Final answer:
Aluminum is extracted using electrolysis, as it requires the high energy conditions that this method provides. Iron, on the other hand, is extracted using the less energy-intensive smelting process with carbon in a blast furnace.
Step-by-step explanation:
The method of extraction used to obtain aluminum is via electrolysis. Aluminum cannot be extracted using carbon reduction due to its high position in the electrochemical series and the high temperatures required making it uneconomical. The ore, bauxite, is first purified into aluminum oxide using the Bayer Process. This aluminum oxide is then dissolved in molten cryolite and electrolyzed to produce pure aluminum metal.
In contrast, iron is extracted using a different method known as smelting. In the smelting process, iron ore is reduced with carbon in a blast furnace, where the reaction of iron(III) oxide with carbon produces iron metal and carbon dioxide. This method is practical because iron does not require the extreme conditions needed for aluminum extraction.