Head to savemyexams.

com for more awesome resources

IGCSE Chemistry Edexcel Your notes

2.5 Extraction & Uses of Metals

Contents
2.5.1 Sources of Metals
2.5.2 Extracting Metals
2.5.3 Using Metals
2.5.4 Alloys

Page 1 of 8

© 2015-2024 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers
 Head to savemyexams.com for more awesome resources

2.5.1 Sources of Metals

Your notes
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

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

Page 2 of 8

© 2015-2024 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers
 Head to savemyexams.com for more awesome resources

2.5.2 Extracting Metals

Your notes
Extracting Metals
Extraction of metals and the reactivity series
The most reactive metals are at the top of the series
The tendency to become oxidised is thus linked to how reactive a metal is and therefore
its position on the reactivity series
Metals higher up are therefore less resistant to oxidation than the metals placed lower down
which are more resistant to oxidation
The position of the metal on the reactivity series determines the method of extraction
Higher placed metals (above carbon) have to be extracted using electrolysis as they are too
reactive and cannot be reduced by carbon
Lower placed metals can be extracted by heating with carbon which reduces them
Metals Extraction Method Table

Page 3 of 8

© 2015-2024 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers
 Head to savemyexams.com for more awesome resources

Your notes

The extraction method depends on the position of a metal in the reactivity series

Exam Tip
Make sure you can explain why aluminium is extracted by electrolysis while iron is extracted by
reduction as it is a question that often comes up.

Page 4 of 8

© 2015-2024 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers
 Head to savemyexams.com for more awesome resources

2.5.3 Using Metals

Your notes
Using Metals
The uses of aluminium, copper and steel are summarised in these tables:
Uses of Aluminium

Uses of Copper

Page 5 of 8

© 2015-2024 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers
 Head to savemyexams.com for more awesome resources

Uses of Steel

Your notes

Page 6 of 8

© 2015-2024 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers
 Head to savemyexams.com for more awesome resources

2.5.4 Alloys
Your notes
Alloys
Alloys are mixtures of metals, where the metals are mixed together physically but are not
chemically combined
They can also be made from metals mixed with nonmetals such as carbon
Alloys often have properties that can be very different to the metals they contain, for example
they can have greater strength, hardness or resistance to corrosion or extreme temperatures
Alloys contain atoms of different siz es, which distorts the regular arrangements of atoms
This makes it more difficult for the layers to slide over each other, so they are usually much harder
than the pure metal
Brass is a common example of an alloy which contains 70% copper and 30% z inc

Particle diagram showing a mixture of elements in an alloy. The different sizes of the two types of atoms
prevent the layers of atoms from sliding over each other, so the alloy becomes less malleable than the
pure metal

Page 7 of 8

© 2015-2024 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers
 Head to savemyexams.com for more awesome resources

Exam Tip
Your notes
Questions on this topic often give you a selection of particle diagrams and ask you to choose
the one which represents an alloy. It will be the diagram with uneven siz ed particles and distorted
layers or rows of particles.

Page 8 of 8

© 2015-2024 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers