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CDACopper miningNotes for teachers

Age 14-16Age 14-16Age 14-16Age 14-16Age 14-16

Contents

This electronic resource consists of four pages, introducing students to the uses of electric motors, and how they work.

The Introduction sets the scene by discussing the mining of metals.

The main stages takes users through the main stages of extraction to electro-refining.

From ore to copper goes into more detail on the first four stages.

Chemical reactions looks at the next three stages in which chemistry is used to extract copper from its ore.

Electrolysis shows how the copper is purified using electrical methods.

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)

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CDACopper miningNotes for teachers

Age 14-16Age 14-16Age 14-16Age 14-16Age 14-16

Curriculum links (using the COL keyword scheme)

Elements, compounds & mixtures

ElementsTransition metalsMixturesSeparation - other

Changing materials

Chemical changesObtaining & using materials

Extraction of metal from oreElectrolysisUseful substances from rocks & minerals

Chemical reactions

Oxidation & reactionEquations & formulaeReactivity series

Web links

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

Periodic tablewww.schoolscience.co.uk/periodictable.html

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CDACopper miningNotes for teachers

Age 14-16Age 14-16Age 14-16Age 14-16Age 14-16

Using the resource

1 - To aid understanding of the extraction and purification of copper

Relevant prior knowledge: Students will have studied electrolysis and understand the basic principles of the process. They should have some understanding of the terms: oxidation, reduction, anode, cathode, electrolyte.

It is likely that you will have carried out the lab practical involving the electrolysis of copper sulphate solution using copper electrodes. The results for this experiment can be quite varied! As a summary exercise you might use the roll-over diagram on page 5 of this electronic resource to encourage students to envisage the transfer of copper atoms from the impure anode to the cathode. This would work well with small groups viewing an interactive whiteboard or computer linked to the internet.

This would lead to an evaluation of student results for this experiment. The mass gain at the cathode is often less than the mass loss of the anode – especially if students do not clean their electrodes thoroughly. Small deposits collect under the anodes which are analogous with the impurities removed from copper matte.

The importance of high purity copper for electronic circuitry can be emphasized.

2 - To reinforce some types of calculation

Relevant prior knowledge: Students will have studied calculations of the types: molar mass, percentage mass, amounts from equations (and possibly electrolysis type calculations).

There are opportunities in this electronic resource to complete some simple molar mass and % composition calculations as well as the more demanding calculations of the type that 14-16 year old candidates sitting the Higher Tier papers are likely to encounter, e.g. amounts from equations and electrolysis.

3 - Other activities

An interesting exercise is to make an estimate of how much pure copper is needed to satisfy the UK market for mobile phones. You could ask your pupils how many mobiles they have had. Use this data to calculate the number of mobile phones in the UK. Each mobile phone contains about 15g of copper.

Age 14-16

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CDACopper mining

Student worksheet 1

The purification of copper using electrolysis

1. Complete this diagram of an electrolysis cell used for the purification of copper using labels underneath.

3. If you carried out this experiment, what would happen to the mass of:

a the negative electrode?

b the positive electrode?

2. Under which electrode would you expect to see impurities collect?

3. Suggest a use for high purity copper.

4. Look at this paragraph and fill in the blanks using some of the words below (each word may be used once, more than once, or not at all)

When an electric current is passed through __________________ solution using copper

electrodes, atoms of copper on the anode _________ ___________ to form ___________.

These are pushed into the electrolyte and travel to the ___________.

Here the ions __________ __________ to form copper ______ again.

We call the loss of electrons ____________ and the gain of electrons __________.

5. Write half equations for the reactions that occur at the:

a anode b cathode

S1

copper sulphate ions atoms lose cathode gainreduction oxidation purification molecules electrons

aanode, cathode, copper sulphate node, cathode, copper sulphate solution, electrolyte, positive electrode, negative electrode

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Extraction of copper from copper ore

Copper is a very important metal. Describe in no more than 100 words how copper is extracted from chalcopyrite, CuFeS2. You should concentrate on:

• the froth floatation process

• roasting

• electrolytic purification

You will find all the information that you need on pages 3 to 5 of the Copper mining electronic Copper mining electronic Copper miningresource.

Age 14-16

CDACopper mining

Student worksheet 2

S2