Why does the recycling of aluminium require significantly less energy (only about 5%) compared to the energy needed for its primary extraction from bauxite?

Recycling uses carbon as a reducing agent to obtain the metal, which is more energy-efficient than using electricity.

Recycling involves the use of chemical catalysts that allow the metal to be extracted from its oxide at room temperature.

The aluminium in recycled products is already in an ionic state, meaning no electrons need to be transferred to form the metal.

Recycling primarily involves the physical process of melting the metal, while primary extraction requires breaking strong chemical bonds through electrolysis.

Question

A metal that is positioned below carbon in the reactivity series is typically extracted by which process?

Recycling aluminium is highly sustainable because the energy required to recycle it is approximately __________ of the energy required to extract it from bauxite ore.

Which of the following properties of a metal most directly dictates whether it will be found as a native element or as a compound in the Earth's crust?

In the industrial extraction of aluminium by electrolysis, cryolite is added to the aluminium oxide (alumina). What is the primary purpose of this addition?

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Fractional distillation of its liquid oxide

Electrolysis of its molten ore

Physical filtration from gangue

Reduction of its oxide using carbon or carbon monoxide

95%

25%

50%

Its electrical conductivity at room temperature

Its chemical reactivity and position in the reactivity series

The melting point of the metal's pure form

Its density and atomic mass

To prevent the oxidation of the carbon anodes

To lower the melting point of the electrolyte mixture

To act as a catalyst for the reduction of aluminium ions

To increase the purity of the final aluminium metal