Australia's Resources - Mining for Metals

Flashcards about Australia's Resources

Metal Ore

Naturally occurring rock or sediment that contains one or more valuable metals in a high enough concentration to make it economically viable to extract them.

Ionic Bond

A type of chemical bond formed through the electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions.

Anions

Ions with a negative charge, formed when non-metals gain electrons.

Cations

Ions with a positive charge, formed when metals lose electrons.

Blast Furnace

A tall furnace used for smelting iron from iron ore.

Displacement Reaction

A chemical reaction in which one element replaces another in a compound due to its higher reactivity.

Reactivity Series

A series of metals listed in order of their decreasing reactivity.

Hydrometallurgy

A process for extracting metals from their ores using aqueous solutions.

Three Main Steps of Hydrometallurgy

Leaching, Solvent Extraction, and Electrowinning

Electrowinning

The process of using an electric current to reduce dissolved metal ions in a solution, coating the metal onto an electrode.

Lattice

A regular arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules in a crystalline solid.

Groups

Vertical columns in the periodic table, containing elements with similar chemical properties.

Periods

Horizontal rows in the periodic table, representing elements with the same number of electron shells.

Alkali Metals

Group 1 elements, known for their high reactivity.

Alkali Earth Metals

Group 2 elements, also reactive but less so than alkali metals.

Transition Metals

Elements located in the d-block of the periodic table, known for their variable oxidation states and ability to form colored compounds.

Metalloids

Elements with properties intermediate between those of metals and non-metals.

Halogens

Group 17 elements, known for being highly reactive non-metals.

Noble Gases

Group 18 elements, known for their inertness.

Alloy

A mixture of two or more elements, where at least one is a metal.