THE PRODUCTION OF SULPHURIC ACID BY THE CONTACT PROCESS 1. Sulphur is burnt in the air to produce sulphur dioxide 2.

Sulphur dioxide and air are passed over vanadium ( V ) oxide ( catalyst ) at 450C to produce sulphur trioxide 3. The sulphur trioxide is dissolved in concentrated sulphuric acid to form oleum 4. The oleum is diluted with water to obtain sulphuric acid Sulphur + Oxygen Sulphur dioxide

Sulphur + oxygen dioxide

Sulphur trioxide

Potassium Sodium Calcium Magnesium Aluminium Zinc Iron Tin Lead Copper Silver Gold Metals Sodium

React with water at room temperature React with hot water or steam Do not react with hot water or steam Test with Water Litmus paper Water Burning splinter

Most Reactive

Least Reactive Observation Sodium reacts violently, releasing a colourless gas with a hissing sound The red litmus paper turns blue Calcium reacts readily with water, realeasing a colourless gas The burning splinter burns with a pop sound The red litmus paper turns blue Magnesium does not react with cold water but does react with steam to release a colourless gas The red litmus paper turns blue Aluminium does not react with cold water, but does react with steam releasing a colourless gas. The reaction is less reactive compared to magnesium. The red litmus paper turns blue Zinc does not react with cold water, but does react with steam releasing a colourless gas. The reaction is less reactive compared to aluminium

Sulphur + Concentrated trioxide sulphuric acid Oleum

Calcium Oleum + Water Sulphuric acid Magnesium

Sulphuric acid is used In the production of chemical fertilizers In the production of detergents As the electrolyte in accumulators (batteries) As a dehydrating agent 5.3 THE REACTIVITY SERIES OF METALS A) REACTIVITY OF METALS WITH WATER Metals + water Metal hydroxide + Hydrogen

Litmus paper Steam Litmus paper Steam

Aluminium

Zinc

Litmus paper Steam

The reactivity of metals with water is summarised below :

Litmus paper

The red litmus paper turns blue

Gold

Least Reactive

B) REACTIVITY OF METALS WITH DILUTE ACIDS Most metal reacts with acid to produce salt and hydrogen Metal + Acid Salt + Hydrogen

C ) REACTIVITY OF METALS WITH OXYGEN Metal react with oxygen to produce metal oxides Metal + Oxygen Metal oxide

Examples : a) Sodium + Sulphuric acid Sodium sulphate + Hydrogen b) Magnesium + Hydrocloric acid Magnesium Chloride + Hydrogen
Metal Magnesium Aluminium Zinc Observation Reacts vigorously, a colourless gas is released Reacts rapidly, a colourless gas is released Reacts moderately rapid, a colourless gas is released at a slower rate compared to aluminium No reaction Burning splinter Burns with a pop sound Burns with a pop sound Burns with a pop sound No reaction

Examples : a) Sodium + Oxygen Sodium Oxide b) Magnesium + Oxygen Magnesium Oxide The order of reactivity of metals with oxygen is determined from experimental observations a) A highly reactive metal burns brightly in oxygen b) A moderately reactive metal burns easily in oxygen c) A less reactive metal only glows in oxygen Observation Burns vigorously with bright light Burns moderately Burns slowly Glows dimly and turns black Product Magnesium oxide Aluminium oxide Zinc oxide Copper oxide

Copper

Metal Magnesium Aluminium Zinc Copper

The reactivity of metals with acids is summarized as follows : Potassium Sodium Calcium Magnesium Aluminium Zinc Iron Tin Lead Copper Silver Most Reactive React with acids

THE REACTIVITY SERIES OF METALS As a conclusion, the reactivity series of metals are Potassium Sodium Calcium Magnesium Aluminium Zinc Iron Tin Lead Copper Most Reactive

Do not react with acids

Silver Gold Least Reactive THE POSITION OF CARBON IN THE REACTIVITY SERIES Mixture Copper oxide + carbon Lead oxide + carbon Iron oxide + carbon Zinc oxide + carbon Aluminium carbon oxide + Observation Burns brightly. The black solid turns to a brown solid Burns moderately. The yellowish solid changes to grey colour Burns slowly. The brownish solid changes to grey colour Glows dimly. The whitecoloured solid changes to grey colour No change Does reaction happen? Yes Yes Yes Yes No

Potassium Sodium Calcium Magnesium Aluminium CARBON Zinc Iron Tin Lead Copper Silver Gold

Most Reactive

Least Reactive

5.4 APPLICATION OF THE REACTIVITY SERIES OF METALS The Reduction Of The Ore To The Metal Most metals react with other elements to form ores An ore is a compound of the metal ( usually carbonates, sulphides, chlorides and oxides ) mixed with a large amount of impurities. There are two main methods of extracting metals from their ores: a) Electrolysis of the molten ore b) Reduction of the metal compounds by carbon

