Question

Any metal will reduce the oxide of other metals which lie below it in the Ellingham diagram.

(a) True

(b) False

The question was posed to me at a job interview.

This intriguing question originated from Thermodynamic Principles of Metallurgy in section General Principles and Processes of Isolation of Elements of Chemistry – Class 12

Answer 1

The correct option is (b) False

Explanation: No, any element (metal) will reduce the oxide of other metals which lie above it in the Ellingham diagram because the free energy change (ΔrG°) for the combined redox reaction will be negative by an amount equal to the difference between the free energy of formation (ΔfG°) of the two oxides at that temperature.