Metals.

9.1 Properties of metals

1 Compare the general physical properties of metals and non-metals,
including:

(a) thermal conductivity

(b) electrical conductivity
(c) malleability and ductility
(d) melting points and boiling points

Metal Non-Metal

1. Thermal Conductivity (excellent) 1. Thermal Conductivity (poor)

2. Electrical Conductivity 2. Electrical Conductivity (poor)

(excellent)
3. They are Brittle (Not Malleable
3. Malleable and Ductile)

4. Ductile 4. Melting and Boiling points (low)

5. Melting and Boiling points (high) 5. Dull

6. Shiny 6. Density → low

7. Density → high

*they are sonorous

*they are shiny

2 Describe the general chemical properties of metals, limited to their reactions

with:

(a) dilute acids (form salts)

→ more reactive metal displaces hydrogen from acid

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 (b) cold water and steam
(c) oxygen

for metal oxides

→ a reactive metal will reduce the metal ion and displace it from its metal
oxide if it is more reactive (because it has a greater tendency to form a
positive ion)
→displacement reactions like this are exothermic

9.2 Uses of metals

1 Describe the uses of metals in terms of their physical properties, including:

(a) (alloy of aluminium) in the
manufacture of aircraft because of its low density
(b) (alloy of) aluminium in the manufacture of
overhead electrical cables because of its low density and good electrical
conductivity
(c) aluminium in
food containers because of its resistance to corrosion
(d) copper in
electrical wiring because of its good electrical conductivity and ductility
→ Describe the uses of alloys in terms of their physical properties, including
stainless steel in cutlery because of its hardness and resistance to rusting
→ as carbon content increases brittleness and hardness increases

→ Brass in door knobs, musical instruments

→ Bronze in coins, statues…

9.3 Alloys and their properties

1 Describe an alloy as a
mixture of a metal with other elements, including:

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 (a)
brass as a mixture of copper and zinc
(b)
stainless steel (rust proof) as a mixture of iron and other elements such as
chromium, nickel and carbon

→ for a substance to be considered an alloy the elements must enter the metal
lattice, otherwise it is not an alloy but definitely still a mixture
→ hence to make an alloy the metal must first be melted, and the elements in their
required amounts dissolved into it.
2 Explain in terms of structure how alloys can be harder and stronger than the
pure metals because the different sized atoms or ions in alloys mean the layers
can no longer slide over each other

9.4 Reactivity series

→ understand reactivity series is GOATED.
1 State the order of the reactivity series as: potassium, sodium, calcium,
magnesium, aluminium, carbon, zinc, iron, hydrogen, copper, silver, gold

Please →Potassium
Send →sodium

Cats →calcium
Monkeys →magnesium

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 And →aluminium
Cool →carbon

Zebras →zinc
In →iron

High →hydrogen

Cages →copper
→ carbon has a tendency to reduce less reactive reactive metals from their metal
oxides and so is used as a reducing agent, it itself is oxidised.

2 Describe the relative reactivity of metals in terms of their tendency to form

positive ions, by displacement reactions, if any, with the aqueous ions of
magnesium, zinc, iron, copper and silver

3 Describe the reactions, if any, of:

(a) potassium, sodium and calcium with cold water
(b) magnesium with steam (does not react with cold water)
(c) magnesium, zinc, iron, copper, silver and gold with dilute hydrochloric acid
and
explain these reactions in terms of the position of the metals in the reactivity
series

4. Explain the apparent unreactivity of aluminium in terms of its oxide layer

→surface layer of aluminium reacts with atmospheric oxygen in the air to form
a layer of aluminium oxide
→ this acts as a barrier and excludes oxygen and water, protecting it from
further corrosion

9.5 Corrosion of metals

1 State the conditions required for the

rusting of iron and steel to form hydrated iron(III) oxide

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 → oxygen AND water need to be present for rusting to occur

4Fe + 3O2 + 4H2O → 2Fe2O3*2H2O

→ salty water increases rate of reaction of rusting because it is an electrolyte,

increases rate of transfer of electrons from Fe to Oxygen, hence Fe is more
easily oxidized

Methods to prevent Rusting and Corrosion of metals

→Describe how barrier methods prevent rusting by excluding oxygen and water

3. State some common barrier methods, including

(a) painting

(b) greasing

(c) coating with plastic

4. Explain sacrificial protection in terms of the reactivity series and in terms

of electron loss

→ the more reactive metal has a greater tendency to lose electrons and
become oxidized.

→ it reacts with the oxygen and forms an oxide layer (if it’s soluble then it will
dissolve and need to be replaced).
→ protects the iron/steel from reacting with oxygen.

5 Describe the use of zinc in galvanizing as an example of a barrier method and

sacrificial protection

9.6 Extraction of metals

1 Describe the ease of obtaining metals from their ores, related to the position of
the metal in the reactivity series

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 → metals higher in the reactivity series are more difficult to extract from their ore
because they form very stable compounds and have a greater tendency to
remain a positive ion.

→ the lower a metal is in the reactivity series, the easier it is to extract from its ore.

Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, and Aluminium are extracted by electrolysis

because they are very reactive and their compounds are very stable.

2. Describe the extraction of iron from hematite in the blast furnace, including
symbol equations for each step, limited to:

(a mixture called the charge is added, through the top of the furnace which
contains the iron ore) and hot air is blasted through the bottom to increase rate
of reaction
(a) the burning of carbon (coke) to provide heat and produce carbon dioxide

→ C(from coke) + O2(from hot air) →CO2

→ this is highly exothermic and provides heat

(b) the reduction of carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide

→C + CO2 → 2CO

→ this is endothermic and lowers temperature for next reaction

(c) the reduction of iron(III) oxide by carbon monoxide

→ Fe2O3 + 3CO →2Fe + 3CO2

→ the molten iron trickles to the bottom

(d) the thermal decomposition of calcium carbonate/limestone to produce
calcium oxide (basic)

→ limestone (calcium carbonate) forms calcium oxide and carbon dioxide by

thermal decomposition due to high temperatures in the blast furnace

→ CaCO3 → CaO + CO2

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 (e) the formation of slag (neutralization reaction)

→ the calcium oxide (basic oxide) neutralizes the silicon (IV) oxide (acidic
oxide) to form Calcium Silicate (a salt) which is the constituent of molten slag
→CaO + SiO2 →CaSO3

Nitrogen from the hot air supplied also exits from the top of the blast furnace

3 Describe the extraction of aluminium from purified bauxite / aluminium

oxide, including:
(a) the role of cryolite

→ Aluminium oxide is dissolved in molten cryolite to decrease it’s melting

point, save fuel cost and increase conductivity

1. At Cathode

→ electrolytic cell lined with carbon acts as Cathode

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 → free moving aluminium ions in solution move to cathode and gain electrons
(reduced)
→ 4Al3+ + 12e- →4Al
→aluminium drops to the bottom of the cell in a molten state and is run off at
different intervals

2. At Anode

→ free moving oxide ions in solution move to anode and lose electrons
(oxidized)

→ 6O2- → 3O2 + 12e-

(b) why the carbon anodes need to be regularly replaced

→due to high temperatures the oxygen bubbled off reacts with the carbon
anodes. Carbon anodes are oxidized and dissolve.
→O2 + C → CO2

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