www.schoolscience.co.uk/content/3/chemistry/copper/index.html

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CDAExtracting copper

Notes for teachers

Age 11-14Age 11-14Age 11-14Age 11-14Age 11-14

Contents

This electronic resource looks at how copper is extracted from its ores. Therre are five pages:

The introduction looks at uses and abundance of copper and why we want to extract it.

Where does copper come from introduces ores and shows the different copper ores.

Extracting copper gives an overview of how copper is retrieved from its ores and introduces Extracting copper gives an overview of how copper is retrieved from its ores and introduces Extracting copperelectrolysis.

Recycling discusses the needs and methods of recycling and how copper is well suited to it.

How much copper do we have left introduces the idea of a finite natural resource.

This mini electronic resource is one of seven linked resources on copper:

Properties and uses (11 to 16)

Copper for life (11 – 14) Copper in health (14 - 16)

Extracting copper (11 – 14) Extracting copper (11 – 14) Extracting copper Copper mining (14 - 16)Copper mining (14 - 16)Copper mining

Electromagnets (11 – 14) Electric motors (14 - 16)

A lump of copper ore. A lump of native copper.

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CDAExtracting copper

Notes for teachers

Age 11-14Age 11-14Age 11-14Age 11-14Age 11-14

Curriculum links (using the COL keyword scheme)

EnvironmentCare of animals/plants/habitatsSustainable development

Solids, liquids & gasesProperties of materials

Elements, compounds & mixturesTransition metals

Obtaining & using materialsMetals - generallyExtraction of metal from oreElectrolysis

Web links

The chemistry of steelmakingwww.schoolscience.co.uk/content/4/chemistry/steel/msch1pg1.html

Copper mining (for more detail)www.schoolscience.co.uk/content/4/chemistry/cumining/copch2pg1.html

www.schoolscience.co.uk/content/3/chemistry/copper/index.html

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CDAExtracting copper

Notes for teachers

Age 11-14Age 11-14Age 11-14Age 11-14Age 11-14

Using the resource

1 - To reinforce that metals are found as ores or native in the case of unreactive metals

Prior knowledge: Students should be aware of the reactivity series of metals and that the method used to extract them from ores depends upon their reactivity. They will know that each element has its own symbol and that compounds contain more than one type of element joined together. You might use the question on page 2 to help students use a periodic table to find the name and symbol for an element.

It may be that you use this chapter to direct them to find out which metals are extracted by different methods and relate this to the metals’ reactivity. If you have been trying to extract metals by reduction using carbon, page 3 of this chapter provides a useful summary of what they may have found out and, by using the glossary, they can quickly remind themselves of key terms such as ore, reduction and reactivity.

2 - The importance of recycling

Prior knowledge: None required for this section, although they should be aware of the term alloy.

Pages 4-5 of this chapter are a fairly self contained unit dealing with the principles of recycling in the context of copper. It would form an ideal basis for a mini-project on recycling that could be used to stimulate discussion and/or poster production.

3 - Other activitiesIf any of your students have an old, broken mobile phone, you could try to dismantle it to see what it contains. You could separate it into glass, plastic and metal.

Age 11-14

www.schoolscience.co.uk/content/3/chemistry/copper/index.html

CDAExtracting copperStudent worksheet 1

Extraction of metals

1. a Use the following information to put copper, sodium and iron into an order of reactivity:

• When copper is added to a beaker of water, nothing appears to happen. The copper sinks to the bottom. A week later, the copper hasn’t changed.

• When sodium is added to water a violent reaction takes place; it rolls into a ball, moves across the surface, hissing and giving off a white smoke.

• Iron will rust slowly when put into a test tube of water and left for a few days.

Most reactive Least reactive

b Explain why you chose this order.

2. For each metal, choose the most appropriate method of extracting it from its ore.

Copper Blast furnace

Sodium Roasting in air

Iron Electrolysis

3. a Copper is an unreactive metal and can be found "native". What does native mean?

b Name two metals, apart from copper, that are found as nuggets of pure metal.

c Chromium can be extracted from its ore, chromite, by reduction of chromium oxide by aluminium or by electrolysis of chrome alum. What does this tell you about the reactivity of chromium?

d Lead pipes from Roman times are still in use today. What does this tell you about lead’s reactivity? What would be a suitable method of extracting it from its ore, galena (lead sulphide)?

S1

Copper Blast furnaceCopper Blast furnace

Sodium Roasting in air

Iron Electrolysis

Sodium Roasting in air

Iron Electrolysis

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Age 11-14

CDAExtracting copperStudent worksheet 2

S2

Design a leaflet

Design a leaflet that will persuade members of your school to recycle their mobile phones rather than throw them away when they break.

You should explain the following points:

1. Why recycling keeps the cost of copper down

2. Copper is a limited resource

3. The energy efficiency of recycling

4. The problems associated with landfill

5. How this protects the environment

You should illustrate your leaflet with suitable pictures which you can find at:

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