Sources of Metals (Edexcel IGCSE Chemistry (Modular))

Revision Note

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Sources of metals

  • The Earth’s crust contains metals and metal compounds such as gold, copper, iron oxide and aluminium oxide

  • Useful metals are often chemically combined with other substances forming ores

  • A metal ore is a rock that contains enough of the metal to make it worthwhile extracting

  • They have to be extracted from their ores through processes such as electrolysis, using a blast furnace or by reacting with more reactive material

  • In many cases the ore is an oxide of the metal, therefore the extraction of these metals is a reduction process since oxygen is being removed

  • Common examples of oxide ores are iron and aluminium ores which are called haematite and bauxite respectively

  • Unreactive metals do not have to be extracted chemically as they are often found as the uncombined element

  • This occurs as they do not easily react with other substances due to their chemical stability

  • Examples include gold and platinum which can both be mined directly from the Earth’s crust

Examiner Tip

A metal can reduce another metal (remove oxygen) only if it is more reactive than the metal that is bonded to the oxygen.

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