SPI Chemistry · Free notes

Metals and Non-Metals: SPI Chemistry

Metals and Non-Metals has 7 questions in the SPI bank, three EASY and four MODERATE, and one of them is from the 2022 paper. Six of the seven ask for a name: an ore, a way of concentrating it, a heat treatment, the metals in an alloy, a non-metal and its use. The seventh asks which metal strips react in a salt solution, and the reactivity series answers it. So this chapter is won by learning a few short tables well.

The handout has every subtopic, worked example, formula and trap with answers shown. The formula sheet is the chapter’s formulas and traps alone, on one page.

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Subtopic notes

Formula & revision sheet

0 formulas · 6 reference tables · 13 gotchas across all subtopics — the exam-eve cheat-sheet

Properties, Reactivity and Alloys

Reference tables (3)

Properties and uses of metals and non-metals6 rows

Property	Metals	Non-metals
Lustre	Shiny	Dull (iodine is the exception)
Hammering	Malleable and ductile	Brittle
Heat and electricity	Good conductors	Poor conductors (graphite conducts)
State at room temperature	Solid (mercury is liquid)	Solid, liquid (bromine) or gas Mercury and bromine are the two liquid elements.
Oxides	Basic (some amphoteric)	Acidic or neutral
Ions	Lose electrons: positive ions	Gain electrons: negative ions

Silver and copper are the best conductors; lead and mercury are poor ones for metals.

The reactivity series and displacement6 rows

Metal	Reaction with water	With dilute acid
Potassium, sodium	Violent with cold water	Violent
Calcium	Less violent with cold water	Gives hydrogen
Magnesium	Hot water	Gives hydrogen
Aluminium, zinc, iron	Steam only	Gives hydrogen Aluminium is above iron: it displaces iron from iron salts.
Lead	No reaction	Slowly
Copper, mercury, silver, gold	No reaction	No hydrogen

Higher metal plus salt of a lower metal: reaction. Lower metal plus salt of a higher metal: nothing.

Alloys and what they are made of7 rows

Alloy	Made of	Used for
Brass	Copper and zinc	Utensils, taps and fittings
Bronze	Copper and tin	Statues and medals
Solder	Lead and tin	Joining electric wires (low melting point)
Stainless steel	Iron, chromium, nickel and carbon	Utensils that do not rust
Duralumin	Aluminium, copper, magnesium and manganese	Aircraft bodies
Alnico	Iron with aluminium, nickel and cobalt	Strong permanent magnets The name is Al + Ni + Co.
Amalgam	Mercury and another metal	Dental fillings

Brass has zinc, bronze has tin: both start from copper.

Watch out for (6)

Treating every non-metal as dull and non-conducting
→ Properties and uses of metals and non-metals
Calling every metal oxide basic
→ Properties and uses of metals and non-metals
Expecting a metal to react with its own salt
→ The reactivity series and displacement
Thinking aluminium is unreactive because it does not rust
→ The reactivity series and displacement
Swapping brass and bronze
→ Alloys and what they are made of
Thinking an alloy behaves like its metals
→ Alloys and what they are made of

Ores and Extraction of Metals

Reference tables (3)

Minerals, ores and gangue8 rows

Ore	Formula	Metal
Bauxite	$\mathrm{Al_2O_3 \cdot 2H_2O}$	Aluminium The chief ore of aluminium.
Haematite	$\mathrm{Fe_2O_3}$	Iron
Magnetite	$\mathrm{Fe_3O_4}$	Iron
Zinc blende	$\mathrm{ZnS}$	Zinc
Calamine	$\mathrm{ZnCO_3}$	Zinc
Copper pyrites	$\mathrm{CuFeS_2}$	Copper
Cinnabar	$\mathrm{HgS}$	Mercury
Rock salt	$\mathrm{NaCl}$	Sodium

Iron pyrites,

\mathrm{FeS_2}

, contains iron but is mined for its sulphur; iron is extracted from haematite.

Concentrating an ore4 rows

Method	Based on	Used for
Hydraulic washing	Ore heavier than gangue	Heavy oxide ores
Magnetic separation	Ore is magnetic	Magnetite
Froth flotation	Ore wetted by oil, gangue by water	Sulphide ores: zinc blende, copper pyrites, iron pyrites Sulphide ore means froth flotation.
Leaching	Ore dissolves in a chemical	Bauxite (sodium hydroxide), gold and silver (sodium cyanide)

Leaching is the only chemical method of the four; the other three are physical.

Heat treatment of steel3 rows

Treatment	How it is cooled	Effect
Annealing	Slowly and uniformly	Softer, less brittle Slow cooling is annealing.
Quenching	Suddenly, in water or oil	Hard and brittle
Tempering	Reheated quenched steel, cooled slowly	Hard but less brittle

Tempering always comes after quenching.

Watch out for (7)

Calling every mineral an ore
→ Minerals, ores and gangue
Pairing an ore with the wrong metal
→ Minerals, ores and gangue
Using froth flotation for an oxide ore
→ Concentrating an ore
Confusing leaching with washing
→ Concentrating an ore
Swapping roasting and calcination
→ Roasting, calcination and reduction
Mixing up annealing and quenching
→ Heat treatment of steel
Tempering a metal that was never quenched
→ Heat treatment of steel

Question weightage by concept

7 concepts · 7 questions — where the marks actually sit, so you know what to drill first

Properties, Reactivity and Alloys3 questions · 43%

Concept	Qs	Share
Properties and uses of metals and non-metals	1	14%
The reactivity series and displacement	1	14%
Alloys and what they are made of	1	14%

Ores and Extraction of Metals4 questions · 57%

Concept	Qs	Share
Concentrating an ore	2	29%
Minerals, ores and gangue	1	14%
Heat treatment of steel	1	14%
Roasting, calcination and reductionfoundation	—	—

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