Metals

1. Metals Manahil Nadeem 8A

2. Introduction This PowerPoint is about the task ‘Does a connection or relationship exist between the reactivity of a metal and when it was discovered?’ I will show several metals and their discoveries and information. This is for the Area Of Interaction (AOI) Human Ingenuity. Human Ingenuity is how and what we humans create and its effect. This relates to our unit as we as humans are finding and using metals, finding out their properties and uses. We are discovering these metals and finding out more about them, as well as using them.

3. Does a connection or relationship exist between the reactivity of a metal and when it was discovered? • Yes, I think that there is a connection between the reactivity of a metal and when it was discovered. Generally, unreactive metals such as gold were discovered earliest about more than 1800 years ago. More reactive metals were discovered at a later date. • This is because the technology needed to extract, isolate and mine these more reactive was not available in those days. Less reactive metals were found more in the past as there was no need for any extra refinement or extraction as these metals did not react much to create a new substance. Now we have many chemical processes available to extract metals which is why many reactive metals were discovered later on rather than in the far past.

4. Platinum

5. Gold

6. Silver

7. Copper

8. Lead

9. Iron

10. Diamond

11. Aluminum

12. Reactivity Series

13. Simpler Version Of Reactivity Series

14. Reactivity Series

15. Discovery • I have found out that my ‘hypothesis’ was partially correct. The reactivity of the metal does affect the date it was discovered, in some cases, not all. • Platinum is the least reactive on the reactivity series, however it was not the first to be discovered. Silver, copper, lead, iron and diamond (carbon) were discovered before it. I think that this is because, according to my information on platinum, it is a very difficult metal to extract, whereas the metals discovered before it are easy to extract, thus causing them to be discovered first. Also, since the process for extracting platinum requires lots of research and technology, it probably took the people in the olden days lots for time and effort to extract it, which is why it probably was not discovered first. It is an expensive procedure to extract platinum, whilst the metals discovered before it are cheaper.