| Home | Tour | Physics | Chemistry | Earth Science | Environment | Scams | Lesson Plans |
|
|
| Introduction | Ore Processing | Fire Assaying |
|
Lesson Overview |
|
Lesson Overview
Students are introduced to the problem of extracting metals from an ore through the examination of actual ore rocks and the metal product, if available. Such rocks as magnetite or pyrite as an iron ore and malachite or chalcopyrite as a copper ore will illustrate the problem that the metal to be extracted is not present as simply that metal but rather as a compound with properties that are completely different than the metal itself. Samples of the metal, such as paper clips (iron) or electrical wire (copper), will help students see the differences between the ore minerals and the metal itself.
Next, students carry out the model ore processing activity, Metal from Rocks , included on the main ore processing page. This activity gives students experience with some steps of the actual extraction applied in the Comstock ores.
Students read the article about processing ore in Virginia City. Students compare the process described in the ore processing article to their experience extracting metal from their model ore.
To help the students understand the energy involved in mining and processing ore, students now list steps in mining and ore processing in which energy input is needed.
Time Resources
Allow about one half hour for the first activity in which ore rocks and the metal products are examined. The model ore processing with discussion takes about an hour. Reading the article and relating the Washoe Process to the model takes another hour. The final activity of listing energy transfers can be used as an assessment piece, but will take about one half hour. This makes the whole project about 3 hours, but writing observations could double that time.
|
|
Lesson Overview |
|
| Home | Tour | Physics | Chemistry | Earth Science | lEnvironment | Scams | Lesson Plans |