(1) The higher the metal in the reactivity series, the airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop it is to extract from its compounds.

(2) Metals lower in the reactivity series of metals are airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop to extract.

(3) Many of the less reactive metals can be extracted by heating an oxide ore with airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop (charcoal, graphite), in a a process called smelting.

(4) The metal iron can be obtained in this way in a blast furnace (picture above).

(5) The metals which are easiest to extract have been used for thousands of years, but metals like aluminium were not extracted until recently when more advanced technology was invented and the reactivity of a metal explains some of its uses.
(i) The precious metal airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop is so unreactive it is found as the airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop and not combined with anything and so has been used for airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop for thousands of years and shining .
(ii) Metals such as airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop (soft and grey) and reddish-orange airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop can used in piping and roofing because they are relatively unreactive metals.
(iii) The metal airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop is so reactive with oxygen or water, it is kept under oil and cannot be used for any outdoor purpose and not much else, since it is so soft!

(6) The Earth's crust contains metals and metal compounds. These are always found mixed with other substances. In airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop, the metal or metal compound is airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop enough to make it economic to extract the metal. An unreactive metal like airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop, is found in the Earth as the metal itself and so airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop separation is not always needed. The reactivity series of metals lists metals in order of their reactivity, the most reactive metal being placed at the airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop of the list and the airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop reactive at the bottom.

(7) A more airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop metal can displace a airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop reactive metal from its compounds. The non-metal elements airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop and hydrogen will also displace less reactive metals from their airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop. You can use the airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop of a metal in the airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop series to predict how the metal can be extracted from a compound.

(8) Often an ore contains a metal airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop or a substance which can easily be changed into a metal oxide. To extract the metal, the oxygen must be airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop from the metal oxide. This is called airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop. How a metal is extracted from its ore depends on how airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop the metal is. A metal such as iron, which is airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop reactive than carbon, can therefore be extracted from its ore using carbon. Metals which are airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop reactive than carbon, like airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop are extracted by airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop. 

(9) The solid raw materials used in the blast furnace are an iron ore called airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop, the fuel and reducing agent airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop and limestone. The 4th raw material is hot airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop (oxygen supply) is blown into the furnace and this causes the coke to burn forming airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop and releasing energy (an airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop reacion). At the high temperatures in the furnace the carbon dioxide reacts with coke to form airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop. The carbon monoxide airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop the iron oxide in the iron ore (by removing the oxygen) to form molten iron which flows to the bottom of the furnace. The carbon monoxide combines with the airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop from the iron ore to produce carbon dioxide. This gain in oxygen by carbon monoxide is an example of airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop. The airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop is added to remove acidic impurities like silica (silicon dioxide), forming a molten airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop that floats on the surface of the molten airaluminiumcarbonchemicalcokeconcentratedcopperdioxideelectrolysiselementexothermicgoldhaematiteironjewelleryleadleastlessless difficultlimestonemonoxidemoremore difficultoresoxidationoxideoxidesoxygenpositionreactivereactivityreducesreductionremovedslagsodiumtop.