minerals
A
Ionic bonding as it is bonding between metals and non metals
4
Q
Reducing metals using carbon
A
Carbon is easy to produce and fairly cheap. If an ore contains a metal less reactive than carbon, we can use carbon to reduce the metal compound and produce a pure metal. Carbon is oxidised.
