Identifying gases

● Hydrogen
○ Place a lighted splint at the mouth of the test tube, it burns with a squeaky
pop sound
● Oxygen
○ Placing the glowing splint in the test tube, it’ll relight
● Carbon dioxide
○ Bubbling through limewater, limewater turns milky or cloudy
Group 1 metals
● Good conductors of heat and electricity
● Malleable (can be hammered into different shapes) and ductile (can be drawn into
wires)
● Very reactive because they all have one electron in their outer shell which is easily
removed when they react
● Soft (softness increases down the group)
● Melting and boiling point decreases down the group
● Density increases down the group
● Stored under oil to prevent from reacting with oxygen in air
● When cut, the metals shows a silvery surface that oxidises very fast
● Reactivity increases down the group
● Reaction with water
○ Lithium
■ Fizzes slowly
■ Disappears slowly
■ Moves slowly on the surface
■ Remains solid, no flames
○ Sodium
■ Fizzes quickly, many bubbles
■ Disappears quickly
■ Moves quickly on the surface
■ Melts into a liquid ball, no flames
○ Potassium
■ Fizzes quickly, many bubbles
■ Disappears quickly
■ Moves quickly on the surface
■ Melts into a liquid ball, no flames

Transition metals
● Conducts thermal energy and electricity
● Malleable and ductile
● Shiny and sonorous
● High melting point
● High densities
● Stronger and harder than group 1
● Forms coloured compound
● Less reactive than other metals in other group
● Have a wide range of oxidation numbers
● Transition elements and transition elements oxides are good catalysts

Metal reactivity series

Potassium
Sodium
Calcium
Magnesium
Aluminium
Carbon
Zinc
Iron
Tin
Lead
Hydrogen
Copper
Sliver
Gold
Platinum

Reaction of metals with water or steam

Potassium Reacts rapidly with cold water and catches fire

Sodium Reacts very rapidly with cold water

Calcium Reacts rapidly with cold water

Magnesium Reacts very slowly with cold water but reacts rapidly with steam

Iron Does not react with cold water but reacts with steam

Zinc Reacts only when heated strongly in steam

Copper No reaction with cold water or steam

potassium sodium calcium magnesium iron zinc copper

Most reactive ---------------------------------------> Least reactive

Metal + cold water → metal hydroxide + hydrogen

Metal + steam → metal oxide + hydrogen

Reaction with dilute hydrochloric acid

Calcium Very rapidly with dilute acid - many bubble of H2 Most Reactive
l
Zinc Slow with dilute acid - bubbles of H2 produced slowly
 Iron Very slowly with dilute acid - bubbles of H2 produced very l
slowly l
l
Copper No reaction with dilute or concentrated acid l
V
Least Reactive

Reaction of metals with oxygen

Sodium Reacts violently and bursts into flames when warmed

Magnesium Reacts rapidly and burst into flames when heated

Iron Reacts slowly when heated

Copper Reacts very slowly when heated strongly

Gold Does not react when heated

sodium magnesium iron copper gold

Most reactive-------------->Least reactive

Metal + oxygen → metal oxide

Competing for oxygen - the more reactive metal is the reducing agent and it removes the
oxygen from the oxide of the less reactive metal. For example,

Reducing metal oxide with carbon - oxides below carbon can be reduced to the metal
by heating with carbon. For example,

copper(II) oxide Reduced below 800°C

iron(III) oxide Reduced at 800°C

titanium(IV) oxide Not reduced at 950°C

zinc oxide Reduced at 950°C

titanium zinc iron copper
Most reactive ----------------------> Least reactive

Metal ores
Bauxite - aluminium (aluminium oxide)
Hematite - iron (iron(III) oxide)
Metal extraction and the reactivity series
Oxides of zinc, lead, iron can be reduced by carbon (coke - a coal from which some
impurities have been removed) For example,

Carbon monoxide is a good reducing agent, formed by incomplete combustion.

Carbon dioxide is produced in furnaces used for extraction of metals. For example,

Metal oxide is reduced and carbon or carbon monoxide is oxidised.

Why are metals above carbon not extracted by heating with carbon?
Because the metal bonds to oxygen too strongly and carbon is not strong enough to
remove it unless high temperature is used.

● Rust is a chemical reaction between iron, water and oxygen to form the compound
hydrated iron(III) oxide (rust)
● Oxygen and water must be present for rust to occur
● During rusting, iron is oxidised

iron + water + oxygen → hydrated iron(III) oxide

Investigating rusting
● To investigate the conditions required for rusting, prepare three test tubes as shown
in the diagram
● The oil in the 2nd tube keeps out air and the water has been boiled so that no air is
left in it
● The calcium chloride in the 3rd tube is used to remove any moisture in the air
● After a few days, the iron nail in the 1st tube will be the only nail to show signs of rust

Requirements for rusting

 Diagram showing the requirements of oxygen and water for rust to occur: only the nail on
the left rusts

Rust prevention methods

● Rust can be prevented by coating iron with barriers that prevent the iron from coming
into contact with water and oxygen
● However, if the coatings are washed away or scratched, the iron is once again
exposed to water and oxygen and will rust

Extraction 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
hematite 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
● They are known as native metals and examples include gold and platinum which can
both be mined directly from the Earth’s crust
● The position of the metal on the reactivity series influences the method of extraction
● Those metals placed higher up on the series (above carbon) have to be extracted
using electrolysis
● Metals lower down on the series can be extracted by heating with carbon

The Extraction Method Depends on the Position of a Metal in the Reactivity Series
 Metal Method of extraction

Most reactive

Potassium Extracted by electrolysis of molten chloride or molten

oxide
Sodium
Large amount of electricity required so expensive
Lithium process
Calcium

