Metal Ores Flashcards
Most metals do react with other elements to form compounds, where can these naturally be found?
In the Earth’s crust
What is the compound called if it contains enough of he metal to make it worthwhile extracting?
A metal ore
Metal Ores are ‘finite resources’, what does this mean?
There a limited amount of metal ores
The more reactive a metal is….
the harder it is to extract it from a compound.
Lots of common metals react with oxygen to form oxides, what is this process called?
Oxidation
What are the oxides often?
The ores that the metals need to be extracted from.
What is a reaction that separates a metal from its oxide called?
A reduction reaction
What does the most common type of reduction reaction use carbon to do?
Separate the oxygen from the metal, but this doesn’t work for all metals
What is the reactivity series?
Potassium Sodium Calcium Magnesium Aluminium CARBON Zinc Iron Tin Lead
Which metals can be extracted by a reduction reaction with carbon?
Only metals that are less reactive than carbon.
This is done by heating the ore with carbon
Why can only metals that are less reactive than carbon be extracted by a reduction reaction with carbon?
More reactive elements form compounds more readily. Carbons more reactive than iron (for example) so carbon ‘steals’ oxygen from iron oxide.
What type of ores do very reactive metals form?
Very stable ores
How are metals that are more reactive than carbon extracted?
By electrolysis. Electrolysis uses electricity to separate the metal from the other elements in the compound
How are unreactive metals (such as gold) found?
Uncombined, unreactive metals don’t form compounds with other elements.
