Topic

Topic 11 The
The Planet
Planet Earth
Earth

Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

Jing Kung Educational Press All Rights Reserved

Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

Content
Unit key concept
4.1

Metals in the Earths crust

4.2

Extracting metals from their ores

4.3

Investigating calcium carbonate

4.4

Formation of chalk, limestone and marble

4.5

Formation of limestone caves

Key terms
Summary

Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

Unit Key Concepts

Metals in the Earths crust
Methods for extracting metals from
their ores
Chemical reactions of calcium
carbonate
Formation of chalk, limestone and
marble

Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

4.1 Metals in the Eraths crust (p. 66)

Metals play a very important role in our lives.

A mirror with a film of silver on the back of a sheet

of glass.

Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

4.1 Metals in the Eraths crust (p. 66)

A stainless steel sink

Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

4.1 Metals in the Eraths crust (p. 66)

Some metals are obtained from the oceans, but most
metals are obtained from the Earths crust.
About 25% of the Earths crust consists of metals.
Only a few metals, such as gold and silver, exist as free
elements in the Earth. Most of them exist as compounds in
nature.
The individual chemical compounds that make up rocks are
called minerals ( ). Rocks from which we obtain metals
are called ores ( ).

Ores of aluminium, copper, iron and zinc (from left to right)

Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

4.2 Extracting metals from their ores (p. 6

Getting7)a metal from its ore is called extracting ( )
the metal.
The names of common ores of three metals and the main metallic
compound each ore contains:
Metal

Name of ore

Main metallic
compound in the
ore

Aluminium

bauxite ( )

an oxide of
aluminium

Iron

haematite (
)

an oxide of iron

Mercury

cinnabar ( )

A sulphide of
mercury

Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

4.2 Extracting metals from their ores (p. 6

7)

Physical methods

Only metals which exist as free elements can be

extracted by physical methods.
If the pieces of metal are large enough, we can pick them
up by hand.
If the metal is much denser than the soil or rock mixed
with it, we can wash the mixture with flowing water.
The flowing water carries the less dense particles away,
leaving behind the metal.

Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

4.2 Extracting metals from their ores (p. 6

7)

A man panning for gold ( )

Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

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4.2 Extracting metals from their ores (p. 6

Heating7)the ore alone
We can extract mercury from cinnabar (containing mercury
sulphide) by heating it in air.
mercury sulphide + oxygen

heat in air

mercury + sulphur dioxide

We can extract silver from silver oxide by heating it strongly.

silver oxide

silver + oxygen
Extracting silver from silver oxide

Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

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4.2 Extracting metals from their ores (p. 6

7)
Heating the ore with carbon
We can extract iron from haematite
(containing an oxide of iron) by
heating it with carbon in a blast
furnace.
A blast furnace
( )

Electrolysis of the molten ore

We can extract sodium, magnesium and aluminium by

electrolyzing their molten ( ) ores.

Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

4.2 Extracting metals from their ores (p. 6

7)
The availability (and hence price) of a metal depends
mainly on:
- the abundance of the metal in the Earths crust;
- the ease of mining its ore and the cost; and
- the ease of extracting the metal from its ore and the
cost.

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Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

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4.3 Investigating calcium carbonate (p. 68)

Limestone caves are interesting geological features
( )
Limestone is composed primarily of the mineral calcite.
Calcite ( ) is composed of calcium carbonate.

A limestone cave

Calcite

Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

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4.3 Investigating calcium carbonate (p. 68)

Action of heat on calcium carbonate
Upon heating, calcium carbonate changes to a white
powder called quicklime (calcium oxide) ( ).
Carbon dioxide is also given off.
calcium carbonate
dioxide

heat

calcium oxide + carbon

Heating limestone in a lime kiln, like the

traditional one shown here, breaks down
the calcium carbonate into calcium oxide.

Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

4.3 Investigating calcium carbonate (p. 68)

Action of heat on calcium carbonate
When we add water to calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide
forms
calcium oxide + water calcium hydroxide
Calcium hydroxide is often called slaked lime ( ).
Although it is not very soluble, we can dissolve a little
calcium hydroxide in water. After filtering, this produces a
colourless solution called limewater ( ).

