Separating Metals Flashcards
What is an ore
Type of rock that contains metal compounds
How do metals separate from oxides
They react with oxygen to form oxides, this is an example of oxidation
These oxides are often ores that the metals need to be extracted from, this is called reduction
What else can you use to extract metals by reduction
Carbon
What is an example of a reaction by reduction using carbon
Iron oxide + carbon ——- iron + carbon dioxide
What does the position of the metal in the reactivity series tell us
Whether it can be extracted using reduction with carbon
Which metals can be extracted using electrolysis
Metals higher than carbon in the reactivity series, which is expensive
Which metals can be extracted by reduction using carbon
Metals below carbon
Because carbon can only take the oxygen away from the metals which are less reactive than carbon itself
Which metals are found in the earth as the metal itself
Gold
Why do we separate metals from metal oxides
Because most metals are found as compounds that require chemical reactions
