Metals found naturally on Earth
There are many metals that have been found naturally on the planet as well as in elements within our bodies. Copper, for example, is used to create the 15mm Copper Pipe that you can buy from Watkins & Powis but it is also found in the human body and in the earth.
Metals are found in ore form in the crust of the Earth, you can dig aluminium, silver and copper if you dig deep enough and in the right places. The ores that naturally occur in the rocks can be extracted and when enough of them are put together they can be combined to transform into the metals that we know.
The ores are extracted using a number of different processes such as electrolysis or reduction. The method that is used will depend very much on how reactive the metal ore is. Potassium and sodium are amongst the most reactive and tin and lead are amongst the least. As a result, potassium and sodium are extracted using electrolysis and tin and lead are extracted using the reduction method.
Different metals have different properties and advantages that make them suitable for a number of uses. When there is a need to combine the advantages of two metals an alloy is created of the two metals. In some instances other elements and compounds are also added to the mix.