Magnesium

Aluminium

Carbon

Zinc Extracted by heating with reducing agent such as

carbon and carbon monoxide
Iron

Hydrogen

Copper Found as pure element (copper may have to be

extracted from its ore by heating with carbon or
Sliver hydrogen )

Gold

Least reactive

Extracting iron using blast furnace

● The raw materials: iron ore (hematite), coke (an impure form of carbon), and
limestone are added into the top of the blast furnace
● Hot air is blown into the bottom

Zone 1
● Coke burns in the hot air forming carbon dioxide
● The reaction is exothermic so it gives off heat, heating the furnace

carbon + oxygen → carbon dioxide

C (s) + O2 (g) → CO2 (g)

Zone 2
● At the high temperatures in the furnace, more coke reacts with carbon dioxide
forming carbon monoxide
● Carbon dioxide has been reduced to carbon monoxide

carbon + carbon dioxide → carbon monoxide

CO2 (g) + C (s) → 2CO (g)

Zone 3
● Carbon monoxide reduces the iron(III) oxide in the iron ore to form iron
● This will melt and collect at the bottom of the furnace, where it is tapped off

iron(III) oxide + carbon monoxide → iron + carbon dioxide

Fe2O3 (s) + 3CO (g) → 2Fe (I) + 3CO2 (g)

● Limestone (calcium carbonate) is added to the furnace to remove impurities in

the ore
○ The calcium carbonate in the limestone thermally decomposes to form
calcium oxide

calcium carbonate → calcium oxide + carbon dioxide

CaCO3 (s) → CaO (s) + CO2 (g)

● The calcium oxide formed reacts with the silicon dioxide, which is an impurity
in the iron ore, to form calcium silicate
● This melts and collects as a molten slag floating on top of the molten iron,
which is tapped off separately

calcium oxide + silicon dioxide → calcium silicate (slag)

CaO (s) + SiO2 (s) → CaSiO3 (l)

Extraction of aluminium from bauxite
● Aluminium is a reactive metal, above carbon in the reactivity series
● Its main ore, is bauxite, which contains aluminium oxide
● Aluminium is higher in the reactivity series than carbon, so it cannot be
extracted by reduction using carbon
● Instead, aluminium is extracted by electrolysis
● Bauxite is first purified to produce aluminium oxide, Al2O3
● Aluminium oxide is then dissolved in molten cryolite
○ This is because aluminium oxide has a melting point of over 2000 °C
which would use a lot of energy and be very expensive
○ The resulting mixture has a lower melting point without interfering with
the reaction
● The mixture is placed in an electrolysis cell, made from steel, lined with
graphite
● The graphite lining acts as the negative electrode, with several large graphite
blocks as the positive electrodes
● At the cathode (negative electrode):
○ Aluminium ions gain electrons (reduction)
○ Molten aluminium forms at the bottom of the cell
○ The molten aluminium is syphoned off from time to time and fresh
aluminium oxide is added to the cell

Al3+ + 3e- → Al

● At the anode (positive electrode):

○ Oxide ions lose electrons (oxidation)
○ Oxygen is produced at the anode:

2O2- → O2 + 4e-

● The overall equation for the reaction is:

2Al2O3 → 4Al + 3O2

● The carbon in the graphite anodes reacts with the oxygen produced to produce
CO2
 C (s) + O2 (g) → CO2 (g)

● As a result the anode wears away and has to be replaced regularly

What is zinc used for?

● Used to galvanised iron and steel to prevent rusting
● Dipped in molten zinc and the zinc solidifies and forms a thin coating on the surface
of the object

What is aluminium used for?

● Aluminium sits above hydrogen in the reactivity series, which means that is a reactive
metal
○ Aluminium quickly reacts with oxygen to form a protective layer of aluminium
oxide, which is why aluminium appears to be unreactive

Uses Property

Aeroplane bodies High strength-to-weight ratio, low density

Overhead power cables Good electrical conductor, low density

Saucepans Good thermal conductor

Food cans Non-toxic, resistant to corrosion

What is copper used for?

● Copper sits below hydrogen in the reactivity series, which means it is an unreactive
metal
● The uses of copper relate to its properties
● For example, it is an excellent electrical conductor and ductile so is used in wiring

Uses Property

Electrical wiring Very good conductor of electricity and

ductile

Pots and pans Very good conductor of heat, unreactive,

malleable

Water pipes Non-toxic, unreactive and malleable

Properties & uses of alloys

● An alloy is a mixture of a metal with other elements
○ Most alloys contain more than one metal
○ Some alloys contain non-metals
● Two examples of alloys are:
○ Brass - an alloy of copper and zinc and is much stronger than either metal
 ■ It is used in musical instruments, ornaments and door knobs
○ Stainless steel - an alloy of iron and other elements, for example, chromium,
nickel and carbon
■ It is used in cutlery because of its hardness and resistance to
corrosion / rusting
● Other alloys include:
○ Iron with tungsten - extremely hard and resistant to high temperatures
○ Iron with chromium / nickel - resistant to corrosion
○ Aluminium with copper, manganese and silicon - the alloy is stronger but still
has a low density, which makes it ideal for aircraft body production
● Alloys often have properties that are different to the metals they contain
○ For example, they can be:
■ Stronger
■ Harder
■ Resistant to corrosion / extreme temperatures
○ The irregular sizes of the atoms distorts the regular arrangement in the metal
structure, meaning more force is required to bend the metal so it is stronger
and harder than a regular metal.

The structure of an alloy

● Alloys have a different structure to metals
○ Metals have a regular arrangement of ions
○ Alloys have an irregular arrangement of atoms