A bauxite processing plant in Jamaica uses electrolysis to extract aluminium from aluminium oxide. Why must the aluminium oxide be dissolved in molten cryolite before electrolysis can occur?

Q: How do I try a free CXC Integrated Science question?

Just tap any of the four options on this page — no signup, no card, nothing to install. You'll see the correct answer and a full mark-scheme-style explanation within a second. Each visit shows a fresh randomly-picked question from the live CXC CSEC Integrated Science bank, so you can keep refreshing to try different ones before deciding whether to create a free account for daily access.

Q: Is Kramizo really free for CXC Integrated Science students?

Yes — completely free. Every student gets 45 questions a day on the free plan, across any board and any subject, with no card required and no trial countdown. Kramizo's optional Pro plan removes the daily cap and adds analytics, but the free plan is genuinely free forever. We make money from the small percentage of students who choose to upgrade — not from selling data or ads.

Q: Are the Integrated Science questions aligned to the CXC CSEC syllabus?

Every question is written against the published CXC CSEC Integrated Science syllabus and reviewed for accuracy before being added to the bank. We match the command words (state, describe, explain, evaluate), mark allocations, and difficulty tier you'll see on real CXC past papers. Explanations are written in the style of official examiner mark schemes so students learn exactly what marks are being awarded for.

Question

A bauxite processing plant in Jamaica uses electrolysis to extract aluminium from aluminium oxide. Why must the aluminium oxide be dissolved in molten cryolite before electrolysis can occur?

Accepted Answer

Cryolite lowers the melting point of aluminium oxide — Award 1 mark for understanding that aluminium oxide has a very high melting point (over 2000°C), and cryolite reduces this to about 950°C, making the process economically viable. A is incorrect — cryolite is not a catalyst. C is incorrect — cryolite does not provide aluminium ions. D is incorrect — cryolite does not prevent oxidation.

Answer

Cryolite prevents the aluminium from reacting with oxygen

Answer

Cryolite acts as a catalyst to speed up the reaction

Answer

Cryolite lowers the melting point of aluminium oxide

Answer

Cryolite provides additional aluminium ions for extraction

One real Integrated Science question.No signup. 30 seconds.

One real Integrated Science question.
No signup. 30 seconds.