The list shows some metals in order of reactivity - Edexcel - GCSE Chemistry - Question 6 - 2015 - Paper 1
Question 6
The list shows some metals in order of reactivity.
most reactive
sodium
aluminium
zinc
iron
copper
gold
(a) Aluminium and iron are extracted by reduction of their ... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:The list shows some metals in order of reactivity - Edexcel - GCSE Chemistry - Question 6 - 2015 - Paper 1
Step 1
State what is meant by reduction.
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Answer
Reduction refers to the process of losing oxygen or gaining electrons. In this context, it involves the conversion of metal oxides back into their elemental forms by removing oxygen.
Step 2
Explain why aluminium needs to be extracted from its ore by electrolysis, rather than by heating with carbon.
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Answer
Aluminium is high in the reactivity series, meaning it is more reactive than carbon and iron. When extracting aluminium, electrolysis is necessary because the reaction requires more energy to reduce aluminium oxide; carbon cannot displace aluminium from its oxide, thereby necessitating the use of electrolysis.
Step 3
Write the balanced equation for this reaction.
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Answer
The balanced equation for the reaction of iron oxide with carbon is:
