Reactivity Series Guides Metal Extraction

Steps:

• Identify tin's position in the reactivity series: more reactive than lead, less reactive than iron and carbon.
• Metals below carbon in the series can be extracted by reduction with carbon from their oxides.
• Tin's ore (cassiterite, SnO₂) is reduced using carbon in a furnace.
• This method is efficient and suitable for tin's moderate reactivity.

Why C is correct:

• Heating with carbon reduces SnO₂ to Sn via the reaction SnO₂ + 2C → Sn + 2CO, as tin is less reactive than carbon.

Why the others are wrong:

• A: Electrolysis is for highly reactive metals like aluminum, not tin.
• B: Heating alone fails to reduce tin oxide without a reducing agent.
• D: Hydrogen reduction is impractical and not used for tin extraction.

Final answer: C