Metals and their uses (core) Flashcards
What is an ore?
A rock that contains enough of a metal (or metal compound) to make it worth extracting
Name two metals that have oxides that can be reduced by carbon-
zinc, iron, tin, lead, copper
What do we call the removal of oxygen from a metal oxide?
Reduction
Why does iron from the blast furnace only have a few uses?
The impurities make it hard and brittle
Why are steels more useful than pure iron?
They can be made for specific uses, e.g. made harder
Why is it expensive to extract aluminium from its ore?
It requires a high temperature and lots of electricity
Why is titanium a very useful metal for making aircraft engines?
It’s strong, resistant to corrosion and has a very low density
Why are new ways of extracting copper being researched?
High grade ores are running out, to reduce environmental impacts
What three ways can be used to produce copper metal from it’s compounds?
Smelting
Electrolysis
Displacement
What properties make transition metals useful materials for making things?
Strong, good conductors of heat and electricity, can be bent and hammered into shape
What properties are needed for electrical wiring?
Good electrical conductors, can be made into wires, can be bent into shape, resistant to corrosion
Why is the gold used for wedding rings mixed with other metals?
to make it harder
Why should we recycle aluminium cans?
saves energy from extracting it from its ore, resources, fossil fuels, land needed for mining/landfill
What is the name for rock that is mined from which metal can be extracted economically?
ore
Why is gold found in the Earth as a metal?
it’s very unreactive and low in the reactivity series
