Extracting Metals

Question 1

Ore

Answer 1

A rock that contains enough of a metal or metal compound to be worth mining.

-> reactive metals needs to be chemically extracted from the ores.

Question 2

Native state

Answer 2

Gold, silver…

Question 3

Blast furnace

Answer 3

Extract iron for example
-> heated with carbon
-> carbon is more reactive than iron so it displaces it.
iron oxide + carbon-> iron + carbon dioxide.
Limestone is added to remove impurities, slag.

Question 4

Electrolysis

Answer 4

->Extracts reactive metals from their ores.
->Uses electricity to melt metals. The electricity transfers energy to the compound and splits it up to obtain the metal.
E.g. Aluminium oxide-> aluminium + oxygen
-> it is very expensive.
-> used only with reactive metals that can’t be displace by carbon.