Metals and their uses Flashcards
What is an ore?
Ores are naturally occurring rocks that contains enough metal to be economically viable to extract.
What is an alloy?
A metal made by combining two or more metallic elements, especially to give greater strength or resistance to corrosion.
Recite the reactivity series
How are metals less reactive than carbon extracted?
Metals that are less reactive than carbon can be extracted from their oxides by reduction with carbon, for example iron oxide is reduced in the blast furnace to make iron.
How are highly reactive metal extracted?
Metals that are more reactive than carbon, such as aluminium, are extracted by electrolysis of molten compounds. The use of large amounts of energy in the extraction of these metals makes them expensive
What is phytomining?
Phytomining uses plants to absorb metal compounds and that the plants are burned to produce ash that contains the metal compounds.
What is bioleaching?
Bioleaching uses bacteria to produce leachate solutions that contain metal compounds.
What are transition metals?
The elements in the central block of the periodic table are known as transition metals. Like other metals they are good conductors of heat and electricity and can be bent or hammered into shape. They are useful as structural materials and for making things that must allow heat or electricity to pass through them easily.
