8.2.

4: The Chemical Earth Chemical Extraction

8.2.4 The Chemical Earth:

Chemical Extraction
8.2.4 Energy is required to extract elements from their
naturally occurring sources
8.2.4-LT1:Identify the differences between physical and chemical
change in terms of rearrangement of particles
8.2.4-LT2:Summarise the differences between the boiling and
electrolysis of water as an example of the difference
between physical and chemical change
Chemistry 1 readings and exercises: pp. 75-79

Physical changes
Definition: a change that does not result in the formation of a new substance
I.e.: a change in physical properties (which includes: volumes, density, or
state)
These changes occur WITHOUT a change in the substances composition
Associated with the rearrangement of particles
Properties of physical changes:
Involve small changes in energy
Can be reversed
Examples
Change of state
Filtration
Evaporation and distillation
Change of physical appearance (cutting, hammering and rolling)
Dissolving
Some physical changes involve changes to chemical bonds, e.g.:
Rolling copper: involves the breaking and reformation of bonds between
copper atoms
Salt crystal formation: ionic bonds are reformed as water evaporates
Some physical changes involve the weak interactions between molecules, e.g.:
Formation of ice: H2O molecules are held together in a crystal lattice by
weak physical forces
8.2.4: The Chemical Earth Chemical Extraction

Chemical reactions
In chemical reactions the substances on the:
LHS are known as the reactants
RHS are known as the products
In all chemical reactions the following is observed:
Mass is conserved, i.e.:
total mass of the products=total mass of the reactants
The number of atoms of each type is conserved
o This relates the law of the conservation of energy, which states:
matter can be neither created nor destroyed, but merely changed from
one form to another

Chemical changes (AKA Chemical reactions)

Definition: a change that forms a new chemical substance
These new substances possess compositions and properties that differ
from the substances from which they originate
Associated with the destruction of bonds between atoms within a
molecule and rearrangement and formation of new bonds to form different
molecules
The breaking and reformation of chemical bonds is required
Properties:
Large amounts of energy (compared to physical changes) are required
A reversal of the change is often very difficult
Signs of a chemical reaction:
Production of gas
Formation of a solid, which includes a precipitate
Colour change
Significant change in temperature
Disappearance of a solid
Production of an odour
Examples:
Extraction of metal from a mineral iron from iron (III) oxide:
o Iron (III) oxide (Fe2O3) is mixed with coke (a mixture mainly composed of
carbon) and heated
o The carbon (within the coke) interacts with oxygen to form carbon
monoxide (CO) and heat
o The CO interacts with the Fe2O3 to form molten iron and carbon dioxide
(CO2)
o Combustion of petrol in car engines result in the production of carbon
dioxide and water from longer hydrocarbon chains
Write a balanced chemical equation illustrating the above reactions
Electrolysis of acidified water:
8.2.4: The Chemical Earth Chemical Extraction
o Water containing dilute sulfuric acid (H2SO4) can be electrolysed
(decomposition of a chemical in response to the application of electrical
energy), forming hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2) gases
It needs to be highlighted that in chemical reactions their components are conserved:
Law of the conservation of mass (/matter):
Matter can be neither created nor destroyed, but merely changed from
one form to another
This means: mass is conserved
(i.e. mass of the reactants = the mass of the products)
The number of atoms of each type is conserved

Comparing physical and chemical changes

Table 1 Comparison between physical and chemical changes (from Conquering Chemistry 1, p. 63)

Boiling and electrolysis of water

Boiling water (the conversion of liquid water to vapour) and electrolysing water (to
produce hydrogen and oxygen gases) illustrate the differences between physical and
chemical changes
Summarising the differences:
Electrolysis produces 2 new substances, while boiling does not
Electrolysis is difficult to reverse, while boiling is not
Electrolysis requires more energy than boiling (20-30kJ of electrical energy per
gram of water) whereas boiling requires far less (2.3kJ per gram of water)

Figure 1 the differences between a (a) physical and (b) chemical change
8.2.4: The Chemical Earth Chemical Extraction

8.2.4-LT3:Identify light, heat and electricity as the common forms of

energy that may be released or absorbed during the
decomposition or synthesis of substances and identify
examples of these changes occurring in everyday life
Chemistry 1 readings: pp. 79-81
The energy required for a chemical change is generally larger than that for a physical
change
Energy is described using: + or - values:
+ = indicates energy being absorbed
- = indicates energy being released

Figure 2 Energy associated with physical and chemical changes (from Chemistry Contexts 1, p. 66)

