Getting Metals from Rocks

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Displacement Reaction - Extract Copper from a solution

1) More reactive metals react more vigorously than less reactive metals.

2) If you put a reactive metal in a dissolved metal compound then the reactive metal will replace the less reactive metal in the compound.

3) This is because the more reactive metal bonds more strongly to the non-metal bit of the compound and pushes out the less reactive metal.

Example -

copper sulphate + iron = iron sulphate + copper

If the more reactive metal is copper then nothing happens when the other metal is put in the solution.

Displacement reaction quiz

how can you extract copper from a solution - displacement reaction

how does it work - you put a more reactive metal in a compound solution containing copper. The more reactive metal will latch on to the other non metal substance creating a stronger bond than the other metal because the metal you added is more strong. This pushes out the original metal giving you copper

Reduction with carbon -

this is when carbon is added to take away oxygen. This is only done with metals that are less reactive than carbon as carbon can only take away oxygen if the metals are less reactive.