Chemistry (5072) GCE O’ Level Syllabus Notes

Metals

Structure: A lattice of positive metallic ions in a ‘sea’ of delocalized electrons.

Properties of metals

1. General properties of metals

 Solids with high melting and boiling points.

o Strong electrostatic forces of attraction between delocalized electrons and
positive ionic lattice.
 Malleable.
o Positive ionic lattice is regularly ordered. Hence, layers of positive metallic
ions are able to slide past one another easily.
 Good conductors of heat and electricity
o Mobile delocalized electrons are present in metallic structure. Heat energy
causes these free electrons to move faster, thus they move about the
metallic structure, colliding with the positive ionic lattice more often and
with more force. These collisions increase the average microscopic kinetic
energy of the metal, and thus conduction of heat is increased.
o Mobile delocalized electrons are present in metallic structure. They thus
act as mobile charge carriers and conduct a current.

2. Alloys are a mixture of a metal with another element, like brass and steel.

3.

Metals Alloys

4. Alloys have
different physical properties from their constituent elements.

 Harder and more brittle.

o Metals have regularly ordered positive ionic lattice structures. This allows
layers in the lattice to slide over each other easily, allowing the metal to be
 bent. In alloys, the positive lattice structure is disrupted with the presence
of “foreign” atoms within the structure which causes the structure to be
irregular. This prevents the layers in the lattice from sliding over each
other easily, preventing the metal from being bent but increasing the
proneness to snap. Thus, alloys are harder and more brittle than pure
metals.
 More resistant to corrosion
o Other elements within the alloy structure are able to oxidize to form a
protective oxide layer (passivation layer) which prevents further corrosion.
 Different melting and boiling points
o Presence of foreign particles in the metallic structure cause alloys to melt
and boil over a range of temperatures instead of having a single melting
and boiling point.

An example of an alloy is steel. Steel is a mixture of iron and carbon or other metals
such as nickel and chromium. The controlled use of these additives change the
properties of iron.

Type of steel Additives Uses

Cast iron Carbon: 2.1 – 4 % Manhole coverings
Machinery
Low carbon steel Carbon: 0.16 – 0.29 %
Cars
High carbon steel Carbon: 0.30 – 1.70 % Manufacturing tools
Cutlery
Chromium: 13 – 26 %
Stainless Steel Surgical tools
Carbon: Depending on usage
Chemical Plants

High carbon steels are stronger but more brittle. Low carbon steels are softer and more
easily shaped. Stainless steels resist corrosion and are used where sterilization is
important.

Reactivity series

1. The reactivity series is the tendency of a metal to form its positive ion.

The reactivity series is as follows:

Reactions table

Metal Cold water Steam Acid Oxygen

Potassium    
Sodium    
Calcium    
Magnesium    
Carbon - - - -
Zinc ×   
Iron ×   
Lead × ×  
Hydrogen - - - -
Copper × × × 
Silver × × × ×

Decompositions table

Metal Carbonates Carbon Hydrogen Electrolysi

s
Potassium × × × 
Sodium × × × 
Calcium  × × 
Magnesium  × × 
Carbon - - - -
Zinc   × 
Iron    
Lead    
Hydrogen - - - -
Copper    
Silver    

2. The reactivity series also decides the order of displacement of metallic ions from
aqueous solutions as well as respective oxides. More reactive metals (higher up in the
series) are able to displace less reactive metals (lower down in the series) from
aqueous solutions of their salts as well as from their oxides when heated.

3. Thus, the relative order of reactivity can be told from the displacement reactions that
a metal is able to undergo.

Extraction of metals

The relative ease of obtaining metals from their ores is dependent on the position of the
metal on the reactivity series. It is more difficult to extract more reactive metals from
their ores than it is to extract less reactive metals. Related to the concept of reduction.
Refer to decomposition table above.

Extraction of iron

Iron ore, hematite, is reduced in the blast furnace to produce iron metal. Iron ore,
carbon (coke) and limestone are added to the furnace. The coke undergoes incomplete
combustion due to insufficient oxygen to form carbon monoxide.

2 C + O2 2 CO

The limestone undergoes thermal decomposition to form quicklime and carbon dioxide.

CaCO3 CaO + CO2

The carbon dioxide can be reduced by carbon to form even more carbon monoxide.

CO2 + C 2 CO

The carbon monoxide reduces hematite to form iron.

Fe2O3 + 3 CO 2 Fe + 3 CO2

The quicklime reacts with sand impurities in the ore to form slag waste product.

CaO + SiO2 CaSiO3

Iron is tapped off from the bottom. This is then purified and treated. Slag is used for
road surfacing.

Rusting

The essential conditions for rusting are the presence of water and oxygen.

 Ways to prevent rusting

o Protective coating
 A protective barrier is placed around the metal
 Prevents contact with oxygen and water
 Is compromised once a breach (scratch) is created in the coating
 E.g. Painting, greasing, plastic coating
o Sacrificial Protection
 Iron is connected to a more reactive metal
 The more reactive metal oxidizes preferentially to iron
 The more reactive metal thus donates electrons to iron, preventing
iron from oxidizing.
 Has to be constantly replaced
 E.g. Magnesium blocks attached to underground water pipes
o Galvanizing
 Zinc is plated onto iron
 Provides dual protection – barrier and sacrificial
 Has to replaced constantly

Recycling of metals

Metal ores are a finite resource. Hence, there is a need to recycle metals to prolong the
use of these metals. E.g. recycling of iron.

 Reasons for recycling

o Social
 Recycling metals ensures the sustainability of certain metals
 Particularly important for rare metals
 Future generations have access to the same resources as we do
o Economic
 Recycling saves manufacturing costs
 No need for costly mining for ores and extraction
 Particularly important for metals that can only be extracted by
electrolysis. E.g. Aluminium
o Environmental
 Less chemical waste produced from recycling than from mining
 Mining uses up a lot of land. Recycling cuts down on land use.
 Mining damages the environment as intrusive techniques such as
explosives are used. Recycling does not damage the landscape.