Extraction of metals: past paper questions

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• Question 27May/June 2026, paper 12Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Which row identifies the ore of aluminium and describes its extraction method?

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• Question 25Oct/Nov 2025, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Which metal is extracted from bauxite by electrolysis?

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• Question 28Oct/Nov 2024, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Which statement about the extraction of iron from hematite is correct?

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• Question 25Oct/Nov 2023, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Zinc oxide reacts with carbon to produce zinc. Which equation represents this reaction?

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• Question 19May/June 2026, paper 13Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The equations show two chemical reactions involved in the production of iron from its ore.

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• Question 30Oct/Nov 2025, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  Iron is extracted from hematite in a blast furnace. Which reaction involves thermal decomposition?

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• Question 25Oct/Nov 2024, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  Zinc is formed when zinc oxide is heated with carbon. $$\text{zinc oxide}+\text{carbon}\to \text{zinc}+\text{carbon monoxide}$$ Which substance is oxidised in this reaction?

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• Question 27Oct/Nov 2023, paper 11Multiple choice1 mark

  Four substances present in the blast furnace during iron extraction are listed. 1 calcium carbonate 2 carbon dioxide 3 carbon monoxide 4 iron(III) oxide Which substances are both a reactant and a product during the reactions occurring in the blast furnace?

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• Question 27May/June 2026, paper 22Multiple choice1 mark

  Which equation represents the extraction of iron from hematite in a blast furnace?

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• Question 29Oct/Nov 2025, paper 21Multiple choice1 mark

  Which statement about the extraction of aluminium by electrolysis is correct?

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• Question 30Oct/Nov 2024, paper 13Multiple choice1 mark

  Iron is extracted from its ore in the blast furnace. Which statement about one of the reactions in the blast furnace is correct?

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• Question 17Oct/Nov 2023, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  In a blast furnace, iron(III) oxide is converted to iron and carbon monoxide is converted to carbon dioxide. $${\mathrm{F}\mathrm{e}}_2{\mathrm{O}}_3+3\mathrm{C}\mathrm{O}\to 2\mathrm{F}\mathrm{e}+3{\mathrm{C}\mathrm{O}}_2$$ What happens to each of these reactants?

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• Question 28May/June 2026, paper 22Multiple choice1 mark

  Aluminium is extracted from its ore by electrolysis using carbon electrodes. Aluminium, oxygen and carbon dioxide are all produced during this process. Which statement about this process is correct?

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• Question 28Oct/Nov 2025, paper 22Multiple choice1 mark

  Iron is extracted from hematite in the blast furnace. Which reaction increases the temperature in the blast furnace to over 1500 °C?

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• Question 25Oct/Nov 2024, paper 21Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  The apparatus used for the extraction of aluminium by electrolysis is shown. Which equation represents the reaction at the anode?

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• Question 29Oct/Nov 2023, paper 12Multiple choice1 mark

  Why is limestone added to the blast furnace?

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• Question 16May/June 2026, paper 23Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Aluminium is manufactured from aluminium oxide by electrolysis. Which row shows the ionic half-equations at each electrode and describes the role of cryolite in the process?

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• Question 29Oct/Nov 2025, paper 22Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Aluminium is extracted by the electrolysis of purified bauxite. Which row shows the half-equations at the electrodes and explains why one of the electrodes has to be replaced regularly?

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• Question 26Oct/Nov 2024, paper 22Multiple choice1 mark

  Aluminium is extracted from its ore by electrolysis. What is the role of cryolite in this process?

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• Question 28Oct/Nov 2023, paper 13Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  A metal M is between sodium and magnesium in the reactivity series. Which reactions occur with M and its oxide?

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• Question 8May/June 2026, paper 33Structured8 marks

  Stainless steel is an alloy of iron. Give one reason why alloys are more useful than pure metals.

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• Question 32Oct/Nov 2025, paper 23Multiple choice1 mark

  Iron is extracted from iron(III) oxide in the blast furnace. Three steps in the process are listed. 1 Carbon (coke) is completely oxidised.

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• Question 20Oct/Nov 2024, paper 23Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Aluminium is extracted from aluminium oxide by electrolysis. The ionic half-equation for the reaction at one of the electrodes is shown.

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• Question 33Oct/Nov 2025, paper 23Multiple choice1 mark

  Three different reactions that occur during the extraction of aluminium from purified bauxite are listed.

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• Question 2Oct/Nov 2024, paper 42Structured13 marksHas a diagram

  Aluminium is manufactured by the electrolysis of aluminium oxide. State the name of the main ore of aluminium.

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• Question 5May/June 2026, paper 41Structured15 marks

  This question is about the effects of electricity on chemical substances. Dilute aqueous sodium chloride decomposes when an electric current is passed through it. Graphite electrodes are used.

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• Question 6Oct/Nov 2025, paper 31Structured12 marks

  This question is about metals. Iron is extracted from its ore using carbon (coke) and calcium carbonate in a blast furnace. Give two reasons why carbon is used in a blast furnace.

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• Question 1Oct/Nov 2024, paper 43Structured9 marks

  A list of substances is shown. bauxite carbon dioxide cryolite ethane ethanol ethene graphite helium hematite hydrogen silicon(IV) oxide sodium chloride Answer the following questions using only the substances from the list.

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• Question 28Oct/Nov 2023, paper 21Multiple choice1 markHas a diagram

  Aluminium is extracted from purified bauxite by electrolysis. Which row shows the ionic half-equations for the reaction at each electrode?

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• Question 6Oct/Nov 2025, paper 32Structured13 marks

  This question is about metals. Iron is extracted from its ore using carbon in a blast furnace. Aluminium is extracted from its ore using electrolysis.

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