The centre of the Earth is partly made of iron! Around the world, there is plenty of iron found in rocks. Some of the rocks look rusty and red. When the iron is taken out, it is dark grey. Iron is a useful and important metal.
Iron is strong and easy to shape.
In its ore, iron is mixed with many other materials. To extract the iron, the rocks are heated in extremely hot ovens, called blast furnaces. When other materials, such as coke and limestone, are added, runny iron is taken out. The purest iron is then used to make steel.
This ship is made from strong steel.
Iron cracks easily and rusts if it becomes wet. Steel is stronger and easier to shape. To make steel, hot iron is mixed with the gas, oxygen. Stainless steel is used for cutlery because it doesn’t rust.
Iron has always been an important metal.
Blowing air onto a fire makes it very hot. When a piece of rock containing iron is heated this way in a charcoal fire, you end up with a lump of iron! This discovery, around 3,000 years ago, began the period of history we call the Iron Age.