AQA · Chemistry · 8462

GCSE Chemistry: Extraction of metals and reduction

Chemical changes · AQA GCSE Chemistry (8462), specification point 4.4.1.3. Cards are generated from the exam board's own specification for "Extraction of metals and reduction", and every card links back to the page it came from. Specification © AQA — used with attribution.

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  1. Why is gold found in the Earth as the metal itself, not as a compound?

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    Gold is unreactive, so it does not combine with other elements to form compounds.

  2. Why do most metals require chemical reactions to extract them?

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    Most metals are found in the Earth as compounds (e.g. oxides), not as the pure metal.

  3. Which metals can be extracted from their oxides by reduction with carbon?

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    Metals less reactive than carbon.

  4. Metals less reactive than ? can be extracted from their oxides by reduction with that element.

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    carbon

  5. Define reduction in terms of oxygen.

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    Reduction is the loss of oxygen.

  6. Define oxidation in terms of oxygen.

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    Oxidation is the gain of oxygen.

  7. When a metal oxide is heated with carbon, which substance is reduced?

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    The metal oxide — it loses oxygen to form the metal.

  8. When a metal oxide is heated with carbon, which substance is oxidised?

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    The carbon — it gains oxygen to form carbon dioxide (or carbon monoxide).

  9. Why can't aluminium be extracted from its oxide by heating with carbon?

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    Aluminium is more reactive than carbon, so carbon cannot remove the oxygen from aluminium oxide.

  10. Give an example of a metal found in the Earth as the uncombined element.

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    Gold.

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