Extracting Metals

• Pure metals can be extracted from metal oxides using the element carbon.

  
  

  Carbon causes the metal to lose its oxygen, so the metal becomes reduced.

  
  

  Producing Carbon Dioxide

  
  

  It ONLY works for metals less reactive than Carbon
• Why do we find pure gold in the ground, but not pure iron?

  • Gold is unreactive, it doesn't react with any elements
  • Iron is reactive enough to react with oxygen so is oxidised to iron oxide 
• Some metals unlike Gold have reacted with other elements to form compounds. Making it harder to retrieve pure in the ground.
• A more reactive element will displace a less reactive element in a compound.
• In Extracting metals oxidation is gain and reduction is loss. In Electrons oxidation is loss and reduction is gain.