Metal

1. Metallic bonds are strong bonding. This explain why metal has high density, melting and
boiling points.
2. Pure metals are rarely use because it can corrode easily and soft. Most metallic substances
used is alloys.
3. Alloys are mixture of metal with several elements.
4. In alloy, different element is added to the pure metals. The atoms of different sizes cannot
slide over easily.
5. Alloying also increase the resistant to corrosion. Alloying also may be used to lower melting
point of pure metal to help us to melt the metal while joining them.
6. Example of alloy:
Bronze (alloy of copper and tin) ; brass (copper and zinc) and Stainless steel (iron,
chromium,nickel and carbon)
7. What metals react with cold water?
Some metals react with cold water to produce hydrogen and metal hydroxide.
a. Potassium (react violently, hydrogen gas is burnt by lilac flame)
b. Sodium (react violently, burn with yellow flame)
c. Calcium
d. Magnesium (react slowly)
8. What metals react with steam?
Some metals react with steam to produce hydrogen and metal oxide.
a. Zinc The metal should be heated strongly until it is very hot. The glass wool
b. Magnesium soaked in water is also heated to generate a flow of steam over the hot
metal.
c. Iron
Note : during this set up, the delivery tube should be removed before the bunsen burner is
being turned off in order to prevent water from being sucked back into the hot test tube.
9. More reactive metals will be oxidised while less reactive metals will be reduced.
10. Metal oxide + carbon heat metal + carbon dioxide (reduction with carbon)
Example : 2CuO (s) + C(s)  2Cu(s) + CO2(g)

Metal oxide Reaction with carbon

 Potassium oxide
Sodium oxide
NOT reduced by carbon
Calcium oxide
Magnesium oxide
Zinc oxide
Iron (II) oxide
Reduced by carbon
Lead (II) oxide
Copper (II) oxide
Silver oxide Reduced by heating
Any metals below copper in reactivity series, its oxide will decompose simply by heating.
11. Metals should be exarted from their ores (metal oxide) and it can be done by reduction with
carbon.
12. Metal oxide + hydrogen metal + steam (reduction with hydrogen)
Metal oxide Reaction with hydrogen
Potassium oxide
Sodium oxide
Calcium oxide NOT reduced by hydrogen
Magnesium oxide
Zinc oxide
Iron (II) oxide
Lead (II) oxide
Reduced by hydrogen
Copper (II) oxide
Silver oxide

13. More reactive metals can displace less reactive metals from their salt solutions.
Example:
Fe(s) + CuSO4(aq) FeSO4(aq) + Cu(s)
Fe(s) + Cu2+(aq) Fe2+ (aq) + Cu(s)
Fe is more reactive than Cu. Hence it can displace Cu  Fu is oxidised (more reactive)
 Magnesium Copper(II) Lead(II) Iron(II)
Zinc sulphate
sulphate sulphate nitrate sulphate
Blue solution
Pale green
turns
Remain solution
colourless. Remain
colourless. turns
Reddish coloourless.
Grey deposit colourless.
Magnesium brown Grey deposit
of zinc Grey deposit
deposit of of lead on
formed on of iron
copper magnesium
magnesium formed on
formed on
magnesium
magnesium
Blue solution
Pale green
turns
Remai solution
colourless.
Zinc No reaction colourless. turns
Reddish
Grey deposit colourless.
brown
Grey deposit
deposit
Copper No reaction No reaction No reaction No reaction
Blue solution
turns
colourless.
Lead No reaction No reaction No reaction
Reddish
brown
deposit
Blue solution
turns pale Colourless
green. turns pale
Iron No reaction No reaction
Reddish green. Grey
brown deposit.
deposit
14. Reaction Between a metal and oxide of another metal
Zinc + copper(II) oxide  zinc oxide + copper
Zn(s) + CuO(s)  ZnO(s) + Cu(s)

15. Some metals are more stable to heat than others.

Metal carbonate Observation
Potassim carbonate
Unaffected by heat
Sodium carbonate
Calcium carbonate
Magnesium carbonate
Zinc carbonate Decompose into metal oxide and carbon
Iron(II) carbonate dioxide on heating
Lead(II) carbonate
Copper(II) carbonate
Decomposes into silver and carbon dioxide
Silver carbonate
on heating

The more reactive the metal is, the more difficult it is to decompose its compounds.
16. Extracting metal from ore:
a. Reducing the metal compound (ore) to the metal using carbon
b. Using electricity to decompose the molten metal compound (ore) to the metal.
Potassium
Sodium
Electricity to decompose the molten metal
Calcium
compounds (electrolysis)
Magnesium
Aluminium
Zinc
Iron
Lead Reducing the metal oxide by using carbon
Copper
Silver
Gold Found naturally uncombined as metals
17. Extracting iron from haematite.
 The main ore of iron is haematite.
 Haematite contains iron (III) oxide mixed with impurities such as sand and clay.
 Iron is extracted from haemetite in a blast furnace.
 Haematite, coke (mainly carbon) and limestone (calcium carbonate) are added at the top of the
blast furnace.
 Blasts of hot air are blown into the furnace near the buttom.

a. The carbon in coke burns in a blast of hot air

Carbon + oxygen  carbon dioxide
C(s) + O2(g)  CO2 (g)

The limestone (calcium carbonate) is decomposed by heat

heat calcium oxide (quicklime) + carbon dioxide
Calcium carbonate
heat
CaCO3(s) CaO(s) + CO2(g)

b. As the carbon dioxide rises up the furnace, it reacts with more coke to form carbon monoxide
heat
Carbon + carbon dioxide carbon monoxide
C(s) + CO (g) heat 2CO(g)
2
 c. The carbon monoxide reduces the iron(III) oxide in haematite to iron
heat
Iron(III) oxide + carbon monoxide molten iron + carbon dioxide
heat
Fe2O3(s) + 3CO(g) 2Fe(l) + 3CO2(g)

The iron formed is molten and runs to the bottom of the furnace. Hot waste gases containing
carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and nitrogen escape through the top of the furnace.

d. Impurities are removed

Calcium oxide + silicon(IV) oxide heat calcium silicate (slag)
CaO(s) + SiO2(s) heat CaSiO3(l)

18. The process that produces rust is known as rusting or corrosion. It is the slow oxidation of iron to
form hydrated iron(III) oxide.
Iron + oxygen + water hydrated iron(III) oxide
4Fe(s) + 3O2(g) + 2xH2O(l) 2Fe2O3.xH2O(s)

19. Common methods of rust prevention

Method Where it is used Comment
Large objects like cars, ships and If the paint on the metal surface is
Painting
bridges scratched, rusting will take place
The protective film of oil or grease
Oiling or greasing Tools and machine parts
gathers dust and must be removed
Plastic coating Kitchenware If the plastic layer is torn, it will rust
The metal doesn’t rust even if the zinc
Galvanisiing Water buckets, dustbins, kitchen layer is damaged. This is because zinc
(zinc-plating) sinks is more reactive than iron so zinc
corrodes instead of iron
If the tin layer is scratched, the iron
Tin plating Food cans
beneath it rusts
Chrome plating Taps, kettles, bicycle handle Bright shiny as rust protection
Metal block of zinc Underground pipes, ships, legs of Magnesium and zin corrod because
or magnesium steel piers they are more reactive than iron
Stainless steel Cutlery, surgical instruments, pipes Stainless steel doesn’t rust
in chemical plants