Sha Tin Methodist College Chapter 4 Study Notes – Part I

Form 4 Chemistry Rocks and minerals

1. Extraction of metals from minerals and their ores

1.1 What is mineral?

The Earth’s crust is made up of rocks and soils. Soils mainly come from the breakdown of rocks. Rock is

usually a mixture of minerals. In other words, the Earth’s crust is a source of minerals.

Minerals are naturally occurring substances that have a specific chemical composition. Minerals may be

elements, like gold and carbon (in the form of diamond), which are found free in rocks. See Figure 4.1.

More commonly, minerals are compounds of different elements. Silicon and oxygen are two elements that

form the major types of minerals in the Earth’s crust.

calciumcarbonate
GCQ
Granite is a mixture of mainly three kinds of minerals. They are quartz, mica and feldspar. Each of them is a
Sia silicondioxide
compound. Quartz is a compound of silicon and oxygen. Feldspar and mica are compounds formed from

silicon, oxygen and other elements.

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Sha Tin Methodist College Chapter 4 Study Notes – Part I
Form 4 Chemistry chemical Change Rocks and minerals
usually
1.2 Extraction of metals from their ores
ch.IO 13
An ore is the type of rock that contains useful minerals, from which a metal can be extracted. Most of the

metals used in daily life are extracted from their ores.

gold
fools

Bauxite CALOD
___________________ copper pyrite kizlhaematitelFe.ci
___________________ ___________________ Galena
_______________
Pbs
The table below shows some common ores of metals. Few metals can be extracted from their ores by

physical methods, while most of them are extracted by chemical methods.

Extraction of metals using physical methods

A few very unreactive metals (e.g. gold and platinum) exist as free elements in the Earth’s crust. They can be

extracted by physical methods like mechanical separation. For example, gold can be extracted by panning.

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 Sha Tin Methodist College Chapter 4 Study Notes – Part I
Form 4 Chemistry Rocks and minerals

Extraction of metals using chemical methods

1. Heating the metal ore alone

Unreactive metals such as mercury and silver can be extracted by heating their ores alone. For example,

silver can be extracted from silver oxide by heating it strongly.

Chemical equations:

Hgsífag 7 Hguit song

dioxide
mercuryIN sulphur
sulphide

klnnabar硃砂 2Ago 4Ages tag

silveroxide
blacksolid
您
皆
2. Heating the metal ore with carbon

iopper
The more reactive metals, such as zinc, iron and lead, can be extracted by heating their ores with carbon. For

example, lead can be extracted from lead(II) oxide by heating it with carbon strongly.

Chemical equations:

PbOcs this 2Pbcs tlozg

GO ⼗ Lcs 7 Lluy ⼗ Cozlg
blacksolid

3. Electrolysis of the molten metal ore

potassium magnesium
The most reactive metals, such as sodium, calcium and aluminium, can be extracted by electrolysis of their
7
molten ores. For example, aluminium is extracted from molten aluminium oxide by passing electricity

through it.

3
Sha Tin Methodist College Chapter 4 Study Notes – Part I
Form 4 Chemistry Rocks and minerals

2. Rocks containing calcium carbonate

Limestone, chalk and marble are rocks which contain mainly calcium carbonate.

limestone chalk marble

The skeletons and shells of sea animals are made up of calcium carbonate. When sea animals die, they sink
to the bottom of the oceans and are covered by mud and sand. Over millions of years, due to high
temperatures, high pressures and earth movements, the calcium carbonate changes to chalk, limestone and
marble.

Oyster shells are mainly made up of calcium limestone

Limestone blocks can be used to construct buildings and roads. Limestone has other uses as well. They are
used to make cement, make glass, build sculptures, and to neutralize acidic soil.

Limestone is used as the Limestone is used to make Powdered limestone is used

construction material for cement. to neutralize acidic soil.
some footpaths.

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Sha Tin Methodist College Chapter 4 Study Notes – Part I
Form 4 Chemistry Rocks and minerals

2.1 Action of heat and water on calcium carbonate

Calcium carbonate is a white solid. It decomposes to calcium oxide and carbon dioxide when it is heated
strongly. This type of reaction is called thermal decomposition. observable change
no
CaCO3(s) → CaO(s) + CO2(g)
The calcium oxide formed is a white solid and is commonly known as quicklime. When water is added to
calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide (slaked lime) forms and a lot of heat is given off.
CaO(s) + H2O(l) → Ca(OH)2(aq)
Calcium hydroxide is only slightly soluble in water. When water is added to calcium hydroxide, a saturated
solution with white suspension forms. After the suspension is filtered, a colourless solution is obtained. The
filtrate is limewater.

water Is the
lime
saturated calcium

Calcium hydroxide hydroxide solution

solids filtration

Suspension of calcium
limewater
hydroxide in water.
Limewater is used to test for the presence of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide turns limewater from
colourless to milky due to the formation of white insoluble calcium carbonate.
CO2 (g) + Ca(OH)2 (aq) → CaCO3 (s) + H2O (l)
If excess carbon dioxide is added to limewater, the limewater firstly turns from colourless to milky and
then turns from white to colourless again. This is because the excess carbon dioxide further reacts with
calcium carbonate and water to form water-soluble calcium hydrogencarbonate, Ca(HCO3)2 .
CO2 (g) + CaCO3 (s) + H2O (l) → Ca(HCO3)2 (aq)

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 Sha Tin Methodist College Chapter 4 Study Notes – Part I
Form 4 Chemistry Rocks and minerals

2.2 Action of acids on calcium carbonate an ionic compound

Metal carbonates such as calcium carbonate react with acids to give salt, carbon dioxide and water.