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Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

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4.3 Investigating calcium carbonate (p. 68)

Action of heat on calcium carbonate
Limewater is used to test for carbon dioxide gas. Carbon
dioxide turns limewater milky due to the formation of
insoluble white calcium carbonate (Fig. 4.11c).
carbon
dioxide

calcium
hydroxide

calcium +
carbonate

water

Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

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4.3 Investigating calcium carbonate (p. 68)

Action of heat on calcium carbonate
When we pass an excess of carbon dioxide into the
limewater, the white precipitate disappears (Fig. 4.11c).
This is because the precipitate dissolves to form soluble
calcium hydrogencarbonate.
calcium +
carbonate

carbon
dioxide

water

calcium
hydrogencarbonate

Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

4.3 Investigating calcium carbonate

(p. 68)

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Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

4.3 Investigating calcium carbonate (p. 68)

Action of dilute acid on calcium carbonate
When calcium carbonate reacts with dilute hydrochloric
acid, effervescence ( ) occurs. Calcium chloride,
water and carbon dioxide are formed.
calcium + dilute hydrochloric calcium + water + carbon
carbonate
acid
chloride
dioxide

Effervescence occurs when

calcium carbonate reacts with
dilute hydrochloric acid.

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Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

4.3 Investigating calcium carbonate (p. 68)

Action of water ion calcium carbonate
Calcium carbonate is insoluble in water. However, it
dissolves in dilute hydrochloric acid. This is because
calcium carbonate reacts with the acid to form soluble
calcium chloride.

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Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

4.3 Investigating calcium carbonate (p. 68)

Example
An anhydrous compound X gives a brick-red flame in a flame test.
Upon strong heating, compound X gives off a gaseous product Y
which turns blue cobalt(II) chloride paper pink and a gaseous
product Z which turns limewater milky.
a) i) Identify gaseous products Y and Z.
ii) Write a word equation for the reaction between the gaseous
product Z and limewater.
b) What can be deduced about compound X from the observation in the
flame test?
c) Suggest what compound X may be?

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Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

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4.3 Investigating calcium carbonate (p. 68)

Solution
a) i) Y is water vapour.
Z is carbon dioxide.
ii) carbon
dioxide

calcium calcium +
hydroxide
carbonate

b) Compound X contains calcium.

c) Calcium hydrogencarbonate

water

Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

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Practice 4.1 (p.71)

The results of three tests on substances X and Y are summarized

in the following table:
Test
X
Y
1

Flame test

golden
yellow
flame

Addition of dilute
nitric acid followed
by silver nitrate
Solution to a
solution
of the substance

No
observable
change

A white precipitate
is formed

A gas which
can turn
limewater
milky is
evolved

No observable
change

Addition of dilute
hydrochloric acid

brick-red flame

Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

Practice 4.1 (p.71)

a) According to the results of Test 1, what species are
present in X and Y respectively?

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Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

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Practice 4.1 (p.71)

Solution
X Sodium
Y Calcium

Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

Practice 4.1 (p.71)

b) According to the results of Tests 2 and 3, explain briefly what
species are present in X and Y respectively.

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Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

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Practice 4.1 (p.71)

Solution
X Carbonate ion
X reacts with dilute hydrochloric acid to produce carbon
dioxide gas which turns limewater milky.
Y Chloride ion
Solution of Y gives a white precipitate (silver chloride) in
the silver nitrate test.

Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

Practice 4.1 (p.71)

c) Name X and Y.

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Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

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Practice 4.1 (p.71)

Solution
X Sodium carbonate
Y Calcium chloride

Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

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4.4 Formation of chalk, limestone and mar

ble (p. 71)
Calcium carbonate occurs naturally in three main forms
chalk ( ), limestone and marble ( ).
Chalk is the softest among them.Glass
Limestone
is harder than
rod
chalk and marble is the hardest.

The Capital in Washington DC,

USA is largely constructed of
marble.

Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

4.4 Formation of chalk, limestone and mar

ble (p. 71)
The skeletons and shells of sea animals are made up of calcium
Formation of limestone and limestone
carbonate.
caves
When these animals die, their skeletons
or shells sink into the mud at
the bottom of the oceans.
Over millions of years, layers build up. Pressure from the top layers
changes the bottom layers into chalk.
Earth movements such as earthquakes may lift the chalk to the Earths
surface.

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Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

4.4 Formation of chalk, limestone and mar

ble (p. 71)
Earth movement may also cause the layers to sink further.
Higher pressure and heat cause the chalk to turn into much
harder limestone.
The limestone deposit may stay below the Earth for a long time.
Higher temperature and pressure may turn the limestone into
marble.

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Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

4.4 Formation of chalk, limestone and mar

ble (p. 71)
Uses of limestone.

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Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

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4.5 Formation of limestone caves (p. 75)

Solid rock can be broken down into smaller pieces and changed
into other materials as a result of weathering ( ).
The wearing away of surface materials and the movement of
products of weathering from where they formed to a different
location is called erosion ( ).
The major causes of erosion are gravity ( ), running water,
waves, ice and wind.
Physical and chemical
weathering:

http://ees.as.uky.edu/sites/defaul
t/files/elearning/module07swf.swf

Stack formed by
wave water

Formations
caused by wind
Fireproof mat
( )
erotion.

Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

4.5 Formation of limestone caves (p. 75)

When rain falls, rainwater reacts with carbon dioxide in the air to
form carbonic acid ( ).
water
+
carbon dioxide
carbonic acid
When this dilute solution of carbonic acid comes into contact
with underground limestone deposits, it reacts with calcium
carbonate to form soluble calcium hydrogencarbonate.
calcium
carbonic
calcium
+
carbonate
acid
hydrogencarbonate
Underground limestone deposits are gradually dissolved in the
same way over millions of years, creating underground holes
called limestone caves.

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Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

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Key terms (p. 76)

mineral

slaked lime

ore

limewater

extract

effervescence

bauxite

chalk

haematite

marble

cinnabar

weathering

molten

erosion

limestone

carbonic acid

calcite

quicklime

Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

Summary (p.76)
1

The individual chemical compounds that make up rocks are

called minerals. Rocks from which we obtain metals are called
ores.

Getting a metal from its ore is called extracting the metal.

The following table summarizes common methods for

extracting metals from their ores:
Extraction method
Example(s)
panning for gold
Physical method
extracting mercury from
cinnabar
Heating the ore alone
extracting silver from silver
oxide
Heating the ore with
extracting iron from haematite
carbon
extracting aluminium from its
Electrolysis of the
molten ore
molten ore

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Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

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Summary (p.76)
4

The following table summarizes the action of heat, dilute acid

and water on calcium carbonate:

Action
of

Change(s)
heat

calcium carbonate
calcium oxide (quicklime) + carbon
Heat dioxide
calcium oxide + water
calcium hydroxide (slaked
lime)
Dilute calcium carbonate + dilute hydrochloric acid
acid
calcium chloride + water + carbon dioxide
insoluble in water but soluble in dilute
Water
hydrochloric acid

Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

Summary (p.76)
5

Limewater is a saturated solution of calcium hydroxide. It is used

to test carbon dioxide gas.
Carbon dioxide turns limewater milky due to the formation of
insoluble white calcium carbonate.
carbon dioxide + calcium hydroxide
calcium carbonate + water
When an excess of carbon dioxide is passed into the
limewater, the white precipitate disappears. This is because
the precipitate dissolves to form soluble calcium
hydrogencarbonate.
calcium carbonate + carbon dioxide + water
calcium hydrogencarbonate

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Unit 4 Rocks and minerals

Summary (p.76)
6

Calcium carbonate occurs naturally in three main forms

chalk, limestone and marble.

Solid rock can be broken down into smaller pieces and

changed into other materials as a result of weathering. :
The wearing away of surface materials and the
movement of products of weathering from where they
formed to a different location is called erosion.
The major causes of erosion are gravity, running water,
waves, ice and wind.

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