Using Earth’s Resources

• Copper Extraction ~~>> occurring more frequently as copper is running our
• Low-grade ore sites:

  • Contains too little metal in the rock to make it economically worth extracting by mining and reduction
• Bioleaching:

  1. Flood the site with bacteria
  2. Bacteria leach copper from the ground
  3. Leachate solution is produced
  4. Copper is extracted and leachate is processed by electrolysis or displacement with iron
• Phytomining:

  1. Plants on low grade ore sites are planted
  2. Taken up by plant rather than roots
  3. Harvest plants by burning them
  4. Plants are cut down and burned to produce ash
  5. Process ash by mixing it with acid (Sulfuric) —> with electrolysis or displacement with iron
• Iron is used in phytomining because it is more reactive than copper + it is cheaper
• Displacing copper with iron:

  • Redox reaction
  • Displacement reaction is EXOTHERMIC

  CuSO + Fe —> FeSO + Cu

  . Copper ions have been reduced (Gaining electrons)

  . Iron atoms are being oxidised (Losing electrons)
• Main Gases in Earths Atmosphere:

  • Nitrogen
  • Carbon dioxide
  • Water Vapour
  • Oxygen
  • Noble gases
• Volcanic Activity released:

  • Nitrogen-> Slowly built-up in atmosphere
  • Water vapour-> condensed to form oceans and smaller quantities of methane
• Factors that reduced atmospheric carbon dioxide:

  • Evolution of marine animals
  • Evolution of photosynthetic organisms
  • Formations of oceans