Section 5: Chemistry in Industry Flashcards
(111 cards)
if a metal is reactive, is it harder or easier to extract from a compound than a less reactive one?
harder
what reducing agent is used to separate a metal (that is fairly unreactive) from the oxygen in its oxide? how does it achieve this?
carbon, by displacement, e.g. 2CuO + C –> 2Cu + O2
which 5 metals from the reactivity series are extracted using electrolysis?
Potassium, sodium, lithium, calcium, magnesium
carbon can only be used to extract metals from oxygen (by extraction) when the metal is more/less reactive than the carbon itself?
less
what kind of metals is electrolysis used to extract? (hint: reactivity)
metals that are more reactive than carbon
aluminium is more reactive than carbon. What metho is used to extract it from its ore?
electrolysis
what is the main Aluminium ore?
bauxite
after mining and purifying bauxite, what is the identity of the white powder you are left with?
pure aluminium oxide, Al2O3
What is the symbol for aluminium oxide?
Al2O3
what is the substance used as the electrolyte in the extraction process for aluminium? how?
cryolite- aluminium oxide is dissolved in it
how does cryolite help to lower the cost of aluminium extraction?
reduces the temp. needed to carry out electrolysis, as it has a lower melting point than aluminium oxide, which makes the process cheaper to run
what is cryolite?
a less common ore of aluminium oxide
why must the cryolite be molten?
free electrons are needed for electrolysis to occur
what are the electrodes used in the extraction of aluminium oxide and why?
graphite- a good conductor of electricity
what is the reaction (half equation) that occurs at the NEGATIVE electrode, the cathode, during the extraction of aluminium by electrolysis? what kind of reaction is this?
Al3+ + 3e- –> Al
reduction
what is the reaction (half equation) that occurs at the POSITIVE electrode, the anode, during the extraction of aluminium by electrolysis? what kind of reaction is this?
2O2- –> O2 + 4e-
oxidation
what is a observation you could make when looking at the anode during the electrolysis of aluminium oxide and why?
fizzing; CO2 and O2 gas from the negative O2- ions attracted to the anode and having lost electrons
why is electrolysis expensive? (3)
- Uses a lot of electricity
- Sometimes uses a lot of heat energy- the electrolyte must by molten/a liquid
- The positive electrodes need replacing; they disppear
what is the scientific name and symbol equation for iron ore?
hematite, Fe2O3
how is iron extracted from its ore? give 2 details
by reduction in a blast furnace
what is coke made up of and why is it used in iron extraction?
carbon, for reducing the iron oxide to iron metal
what is the role of limestone in iron extraction?
takes away impurities in the form of slag
what is the symbol equation representing the burning of coke to form carbon dioxide?
C + O2 –> CO2
what is the symbol equation representing the reaction of CO2 with unburnt coke?
CO2 + C –> 2CO