- Method depends on the place of the metal in the reactivity series- a more reactive metal will displace a less reactive metal from its compunds.
- Carbon (non-metal) will displace less reactive metals from their oxides.
- Many metals such as Copper, Lead, Iron and Zinc are combined with oxygen (metal oxides). Carbon is more reactive than these metals so it can be used to extract them from their oxides.
- The metal oxide is heated with carbon. The carbon removes the oxygen from the metal oxide to form carbon dioxide.
- E.g. metal oxide + carbon → carbon dioxide.
Lead oxide + carbon → lead + carbon dioxide.
- The removal of oxygen from a compund is called chemical reduction.
- Metals more reactive than carbon are extracted via electrolysis.
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