As carbon dioxide is produced, the evolving of colourless gas bubbles is observed or we could say

effervescence occurs.

CaCO3 (s) + 2HCl (aq) → CaCl2 (aq) + CO2 (g) + H2O (l)
hydrochloric acid calcium chloride (salt)

CaCO3 (s) + 2HNO3 (aq) → Ca(NO3)2 (aq) + CO2 (g) + H2O (l)
nitric acid calcium nitrate (salt)
常⾒trap
CaCO3 (s) + H2SO4 (aq) → CaSO4 (s) + CO2 (g) + H2O (l)
sulphuric acid calcium sulphate (salt)

For the reaction of calcium carbonate and sulphuric acid, insoluble calcium sulphate will be formed and coat

on the surface of calcium carbonate. This hinders further reaction of calcium carbonate and sulphuric acid.

Only little amount of colourless gas bubbles are formed and the reaction stops once the surface of calcium

carbonate is totally coated by calcium sulphate.

04lap
㖌 吣
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Sha Tin Methodist College Chapter 4 Study Notes – Part I
Form 4 Chemistry Rocks and minerals

Test for the presence of carbonate ion in a sample

When carbonates react with dilute hydrochloric acid, carbon dioxide is given off. To test for the presence of

carbonate in a sample, dilute hydrochloric acid is added to the sample. If a colourless gas evolves which

turns limewater milky, carbonate ions are present in the sample.

2.3 Weathering of limestone by acidic substances

Rainwater is slightly acidic because carbon dioxide in air dissolves slightly in it, forming carbonic acid.

carbon dioxide + water → carbonic acid

CO2(g) + H2O(l) → H2CO3(aq)

The pH value of normal rain water is 5.6, acid rain refers to rain water with pH lower than 5.6.

The carbonic acid formed reacts with calcium carbonate in limestone to form water-soluble calcium

hydrogencarbonate.

CaCO3 (s) + H2CO3 (aq) → Ca(HCO3)2 (aq)

Calcium hydrogencarbonate is soluble in water and thus

the limestone is slowly worn away. This natural

weathering process causes damage to limestone statues.

7
 How to test for the of carbonate ion ?
presence
Add acid to the
~
sample
/
e dilute H2 ANOs (nitric acid) , H2SO4 (sulphuric acid)
.

g. J

lemon ok
juice

Ans : Add the to dilute HNOs If the sample Costion , colourless bubbles
sample . contains
gas
evolve which turns limewater from colourless to
milly.

Test A B

Flame test brick-red flame like flame

Addition of acidified
colourless gas evolves white precipitate forms
AgNOs
I state and explain
Deduce what A and B are
.

B burns with a lilac flame in flame test it indicates the of ktion in B

.
,
presence

formation of when
The white
precipitate
B was tested with acidified
AgNOs indicates

the of Clion So B chloride.

presence .
,
is
potassium
A burns with brick-red flame in the flame test it indicates the
presence
a ,

of Cation A with the arid acidified

in A .
reacts in
AgNOs to
give
colourless
gas.
It can be deduced that A contains CO: ion .
So ,
A is calcium carbonate.
Sha Tin Methodist College Chapter 4 Study Notes – Part I
Form 4 Chemistry Rocks and minerals

2.4 Summary of changes involving calcium carbonate

8
Sha Tin Methodist College Chapter 4 Study Notes – Part I
Form 4 Chemistry Rocks and minerals

3. More about metal carbonates and metal hydrogencarbonates

Important examination skills to get level 5**

3.1 Thermal stability of metal carbonates

Not all metal carbonates decompose upon heating. Only group II metal carbonate will do so, such as

magnesium carbonate and calcium carbonate. You should notice that all group I metal carbonates will

NOT decompose heating, such as Na2CO3, K2CO3 and etc.

This phenomenon can be explained according to the reactivity of metals. We have learnt that the reactivity of

metals depends on their tendency of losing electrons and thus, we found that the reactivity of metals

increases down the group, and for metal elements belong to the same period, the order of reactivity is group

I metal > group II metal > group III metal.

The compounds formed from more reactive metal are more stable. Therefore, all group I metal

carbonate are stable enough to withstand high temperature without decomposition. For group II metal

carbonates, take MgCO3 and CaCO3 as examples:

Since calcium is more reactive than magnesium, the compound formed by calcium is more stable than those

formed by magnesium. In other words, calcium carbonate is more stable than magnesium carbonate. Despite

the fact that calcium carbonate will also decompose upon heating, chemists found that magnesium carbonate

decomposes even more rapidly upon heating than calcium carbonate.

3.2 Stability of metal hydrogencarbonates

Hydrogencarbonate ion itself is unstable. There are indeed only few kinds of metal hydrogencarbonates,

with sodium hydrogencarbonate, potassium hydrogencarbonate, ammonium hydrogencarbonate and calcium

hydrogencarbonate inclusive. You should notice that all the above-named metal hydrogencarbonates
30
decompose heating to give metal carbonate, carbon dioxide and water/

e.g.: 2NaHCO3 (s) → Na2CO3 (s) + CO2(g) + H2O (l)

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 etd
carbonates

I metal carbonate II metal carbonate

group group
stable less stable

e.g.Mg 03 Cala
Narcos KCO
e.g

Na is more reactive than Mg

is more stable than
So thecompound formed
by Na
Mg does

All group
I metal carbonates will 些 decompose

II Metal carbonah will

bù group
upon heating
do so
Caa 7 Got a

Mgcos M got a