3.1 Extracting Metals Flashcards
What is an ore?
A rock that contains enough of a metal to make it worth extracting the metal
What may need to happen to the ore before the metal is extracted?
The ore may need to be concentrated
What can mining ores have an effect on?
The environment because it produces a large amount of waste
Where are metals usually found?
In the earths crust
How are most metals found in the earth?
As compounds
How are pure metals extracted? (like gold which is unreacted)
By physical methods
How are metal compounds extracted?
By chemical reactions
Describe how a metal compound is extracted from the earth?
By a displacement reaction, by using a more reactive element than the metal
How are metals less reactive than carbon extracted from their oxides?
By heating them with carbon as a reduction reaction takes places because carbon removes the oxygen from the oxide to produce only the metal
What does the method used to extract a metal depend on?
Its reactivity