Energy and chemical changes

Decomposition and synthesis reactions involve the application of energy to breakdown
(decompose) chemical compounds or to build-up (synthesis) chemical compounds
Energy is required to overcome the strong chemical bonds (ionic or covalent) that hold
atoms within a compound together
Bonds and energy:
The stronger the chemical bond, the more energy is needed to break apart
those bonds; OR
The stronger the chemical bond, the more energy is release when the bond is
broken
Examples of forms of energy used:
Heat
Light
Electricity

Decomposition reactions
The ease of which a substances decomposes can be used to differentiation between
pure substances, elements and compounds
A decomposition reaction involves a compound being broken down into the two or
more elements of which it is composed
Energy is required to be input for this process to occur
Everyday examples:
Application of heat to decomposition of minerals to produce metals (ref:
extraction of iron from iron ore)
8.2.4: The Chemical Earth Chemical Extraction
Action of UV light to decompose ozone (O3) into oxygen (O2) and an oxygen free
radical
Electrical energy provided by lightning to decompose atmospheric gas
molecules
Decomposition of sodium azide (NaN3) to nitrogen gas (N2) used to inflate
airbags
Decomposition of calcium carbonate (limestone) via heating to form cement,
lime and glass
Extraction of aluminium (Al) by the electrolysis of molten aluminium oxide
(Al2O3)

Thermal decomposition
Thermal decomposition is the application of heat to breakdown compounds into
simpler substances
This process involves the rearrangement of particles in a compound, leading to
the formation of new substances
Heat can be supplied by an Bunsen burner
Thermal decomposition of mercury(II) oxide into mercury and oxygen
mercury ( II ) oxide heat mercury+ oxygen gas 2 HgO ( s ) heat 2 Hg (l ) +O2 ( g )

Figure 3 the thermal decomposition of mercury(II) oxide (from Chemistry Context 1, p. 71)

Thermal decomposition of gold oxide (Au2O3) to gold and oxygen

gold ( III ) oxide heat gold + oxygen gas 2 Au2 O 3 ( s ) heat 4 Au ( s ) +3 O 2 ( g )

Thermal decomposition of bicarb soda (sodium hydrogen carbonate) to produce

carbon dioxide, sodium carbonate and water (commonly used in baking):
sodium hydrogen heat carbon +water + sodium 2 NaHC O3 ( s ) heat C O 2 ( g ) + H 2 O ( l ) + Na2 C O3 ( s )
carbonate dioxide carbonate

Thermal decomposition of copper nitrate (Cu(NO3)2):

copper nitrate heat nitrogen dioxide+ copper oxide+ oxygen Cu ( N O3 )2 ( s ) heat N O2 ( g ) +CuO ( s ) +O2 (g)

Decomposition by electrical energy and light energy

(UV) Light decomposition (photolysis) of silver bromide:
UV light decomposes silver bromide (AgBr) for silver metal and bromine gas
silver bromide UV light silver +bromine gas 2 AgBr ( s ) heat 2 Au ( s ) + Br 2 ( g )

8.2.4: The Chemical Earth Chemical Extraction
Many dyes and pharmaceutical products are light sensitive as they will decompose
when exposed to light
8.2.4: The Chemical Earth Chemical Extraction

Electrolytic decomposition of molten lead (II) bromide:

Lead (II) bromide (PbBr2) (a white
crystalline solid) melts at 373C
to form a clear and colourless
liquid
In liquid form it can be
electrolysed to form a brown
vapour of bromine and deposit
lead on the electrodes

Figure 4: Apparatus for the electrolytic

decomposition of molten lead (II) bromide
(from Chemistry 1, p. 80)

lead ( II ) bromide electrolysis lead+ bromine vapour Pb Br 2 ( l ) electrolysis Pb (l ) + Br 2 ( g )

Many substances may be decomposed by electrolysis

This process accounts for the extraction of metals from their ores (e.g.
aluminium and sodium)

Synthesis reactions
Synthesis reactions are reactions that lead to the formation of a compound from
elements or other compounds
The newly formed compound is often more complex that the substances from
which it originates
NOTE: elements cannot be synthesised in this process
Like decomposition reactions, energy (often in the form of heat, but light and
electrical energy can be utilised) is required to synthesise compounds
Common synthesis reactions include:
The energy supplied by lightning on nitrogen and oxygen to form nitric oxide
Formation of rust, which is an oxide of iron, when iron is exposed to oxygen
within the atmosphere
Production of ammonia (NH3) by combining nitrogen and hydrogen gases at high
temperatures and pressures
Humans have often devised synthesis reactions to produces chemicals whose natural
supplies were diminishing or limited:
Development of the Haber process for the production of ammonia (NH3)
Development of dyes from coals (dyes had previously been obtained from
natural source, which included plants and vegetable sources)
Development of plastics and polymers from petroleum (e.g. polyethylene;
polystyrene; PVC; PET Perspex; Teflon; nylon; Kevlar)
8.2.4: The Chemical Earth Chemical Extraction
Synthesis of iron (III) chloride using heat energy
After heating, iron wool is placed into a glass jar of chlorine gas, resulting in the
formation of iron (III) chloride, which is observed as brown smoke
iron+chlorine gas heat iron ( III ) c h loride gas Fe ( s )+ 3Cl 2 ( g ) heat 2 Fe Cl3 ( s )

