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Metal Ores - C1 Topic 4

• Unreactive metals such as gold are found uncombined.
• However, most metals reacts with other elements to for compounds which are found naturally, if there is enough of the metal in the compound it will be extracted - METAL ORE. They're finite resources.
• The more reactive, the order is it to extract from the compound.

They have to be separated from the oxides

• Formation of metal ore:
• Oxidation
• Gain of oxygen -
• e.g Magnesium is oxidised to form magnesium oxide
• Extraction of metal ore:
• Reduction
• Loss of oxygen -
• e.g Copper oxide is reduced to copper

Reactivity series

• A reduction reaction with can only be done with metals less reactive than carbon.
• Very reactive metals have to be extracted using electrolysis e.g aluminium oxide is melted and the electrolysis decomposes it into aluminium and oxygen atoms. The aluminium sinks to the bottom as molten metal.
• However, it's very expensive!
• Potassium
• Sodium
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Aluminium
• CARBON
• Zinc
• Iron
• Tin
• Lead

Properties of metals