Metals And Their Uses Flashcards
What does the metal extraction method depend on?
The metals place in the reactivity series
What is one method by which metals can be extracted?
Displacement by using a more reactive
How can metals that are less reactive than carbon be extracted?
They can be extracted from their oxides by heating with carbon
What is a reduction reaction?
They take place as carbon removes oxygen from the oxide to produce the pre metal. This method is used commercially if possible
Which metals are below carbon in the reactivity series?
Zinc, iron, tin, lead, copper
Which metals are naturally occurring?
Gold, silver, platinum
How is gold extracted?
Physical methods as it is naturally occurring
What is a blast furnace?
The huge reaction vessels used in industry to extract iron from its ore
Which compound is reduced to make iron?
Iron oxide
What is iron from a blast furnace like?
Too brittle for many uses so can only be used really as cast iron
What is the iron like after removing all the impurities and carbon?
Pure iron but is too soft for many uses
Why is pure iron used in alloys such as steels?
The steel alloys are much harder than iron and can be used for more things
What are low-carbon steels like?
Easily shaped
What are high-carbon steels like?
Hard
What are special about stainless steels?
They contain lather quantities of other metals and they resist corrosion
What is useful about aluminium and titanium?
They have low densities compared to other strong metals and resist corrosion
Can aluminium be reduced by carbon?
No as it is more reactive than carbon and so its oxide cannot be reduced
How does aluminium have to be extracted?
Electrolysis of molten aluminium oxide
What is bad about electrolysis?
The process requires high temperature and a lot of electricity making extraction of things such as aluminium is expensive
What is pure aluminium like compared to alloys?
Pure aluminium is not very strong but aluminium alloys are stronger and harder
Can titanium be made by extracting them from their oxides with carbon?
No Titanium oxide can be reduced by carbon but the metal reacts with carbon making it brittle
How is titanium extracted from its ore?
By a process that involves several stages and large amounts of energy, making this process expensive
Why are titanium and aluminium resistant to corrosion?
They have a thin layer of their oxides on the surface
What is aluminium used as?
Aircraft, trains, saucepans, cooking foil
What is titanium used as?
Aircraft, hip joints, pipes in nuclear power stations
Why is titanium useful for making aircraft engines?
Strong, resistant to corrosion, low density
How can copper be extracted from copper rich ores?
Smelting-heating the ore strongly in a furnace
What does smelting copper produce?
Impure copper
How is impure copper purified?
Electrolysis
What is bad abou the process of smelting and purifying copper?
Requires huge amounts of electricity and heating
What is photomining?
Uses plants to absorb copper compounds from the ground the plants are burned and produce ash from which copper can be extracted
How are scientists trying to find methods of extractions copper?
Developing new ways of extracting copper from low grade ores which will have less environmental impacts
What is bioleaching?
Using bacteria to produce solutions containing copper compounds
How can copper be obtained by displacement?
Solutions of copper compounds can be reacted with a metal that is more reactive than copper such as scrap iron
Can copper be extracted by electrolysis?
Yes
What three ways can Be used to produce copper metal from its compounds?
Smelting
Electrolysis
Displacement
What are the elements on the central back of the periodic table called?
Transition metals
What properties do the transition metals have?
Metals with similar properties; they are good conductors of heat and electricity, are strong, can be bent
What properties does copper have?
Good conductors of heat
Does not react with water
Can be bent
Good conductors of electricity
What is copper used for?
Pipes
Electrical wiring
What is usually used instead of pure metals?
Alloys as they are stronger
What is iron made into?
Steels
What is gold used for?
It is used as an alloy for jewellery
What is aluminium used for?
It is alloyed and used in buildings and aircraft
What are copper alloys?
Bronze and brass
What is bad about mining?
It involves digging up and processing large amounts of rock which can produce large amounts of waste
Why is recycling important?
It saves the energy needed to extract the metal it saves resources because les sore need to be mined and less fossil fuels need to be used
What are the benefits of using metals in construction?
Storing Can be bent Can be made into flexible,wires Good d Electrical conductors
What are the disadvantages of using metals in construction?
Causes pollution
Uses limited resources
More expensive than other materials
Iron and steel rust
Why is gold found in the earth as the metal?
It is very unreactive and low in the reactivity
Name three types of steel and a property for each
Low carbon steel, easily shaped
High carbon steel, hard stainless steel resists corrosion
What is an ore?
Rock which contains enough metal to make it economically worthwhile to extract the metal
