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This lesson covers the extraction of metals from their ores as required by the AQA GCSE Combined Science Trilogy specification (8464). You need to understand why different metals require different extraction methods, explain reduction with carbon, and discuss the economic and environmental implications.
Most metals are found in the Earth's crust combined with other elements as compounds in ores. An ore is a rock containing enough metal to make extraction worthwhile.
| Metal | Common Ore | Formula of Compound |
|---|---|---|
| Iron | Haematite | Fe₂O₃ |
| Aluminium | Bauxite | Al₂O₃ |
| Copper | Chalcopyrite | CuFeS₂ |
| Zinc | Sphalerite | ZnS |
| Lead | Galena | PbS |
Exam Tip: Only very unreactive metals such as gold and platinum are found native (uncombined) in the ground. All other metals are found as compounds in ores.
The position of a metal in the reactivity series determines how it is extracted from its ore.
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