Metal Extraction Flashcards
where are most metals found?
in the Earth’s crust (as compounds with oxygen and sulphur)
- this is because over a long time those metals have reacted with oxygen and sulphur
what are ores?
the rocks containing specific metal compounds
what does native mean?
chemically uncombined
examples of native metals?
- gold (Au)
- silver (Ag)
why don’t native metals need to be chemically extracted?
they already exist on their own
how are metals in ores extracted from their compounds?
they are chemically extracted by either:
- using electricity
- carbon extraction
how are metals more reactive than carbon displaced?
- by using electricity to break down their ore-compounds
how are metals less reactive than carbon displaced?
- by heating with carbon
- this only works because carbon is more reactive
what is a redox reaction?
- when carbon is used to displace a metal from its oxide
in terms of oxygen, what is reduction?
loss of oxygen
in terms of oxygen, what is the reducing agent?
takes oxygen away from something else
in terms of oxygen, what is oxidation?
gain of oxygen
in terms of oxygen, what is the oxidising agent?
gives oxygen to something else
in terms of oxygen, what is redox?
reduction and oxidation in the same reaction
