Question

9) Describe a method that could be used to extract lead from lead oxide (11). You will need

to include charcoal, an ignition (or test) tube and a Bunsen burner. Make sure
you include
each step and what safety measures you would take?

Answer 1

Explained below.

Step-by-step explanation:

In order to extract lead from lead oxide, we need to add carbon from coke to the lead oxide.

We will need;

A bunsen burner

A test tube

Charcoal

First step is to heat charcoal in an oxygen free environment. The safety measure here to ensure an oxygen free environment is to add some zinc metal powder into the test tube in order to remove any atmospheric oxygen inside the container.

Secondly, we will now put charcoal inside the test tube and turn on the bunsen burner to heat it until coke is formed.

Thirdly, we now introduce lead oxide into the coke inside the test tube and the carbon in the coke reacts with the lead oxide to produce lead and carbon dioxide.

Throughout all this process, since we required an oxygen free environment inside the test tube, whenever the test tube is opened, its neck must immediately be warmed by heat with the tube placed in a horizontal direction or very close to being in that horizontal direction so that any movement of air moves outwards from the tube.