2.B Earth’s Mineral Resources
Smartboard File
Earth’s Atomsphere
2.B Earth’s Mineral Resources
Use Table 2.3 (pg. 136) to answer these:1. What metal might Australia wish to obtain from
the US?2. What metal could Australia trade to the US to
obtain the metal in the previous question?3. From which nation would you expect the US to
obtain nickel? Why?4. Give examples of two trade agreements by
which China could obtain iron ore in exchange for a metal it has in abundance.
5. What metals might Canada seek to obtain through trade?
Challenges faced in mining:
1. Use of supplies2. Where should mining occur3. The quantity of useful ore found at the site4. The percent of metal in the ore5. The type of mining and processing needed to
extract the metal from its ore6. The distance between the mine and metal-refining
facilities and markets7. The metal’s supply vs. demand status8. The environmental impact of the mining and metal
processing.9. Can you think of any others?
Mining Copper Ores
B.2 Production vs. Use
Follow the guidelines on page 138-139 to research the metal you selected for your coin.
If you chose to create an alloy make sure to research all the metals involved.
B.4 Metal Reactivity
2 Cu(s) + O2(g) 2 CuO (s)
a. Identify the reactant(s).
b. Identify the product(s).
c. What do the letters in parentheses represent?
Symbols used in chemical equations:
(s) = solid (l) = liquid, typically H2O, Hg and Br (g) = gas (aq) = aqueous solutions, the solvent
has to be water. Ex. Salt water solution
Activity Series The ranking of elements according to their
chemical reactivity.
For example, Au (gold), does not react with any components of air such as oxygen. This is one reason why it is used in jewelry. Therefore it is ranked low on the Metal Activity Series
Au, also used for gold plating electrical contacts used in air bags. They are dependable because oxides do not form on gold-plated surfaces.
Metal Activity Series Reactive metals
are more difficult to release from their compounds.
Ex. Can zinc (Zn)
replace Magnesium in Mg(NO3)2?
Can Zn ever replace copper (Cu) in a chemical reaction?
Mining and Refining
Reduction:Gain of electrons – there are electrons in the
reactantsEx.
• Cu2+ + 2e- Cu
• The copper cation was reduced, lost its charge by gaining electrons
Mining and Refining
Oxidation:Loss of electrons – there are electrons in the
productsEx.
• Fe Fe3+ + 3e-
• Iron is oxidized to an iron (III) ion by losing 3 electrons
Remember…
OIL RIGOIL – Oxidation Is Loss (of electrons)
RIG – Reductions Is Gain (of electrons)
Oxidation – Reduction Reaction
Oxidation and reduction reactions occur together and are called redox reactions.
Cu2+(aq) + Mg(s) Cu(s) + Mg2+(aq)
- Which reactant (Cu2+or Mg(s)) is reduced?
- Which is oxidized?