Metal Extraction from Ores

Year 8 Science Understanding how we get metals from rocks WALT: Describe extraction steps, name metals extracted by carbon, and calculate metal masses

Starter Question

What is an ore? Can you think of any metals we use every day? How do you think metals are removed from rocks?

What is an Ore?

An ore is a rock that contains enough metal to make it worth extracting Most metals in nature are combined with other elements Examples: Iron ore (hematite), Copper ore (malachite), Zinc ore (sphalerite) The metal must be separated from the rock and other elements

The Metal Extraction Process

Extraction by Heating with Carbon

Carbon removes oxygen from metal compounds (reduction) Works for: Iron, Zinc, Copper, Lead, Tin Reaction: Metal Oxide + Carbon → Metal + Carbon Dioxide Example: Iron Oxide + Carbon → Iron + Carbon Dioxide Cannot extract very reactive metals like Aluminum this way

Sequencing Activity

Work in pairs to arrange the extraction steps in order Match each step with its correct description Fill in the missing words on your worksheet Extension: Explain why carbon works for some metals but not others

Calculating Metal Content

Mass of metal = (Percentage of metal ÷ 100) × Mass of ore Example: 50kg of ore contains 30% iron Mass of iron = (30 ÷ 100) × 50kg = 15kg Always show your working clearly Check your answer makes sense!

Plenary Assessment

Name 3 metals extracted by heating with carbon Calculate: 20kg ore with 25% copper contains how much copper? Write one key step in metal extraction Extension: Why can't we extract aluminum using carbon?