Key Stage 3
Meaning
Extraction of Metals is how we get usable metal from ore found in the ground.
About Extraction of Metals
There are 3 main ways extraction of metals takes place:
- None - Elements below Hydrogen are found Native which means the metal element can be found not as part of a compound.
- Smelting - Elements above Hydrogen but below Carbon are found in metal compounds so they need to be extracted by using Carbon to displace the metal from the compound.
- Electrolysis - Elements above Carbon are found in metal compounds but they cannot be extracted with Carbon because Carbon is less reactive than those metals so we use electrolysis to extract them.
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| The ores are mined from the ground. | The ores are transported to metal refineries. | The material is purified to remove unwanted pieces of rock. If the metal is native it is put in a furnace to melt. If the metal is in a compound it is either put in a furnace with Carbon to displace it or it is placed in an electrolysis cell to be extracted with electricity. | The metal is then molded into ingots. |