Metals are usually found as ore, joined to rock or other compound
Mostly the ore is the oxide of the metal
Reducing (De-Oxygenating) With Carbon means that carbon is added to produce co2 with the oxygen and freeing the metal
Only metals LESS reactive than carbon works
Reactivity Series -->
For metals MORE reactive than carbon electrolysis is used
electrolysis is the splitting of a substance using electric
Aluminium need three electrons so it goes to the negative electrode when it gets this it turns wolten as flows
to the bottom. The oxygen goes to the positive electrode where it becomes o2 and bubbles away.
Reactive metals need chemical reaction to remove this is why sodium took so long to discover.
Metals get their propities due to the electron cloud