Acid Concentration and Metal Extraction
Don't confuse strong acids with concentrated acids - they're completely different concepts! A strong acid completely ionises in water (breaks apart into ions), whilst a weak acid only partially ionises. Meanwhile, concentration simply refers to how much acid is dissolved in the water.
The reactivity series helps predict how metals behave. Gold, platinum, and silver sit at the bottom because they're so unreactive they're found naturally in the ground by themselves - that's why they're precious!
Metal extraction depends on reactivity. If a metal is less reactive than carbon, you can extract it by heating the metal compound with carbon. For more reactive metals like aluminium, you need electrolysis: the cathode undergoes reduction Al3++3e−→Al, whilst the anode undergoes oxidation 2O2−→O2+4e−.
Memory Trick: OILRIG - Oxidation Is Loss (of electrons), Reduction Is Gain (of electrons)!