1. Extracting Metals from Rocks
L.O: To understand what the reactivity series is, and what reduction and electrolysis are.
Saturday, 10 November 2018

2. Starter CARBON SODIUM NITROGEN ZINC OXYGEN
METALS
NON-METALS
Starter
MAGNESIUM
CARBON
SODIUM
NITROGEN
ZINC
OXYGEN
Sort the elements into 2 columns – metals and non-metals…
CALCIUM
NEON
ZINC
SODIUM
NEON
POTASSIUM
ARGON
MAGNESIUM
NITROGEN
HELIUM
TIN
TIN
HELIUM
ALUMINIUM
CARBON
OXYGEN
IRON
CHLORINE
ARGON
ALUMINIUM
KRYPTON
CALCIUM
POTASSIUM
IRON
COPPER
COPPER
KRYPTON
CHLORINE

3. The reactivity series
The reactivity series is a list of metals that are arranged in order of how reactive they are.
The most reactive metals are at the top
The least reactive are at the bottom.
The position of each metal in the reactivity series is important.
Whether a metal is higher or lower than carbon (the only non-metal in the series) determines the method that is used to extract it from its ore.

4. … and it can be extracted from it’s oxide by reduction using carbon…
Metal
Reactivity
Symbol
Potassium K
Sodium Na
Calcium Ca
Magnesium Mg
Aluminium Al
Carbon C
Zinc Zn
Iron Fe
Tin Sn
Lead Pb
The reactivity series
Here it is:
… and it can be extracted from it’s oxide by reduction using carbon…
What do you notice about one of the metals?
… and can be extracted from it’s oxide using electrolysis
Carbon
Anything below carbon is less reactive than it… C
Anything above carbon is more reactive than it…
We just include it for comparison…
Carbon – it’s not a metal at all!

5. Reduction using carbon
A metal below carbon in the reactivity series can be extracted from its ore by reacting it with carbon.
The reaction that takes place is called a reduction reaction, which is where oxygen is removed from the metal ore. O O

6. For example…
Iron oxide (the ore of iron) is reduced in a blast furnace to make iron.
Iron is less reactive than carbon so when iron oxide and carbon react the oxygen is removed from the iron ore, leaving iron metal. O C O Fe C Fe Fe Fe Fe

7. Electrolysis
Metals that are more reactive than carbon, such as aluminium, can't be extracted using carbon.
So different processes, such as electrolysis have to be used.
These processes are much more expensive than reduction with carbon because they have many stages and use a lot of energy.

8. For example…
Electrolysis can be used to extract aluminium from its oxide ore.
A high temperature is needed to melt the aluminium oxide so that the aluminium can be extracted
This takes lots of energy, making it an expensive process.

9. Questions Name the method used to extract a metal if it is...
...above carbon in the reactivity series.
...below carbon in the reactivity series.
Is an element at the top of the reactivity series more or less reactive than the elements below it?
When a metal ore is reduced by carbon, what is removed from it?
Why are other processes of extraction more expensive to carry out than reduction with carbon?
Give two examples of metals that are extracted using electrolysis.

10. Questions – Application
What process is required to extract each of these metals from their metal oxides? Use the reactivity series to help you.
Tin
Calcium
Zinc
Potassium

11. Answers – Fact Recall Method: More reactive Oxygen
Electrolysis
Reduction
More reactive
Oxygen
They have many stages and use a lot of energy
Any two from: e.g. aluminium, magnesium, calcium, sodium, potassium.

12. Answers - Application
Reduction with carbon
Electrolysis