Reactivity and extracting metals

The idea

Metals react with oxygen to form metal oxides: this is oxidation (gain of oxygen); losing oxygen is reduction. The reactivity series orders metals by how easily they form positive ions: potassium, sodium, lithium, calcium, magnesium, (carbon), zinc, iron, (hydrogen), copper. A more reactive metal displaces a less reactive one from its compounds. Metals less reactive than carbon are extracted by reduction with carbon; gold is found as the metal itself.

1. Place the metal in the reactivity series.
2. Compare with carbon to choose the extraction method.
3. Identify oxidation and reduction.

Watch out Metals above carbon, such as aluminium, cannot be extracted by heating with carbon.