Discussion : The position of carbon in the reactivity series of metals is determined by the fact that a more reactive element is able to attract oxygen from the oxide of a less reactive element. There are reactions between copper oxide, lead oxide, iron oxide and zinc oxide with carbon. This indicates that carbon is more reactive than copper, lead, iron and zinc. There is no reaction between aluminium oxide and carbon, this shows that carbon is less reactive than aluminium. Conclusion : Carbon is more reactive than zinc, iron, lead and copper but less reactive than aluminium. Hence, carbon occupies a position between aluminium and zinc in the reactivity series of metals. The position of carbon in the reactivity series of metals is as follows :

Potassium Sodium Calcium Magnesium Aluminium Zinc Iron Tin Lead Copper

Extracted by electrolysis of molten ores Extracted by reduction of oxide using carbon

Silver Extracted by heating the Gold oxide strongly EXTRACTION OF TIN FROM ITS ORE : CASSITERITE

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE REACTIVITY SERIES

To compare the reactivity of different metals To determine the method of extracting the metal from its ore Can also predict whether or not a reaction will take place between a
metal with an oxide of another metal

5.5 ELECTROLYSIS

Electrolysis is the decomposition of compounds by passing an electric

Figure of a blast furnace current through an ionic solution During electrolysis, the following changes occur Electrical energy Term Electrolyte Electrode Anode Cathode Anions Cations

Chemical energy

Tin is extracted from cassiterite by heating cassiterite with carbon ( coke ) and lime stone ( calcium carbonate ) at high temperature in a blast furnace. The tin ore, coke and limestone are added into the top of the blast furnace Hot air is blasted up the furnace from the bottom When carbon is heated with tin oxide in the blast furnace, carbon removes the oxygen from tin oxide because it is more reactive than tin. Tin oxide + Carbon Tin + Carbon dioxide Limestone is added to react with impurities and remove them by forming a liquid called slag Two products are collected at the bottom of the blast furnace The lighter slag floats on top of the molten tin The slag and molten tin are tapped off separately at the bottom of the furnace

Explanation A substance ( in liquid or molten state ) that allows electricity to flow through it. e.g acids, alkalis, salt solution, molten salts Carbon rod or platinum sheet dipped in the electrolyte Positive electrode connected to the positive source of the battery Negative electrode connected to the negative source of the battery Negative ions that are attracted to the anode Positive ions that are attracted to the cathode

Figure of electrolysis process USES OF ELECTROLYSIS IN INDUSTRY Figure of Electroplating an iron nail with copper

Uses of electrolysis in industry are i. Electroplating ii. Extraction of metals iii. Purification of metals
A ) ELECTROPLATING Electroplating The coating of a thin layer of unreactive metal on the surface of another metal by the process of electrolysis. Functions: To protect metal from corrosion by plating them with other metals like tin or chromium that are corrosion-resistant Makes a metal look more attractive The basic electroplating procedure are i. Cathode : The metal object to be plated ii. Anode : the plating material iii. Electrolyte : must contain ions of the plating materials Example : To electroplate an iron spoon with a layer of copper metal

From the diagram show : i. The iron nail : cathode ii. A copper plate : anode iii. Copper sulphate solution : electrolyte Process : i. At the anode, the copper dissolves, forming positively charged ii. iii.
copper ions At the cathode, the copper ions receive electrons, forming a coat of copper on the iron nail A rheostat is used to control the current flow which is small but constant. Small current gives a very even and attractive copper coating

i. ii.

B) EXTRACTION OF METALS Metals which are more reactive than carbon are extracted from their ores by electrolysis. This method is used to produce aluminium in a large quantity from its ore, bauxite ( aluminium oxide ) Example : Extraction of aluminium from its ore

In this process, i. Anode : the impure metal ii. Cathode : the pure metal iii. Electrolyte : a salt solution of that respective metal

Figure of Electrolysis of molten aluminium oxide

To extract aluminium from its ore, bauxite is first purified. It is the melted. Pure aluminium oxide melts at about 2000C, so cryolite
is added to lower the melting point to about 1000C

Example : Purification of copper

The molten aluminium oxide is the placed in a large cell When aluminium oxide melts, aluminium ions and oxide ions are free to
move about

When electricity is passed through the electrolyte, the positively charged

aluminium ions are attracted to the cathode At the cathode, aluminium ions receive electrons to form aluminium metal, which is molten at this temperature. Aluminium ion + electrons aluminium atom Figure of purification of copper In this process : i. Anode : an impure copper plate ii. Cathode : a pure copper plate iii. Electrolyte : Copper (II) sulphate solution

The negatively charged oxide ions are attracted to the anode At the anode, oxide ions lose electrons to form oxygen Oxide ions oxygen atom + electrons

C ) PURIFICATION OF METALS

At the anode, the impure copper plate will dissolve to form copper ( II ) ion Copper atom copper ( II ) ion + electrons

i. Impurities will be left at the base of the beaker when the impure copper plate dissolves ii. The impure copper plate will become thinner after a while At the cathode, copper (II) ion will move towards the cathode to receive electrons and is discharged. Copper metal is formed. Copper ( II ) ion + electrons copper atom

i. Eventually, the cathode will become thicker because pure copper sediment will settle on it. Thus, the copper is purified.