electrolysis of metal ores

• when is electrolysis used?


  when a metal is too reactive to be used with carbon or reacts with carbon.
• is extracting metals from their ores via electrolysis cheap or expensive?


  very expensive as it requires a lot of energy to melt the ore.
• what is mixed in with metals to lower the boiling point?

  cryolite (e.g is mixed in with aluminium)
• do metals form positive or negative ions?


  positive ions so they are attracted to the negative electrode
• what is reduction?


  a gain of electrons.
• what is oxidation?


  a loss of electrons.
• do non-metals form negative or positive ions? 


  negative ions so they are attracted to the positive electrode.