Synthesis of hydrogen chloride using light

Hydrogen has combines with chlorine gas (which is an explosive reaction AND
IS NOT PERFORMED IN THE CLASSROOM) when exposed to light (breaks the
chemical bond within the chlorine molecule)
hydrogen gas +chlorine gas light hydrogen chloride gas H 2 ( g ) +Cl 2 ( g ) light HCl ( g )

8.2.4-LT4:Explain that the amount of energy needed to separate atoms

in a compound is an indication of the strength of the
attraction, or bond, between them
Chemistry 1 readings and exercises: pp. 81-83

Bond energy
Chemical compounds 2 or more atoms are chemically combined via chemical bonds
The amount of energy required to separate atoms in a compound (be it ionic or
covalent) reflects the attractive or bonding forces between the individual components
Ionic compounds: the attraction between oppositely charged ions
Covalent compounds: the attractions between atoms sharing electrons
Covalent network compounds: a 3D arrangement of atoms joined by covalent
bonds
BOND ENERGY refers to the amount of energy required to separate the components
of a compound or molecule
The stronger the chemical bond:
o the more energy is required to break the compound into its component
atoms
o the more energy is released when the compounds is formed from its
atoms
The trpm

Ionic bonds
RECALL: the electrostatic attraction of oppositely charged ions, which become
arranged in a 3D lattice alternating charges
The amount of energy required to separate the components of an ionic compounds
may be referred to as the lattice energy
This is the measure of the strength of an ionic bond
8.2.4: The Chemical Earth Chemical Extraction

Table 2 Lattice energy for several ionic compounds (from Chemistry Contexts 1, p. 76)

Covalent bonds
RECALL: involved the sharing of electrons between atoms to achieve a noble gas
configuration
During the process the nuclei for each atom attracted the shared electrons equally
(generally)
Simultaneous electrostatic attraction of the shared electrons accounts for the
covalent bond
A large amount of energy is required to separate atoms that are bonded via a covalent
bond
Naming Compounds

The amount of energy required for separation is known as bond energy

Table 3 Bond energies for some covalent compounds (from Chemistry Contexts 1, p. 75)
Naming Compounds

APPENDIX: Naming compounds

Formulae for ionic compounds

It was observed previously that the charge of some ions can be deduced by
their position in the periodic table
The above is not the case from other elements and transition metals as they can
often from ions with more than one charge
Rules for naming ionic compounds
When ionic compounds are
formed, the ions are present in
ratios such that the total
number of positive charges is
equal to the total number of
negative charges

Table 4 Ions formed by common

elements (from Conquering Chemistry
Prelim, p. 77)

Naming ionic compounds:

Ionic binary compounds
1. The positive ion is name first, followed by the negative ion
2. The end of the negative ion is changed to -ide
Metals that have variable valencies
3. The valence of the metal is higher valence state:
displayed by Roman numeral in -ic
brackets are the name of the 6.
metal (e.g. iron(II) has a valency
of +2) (NB: this is the preferred
method for illustrating valence,
however the bottom method is
still wide spread)
4. The valence state is
indicated using the following
endings:
7. Table 5 Names of positive ions formed
5. Lower valance state: from variable-valency metals (from
-ous Conquering Chemistry Prelim, p. 78)

8. Polyatomic ions
9. Just remember the names and 10.
formulae for the following
polyatomic ions:
Naming Compounds
11. Table 6 Some common polyatomic ions
and their charge (from Conquering
Chemistry Prelim, p. 79)

12.
Naming Compounds

13. Formulae for covalent compounds

14. To determine the values of x and y in the formula AxBy of a covalent
compound, we chose the smallest values for x and y that make
15. x valency of A = y valency of B
16.
17.
18. Table 7 Valencies of common elements in covalent compounds (from Conquering Chemistry
Prelim., p. 80)

19. Naming covalent (binary) compounds

1. Use the normal element name for the first element, and end the second
element with -ide
2. The first element is the one which occurs farther left of the Periodic table
3. If both elements are in the same group, the lower down one is first names
4. Exceptions:
20. Oxygen is named last in compounds with Cl, Br and I
5. The number of atoms in each type is given using the following prefixes:
21. Mono (1); di (2); tri (3); tetra (4); penta (5); hexa (6)