Precious Metals
Here's a quick trivia question: What part of your car might eventually become jewelry? Read on to learn the answer.
Resource Title:
Precious Metals
Description:
Here's a quick trivia question: What part of your car might eventually become jewelry? Read on to learn the answer.
Target Grade Level:
Grades K - 12
Discipline or Course (Audience):
Science
Time Frame:
One 45-minute session
Suggested Grouping:
Individual
Key Vocabulary:
catalytic converter, platinum
Remote Learning Adaptations:
This resource is appropriate for remote learning; no adaptations or modifications are necessary.
STUDENT CONTENT BELOW THIS LINE
Here’s a quick trivia question: What part of your car might eventually become jewelry? If you answered the catalytic converter, you’d be right. And if you don’t already know what that part is, read on.
When cars use gasoline or diesel fuel, they release toxic emissions. These are products of burning the fuel that can harm people, other living beings, and the environment. While new cars release less than older ones, there are always some pollutants to catch. Almost all cars today have a pollution-catching device called a catalytic converter. It sits near the end of the exhaust pipe, and it catches carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides.
A catalytic converter is often made of ceramic inside a steel case. The gasses and other materials that come out of the car engine go through this ceramic maze-like structure, which has a rough surface. In this maze, a chemical catalyst changes the pollutants into less harmful chemicals. A catalyst is any chemical that makes a chemical reaction occur more quickly.
One of the most common catalysts used in cars is the element platinum. On the periodic table, its symbol is Pt. Palladium (Pd) and rhodium (Rh) might also be used. These metals are more valuable than gold. Even though only a few ounces of platinum are needed for a catalytic converter, its high cost makes it a valuable material to recycle. So before a car is shredded, the catalytic converter is almost always removed and sent to a special site.
Like other metals, platinum can be used again and again. It is used in jewelry because it almost never corrodes (rusts). It is also very valuable in making electrodes, and a compound of platinum is the most common chemical used to treat cancer in chemotherapy.
Figure 1: Platinum bullion
Reflect and Apply:
- Name two properties of platinum.
- Why should cars have catalytic converters?
- What elements are near platinum on the periodic table?
- What is a catalyst?
Extension
Find out where platinum naturally comes from and how it is mined. Then, create a diagram to describe the process through which it is mined, used in one product, recycled, and used in another. Conduct research to help you as necessary. Why is recycling platinum good for the environment?
