Overview of metal extraction

• A metal ore is a rock that contains enough metal to make it economically worthwhile to extract the metal from it.
• Some unreactive metals such as gold and silver are present in the earths crust in their native forms (such as gold and silver)
• The more reactive a metal the harder it is to extract from their ores
• Oxidation is the loss of electrons and reduction is the gain of electrons
• Which metals are extracted using electrolysis?

  Potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and aluminium
• Which metals are extracted by reduction using carbon?

  Zinc, iron, tin, hydrogen, copper and silver
• Oxidation can mean the reaction with oxygen
• Reduction can be the removal of oxygen
• A more reactive metal can displace (remove) a less reactive metal from its compound. This is a displacement reaction.