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Global Challenges

Extracting metals by reduction and by electrolysis

  • 3 things to know
  • Paper 4

Overview

Reduction by carbon for metals below carbon, the blast furnace and its raw materials, why aluminium needs electrolysis, bauxite and cryolite, the electrodes in aluminium extraction, and the cost of each method.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

Which metals must be extracted by electrolysis, why does that include aluminium, which ore supplies aluminium, and at which electrode does aluminium collect?

Key term

What does the position of a metal relative to carbon in the reactivity series tell you about how it can be extracted?

Key term

Why is carbon able to remove the oxygen from iron oxide?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    What does the position of a metal relative to carbon in the reactivity series tell you about how it can be extracted?

    Model answer

    A metal less reactive than carbon can be extracted by heating its ore with carbon, while a more reactive metal cannot.

  2. 2

    Why is carbon able to remove the oxygen from iron oxide?

    Model answer

    Carbon is more reactive than iron, so it takes the oxygen from the iron oxide and is itself oxidised.

  3. 3

    In terms of oxygen, what happens to a metal oxide when it is reduced by carbon?

    Model answer

    The metal oxide loses its oxygen to the carbon, leaving the metal behind.

  4. 4

    Name the raw materials fed into a blast furnace to extract iron.

    Model answer

    Iron ore, coke, limestone and hot air.

  5. 5

    Which gas formed inside a blast furnace does most of the reducing of the iron ore?

    Model answer

    Carbon monoxide.

  6. 6

    Give a word equation for the reduction of iron(III) oxide by carbon.

    Model answer

    Iron(III) oxide + carbon → iron + carbon dioxide.

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Chemical Reactions
Elements, Compounds and Mixtures
Global Challenges
Monitoring and Controlling Chemical Reactions

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AThe products sit at a higher energy level than the reactants.
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Sodium ions give a bright yellow flame colour.
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