Aim: To prepare a low-grade copper ore and extract metal from it.

Making the ore.

Low grade copper ores contain less than 1% copper.

Mix 100g sand with 1g copper oxide.

Mix the ore and divide it into four equal amounts.

Extracting the copper.

Set up four filter funnels and papers, each resting on a conical flask.

Add different liquids to each funnel and collect the leachate (filtrate here). Try the following liquids: water / dilute alkali / dilute acid / salt water.

Test a 5ml sample of each leachate for the presence of copper compounds.

Add a few drops of dilute ammonia solution; a blue colour confirms that copper is present in solution.

Identify the best liquid for extraction and pour it through the same funnel several times. This will increase the amount of metal extracted.

Use electrolysis to extract copper metal from the solution (called electrowinning).

Make a summary of the best method to extract copper from a low grade ore.