Metal Notes #1

Metals
Properties of Metals
Physical Properties
1. Good conductors of heat (when molten) and electricity
2. High melting and boiling points
3. Malleable and Ductile
4. High densities
5. Solids at room temperature (except mercury in liquid)
Chemical Properties
1. Metals + Acids → Salt + Hydrogen
2. Metal + Oxygen → Metal Oxide
3. Metal + Water → Metal Hydroxide + Hydrogen
4. Metal + Steam → Metal Oxide + Hydrogen
Non-Metals
Properties of Non-Metals
Physical Properties
1. Poor thermal conductor
2. Poor conductor of electricity (Except graphite)
3. Brittle and not malleable
4. Solids and gases at room temperature (bromine is liquid)
Uses of Metals
[1.] Aluminium
o Manufacture of Aircraft/Cars (Low density)
o Food Containers (Resistant to corrosion)
o Overhead electrical cable (Good conductor of electricity/ductile)
2. Zinc
o Galvanizes Iron = coats it to stop it from rusting (protective coating)
o Alloys – brass/bronze
o Batteries
o Sacrificial Protection
3. Copper
o Electrical Wiring (Good conductor of electricity/Ductile)
Alloys and their Properties

Alloy: a mixture of two or more metals or a metal and non-metal
 Alloys are useful because they are harder and stronger/useful than pure metal; they can
also resist rusting with air and water.
Alloy Made from Special Properties Uses

Stronger and more
Electrical fittings,
Brass Copper and zinc resistant to
car radiators
corrosion/rusting
Iron, carbon, Kitchen sinks,
Stainless resistant to
chromium and cutlery, surgical
steel corrosion/rusting
nickel instruments
 Due to the irregularity in atom sizes and structure, metal alloys, which stop layers from
sliding over each other, are stronger.
 This is what the structure of an alloy (a) looks like compared to a pure metal (b).
Reactivity Series
NOTE: Aluminum - despite its high placement in the reactivity series, it is seemingly
unreactive due to its protective aluminium oxide layer.
General Reactivity Series

The Chemical Reactivity of Metals
(descending order of reactivity)
K - Potassium
Na - Sodium
Ca – Calcium
Mg – Magnesium
Al – Aluminum Water:
C – Carbon 1. metal + cold water → metal hydroxide +
Zn – Zinc hydrogen
Fe – Iron 2. metal + steam → metal oxide +
Pb – Lead hydrogen
H – Hydrogen
Cu – Copper
Ag – Silver
Au – Gold
Everything above hydrogen can
Oxygen:
displace hydrogen from its acid, and
metal + oxygen → metal oxide
hydrogen cannot reduce its oxides.
Dilute acids:
In a metal and acid reaction, the hydrogen
Metals above carbon, their oxides
atom in the acid is replaced by the metal
cannot be reduced by carbon
atom to form a product of salt and
hydrogen
Copper, Silver and Gold cannot react with Dilute Hydrochloric acid because its too
unreactive
Displacement Reactions
In these reactions, metals compete for oxygen or anions
 Oxidisation is the loss of electrons
 Reduction is the gain of electrons
 The more reactive metal will displace the less reactive metal from oxygen or an anion.
 If the more reactive metal has oxygen or an anion, no reaction occurs
 The bigger the difference in reactivity between the two metals, the faster the reaction
Example: Mg + O2 → 2MgO
Here magnesium is oxidised while the oxygen atom is
reduced
Corrosion of Metals
Rusting: the corrosion of iron and steel to form rust (hydrated iron (Ill) oxide) via
oxidation
The conditions for rusting to
occur:
1. Water
2. Air containing oxygen
Equation for Rusting of Iron

Iron + Water + Oxygen → Hydrated Iron (Ill)
Oxide
4Fe (s) + 2H2O (l) + 3O2 (g) → 2Fe2O3·H2O (s)
Two Ways of Preventing Rust
1. Barrier Method
o Coating a material to prevent the iron/steel from being in contact with water and oxygen
(Painting, Greasing & Plastic Coating)
2. Sacrificial Method
o When more reactive metals corrode to less reactive metals, they lose electrons in
preference to iron.
Galvanisation of Iron
It is the protection of iron and steel objects by coating them with a layer of zinc.
The barrier method is due to the zinc layer preventing exposure to air and water and
sacrificial protection due to zinc being more reactive than iron, corroding in preference
to iron.
Extraction of Metals
 Process of separating a particular metal from its compound; metal ore
 Ore is more difficult to decompose from gold to potassium (expensive)
Metal Extraction Method

K - Potassium
Na - Sodium
Ca – Calcium Reduction via
Mg – electrolysis
Magnesium
Al – Aluminum
Carbon
Zn – Zinc
Fe – Iron Reducing by Carbon
Pb – Lead
Hydrogen
Cu – Copper
Ag – Silver Occur naturally
Au – Gold
Extraction of Iron
 Ore haematite (Fe2O3) + Impurities
 Burning of coke (Carbon) to provide heat and produce carbon dioxide
Ore is crushed and mixed with carbon and limestone (CaCO3) and transferred into the
blast furnace
C + O2 → CO2 (exothermic)
CaCO3 → CaO + CO2 (thermal decomposition)
C + O2 → CO2 (exothermic)
CO2 + C → 2CO
2. Carbon monoxide reduces Iron(III) oxide from the ore to iron
Fe2O3 + 3CO → 2Fe + 3CO2
3. The Calcium oxide reacts with impurities like silica to form slag (a waste product)
CaO + SiO2→ CaSiO3 + CO2
4. Uses of slag include making roads and cement
The remaining waste gases that leave the blast furnace are Carbon Dioxide, Carbon
Monoxide, and Nitrogen.

Metal Notes #1

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Metal Notes #1

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Metal Notes #1

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Metals

1. Good conductors of heat (when molten) and electricity

2. High melting and boiling points

3. Malleable and Ductile

5. Solids at room temperature (except mercury in liquid)

1. Metals + Acids → Salt + Hydrogen

2. Metal + Oxygen → Metal Oxide

3. Metal + Water → Metal Hydroxide + Hydrogen

4. Metal + Steam → Metal Oxide + Hydrogen

1. Poor thermal conductor

2. Poor conductor of electricity (Except graphite)

3. Brittle and not malleable

4. Solids and gases at room temperature (bromine is liquid)

o Food Containers (Resistant to corrosion)

o Overhead electrical cable (Good conductor of electricity/ductile)

o Galvanizes Iron = coats it to stop it from rusting (protective coating)

o Electrical Wiring (Good conductor of electricity/Ductile)

Alloys and their Properties

also resist rusting with air and water.

Alloy Made from Special Properties Uses

sliding over each other, are stronger.

unreactive due to its protective aluminium oxide layer.

General Reactivity Series

 Reduction is the gain of electrons

 If the more reactive metal has oxygen or an anion, no reaction occurs

The conditions for rusting to

2. Air containing oxygen

Equation for Rusting of Iron

(Painting, Greasing & Plastic Coating)

 Ore is more difficult to decompose from gold to potassium (expensive)

Metal Extraction Method

 Burning of coke (Carbon) to provide heat and produce carbon dioxide

Fe2O3 + 3CO → 2Fe + 3CO2

CaO + SiO2→ CaSiO3 + CO2

4. Uses of slag include making roads and cement

Monoxide, and Nitrogen.

You might also like