reactivity

• Reactivity Series:

  Potassium

  Sodium

  Calcium

  Magnesium

  Aluminum

  Carbon

  Zinc

  Iron

  Tin

  Lead

  Hydrogen

  Copper

  Silver

  Gold
• Thermite reaction: during displacement reactions with aluminum, aluminum creates strong bonds with oxygen, and this reaction is very exothermic, which creates molten iron.
• The more reactive metal will displace the less reactive metal.
• Copper was the first extracted metal.
• Ore: refers to a naturally occurring rock or mineral form in which a valuable substance, a metal or gem, can be extracted.
• The process of extraction has different steps and has a specific method based on the type of ore and the metal being extracted:

  1. Mining
  2. Crushing and Grinding
  3. Ore processing (extracting metal)
  4. Smelting
  5. Refining (removing impurities)
  6. Alloying (mixing metals)
• Extraction method: method chosen for extraction of a metal. Depends on the reactivity of a metal.

  Above Carbon = extracted by electrolysis

  Below carbon until Copper = extracted by burning with carbon

  Below Silver = exists as the element itself, it is unreactive and cannot form compounds. They just need to be separated using physical methods from the substances they are mixed with.
• Very unreactive metals include:

  -Platinum

  -Gold

  -Silver.

  They are found as uncombined elements

  One of the first metals discovered and are very rare

  Expensive.
• Iron ore is known as haematite or iron oxide.

  • iron occurs are iron oxide found in the Earth's crust.
  • Haematite is one of the ores containing iron oxide
  • rust color indicates iron.
• Iron is extracted through a blast furnace.

  1. Iron ore and carbon (in the form of coke) and limestone (used for reaction, has calcium carbonate)are fed on top of a blast furnace.
  2. Blasts of hot air enter in the bottom of the furnace. Carbon burns in the hot air to product carbon dioxide (C + O2 --> CO2). This is an exothermic reaction, and the temperature of the furnace reaches up to 1800 C.
  3. Iron oxide is reduced to iron (reduction process). (Iron oxide + Carbon --> Carbon dioxide + iron).
• Iron is extracted through a blast furnace:

  4. Limestone decomposes due to the high temperature to calcium oxide (reacts with impurities like sand to form slag) and carbon dioxide.

  5. Due to the heat of the blast furnace, the slag and iron are in molten form. Slag floats on top of the iron and runs off on the bottom of the furnace.
• Electrolysis involves passing electricity through a molten metal compound to break down the compounds to obtain the metal.