Why is heating with carbon preferred to electrolysis

Quantitative Chemistry 3. Energy Changes 5. Organic Chemistry 7. Chemical Analysis 8. Chemistry of the Atmosphere 9. Using Resources As head of science, she used her passion for education to drive improvement for staff and students, supporting them to achieve their full potential.

Fran has also co-written science textbooks and worked as an examiner for UK exam boards. Download PDF. Molten zinc can then be made from zinc oxide by heating with carbon:. Zinc oxide loses oxygen. It is reduced. Carbon gains oxygen. It is oxidised. Carbon acts as a reducing agent. Carbon has displaced the metal from the oxide. The carbon monoxide is oxidised further to produce the less harmful carbon dioxide, CO 2.

Copper may be extracted from copper oxide by reaction with carbon. State which substance has been oxidised and which reduced.

It does not need to be chemically separated. However , chemical reactions may be needed to remove other elements that might contaminate the metal. Metal extraction and the reactivity series The method used to extract a metal from its ore depends upon the stability of its compound in the ore, which in turn depends upon the reactivity of the metal: The oxides of very reactive metals, such as aluminium, form stable oxides and other compounds.

A lot of energy is needed to reduce them to extract the metal. The oxides of less reactive metals, such as iron, form less stable oxides and other compounds.