Research on Metals
Research question:
- Describe metals and their ores.
- Discuss the relationship between the uses of metals and their reactivity.
- Evaluate the relationship between commercial prices of metals, their actual abundance and cost of production.
- Using aluminium, justify the need for increased recycling in our society relating to energy consumption, cost, environmental pollution etc.
1:
Metals:
Ores:
Properties:
Reflectivity
Heat and Electrical Conductors
Ductility
Malleability
Lustrous
Hardness
High melting and boiling points
Highly dense
Examples:
Iron (Fe)
Aluminium (Al)
Zinc (Zn)
Gold (Au)
Titanium (Ti)
Silver (Ag)
Type of rock that contains a large amount of a mineral.
Examples:
Magnesite (MgCO3)
Sphalerite (ZnS)
Bauxite (Al2O3)
Zincite (ZnO)
Cuprite (Cu2O)
2:
Metals Reactivity
Reactivity trends (Periodic Table)
Reactivity
3:
4:
Factors affecting price:
Reactivity increases down and across the periodic table
The top of the series can lose electrons more readily to form positive ions.
The tendency of an element to undergo chemical reaction to release energy.
Abundance
Cost of production
Aluminium/Gold/Copper
Aluminium
Gold
Cupper
Recycling Process
Collection
Sorting/Separation
Refining
Preparation
Increasing:
Extraction costs less
Produces less waste
Amal Alanazi