Where copper ore has been mined there are areas of land that contain very low percentages of copper compounds - AQA - GCSE Chemistry - Question 4 - 2014 - Paper 1
Question 4
Where copper ore has been mined there are areas of land that contain very low percentages of copper compounds.
One way to extract the copper is to grow plants on th... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Where copper ore has been mined there are areas of land that contain very low percentages of copper compounds - AQA - GCSE Chemistry - Question 4 - 2014 - Paper 1
Step 1
Complete the sentence.
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Answer
Using plants to extract metals is called phytomining.
Step 2
Suggest two reasons why copper from these areas of land is not extracted by smelting.
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Answer
The land contains very little copper which makes the process inefficient.
Smelting is uneconomical due to the high energy costs and environmental impact.
Step 3
Complete and balance the chemical equation for the reaction of copper oxide with carbon.
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The balanced equation is:
2extCuO+extC→2extCu+extCO2
Step 4
Give two reasons why scrap iron is used to displace copper.
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Iron is more reactive than copper, allowing it to displace copper from its sulfate solution.
Using scrap iron is cheaper and requires less energy compared to electrolysis.
Step 5
Describe what happens to the copper ions during electrolysis.
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During electrolysis, copper ions ( ext{Cu}^{2+}) move towards the negative electrode (cathode). Here, they gain electrons and are reduced to form copper metal, which deposits on the electrode. This process leads to the extraction of pure copper from the solution.
