Separating Metals From Metal Oxides

Cards (4)

  • Oxidation
    • The process of gaining oxygen
  • Reduction
    • The loss of oxygen
  • When most metals are exposed to oxygen they will react to form metal oxides, as oc=xygen is abundant most metals on earth will have been oxidised. Apart from really unreactive metals like gold.
    • The cheapest way to separate our metal oxides is with carbon
    • Carbon will take the oxygen from the metal to from carbon dioxide and leave a pure metal
    • Unfortunately, we can only do this with metals that are less reactive than carbon.