Differentiate between “minerals” and “ores”.

Question

Differentiate between “minerals” and “ores”.

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Salim Ahmed Kawsar · Answer 1 · Feb 05, 2023 15:29:48

Minerals are naturally occurring chemical substances containing metals. They are found in the Earth’s crust and are obtained by mining. Ores are rocks and minerals viable to be used as a source of metal. For example, there are many minerals containing zinc, but zinc cannot be extracted profitably (conveniently and economically) from all these minerals. Zinc can be obtained from zinc blende (ZnS), calamine (ZnCO₃), Zincite (ZnO) etc. Thus, these minerals are called ores of zinc.

Salim Ahmed Kawsar · Answer 2 · Feb 05, 2023 15:29:48

The naturally occurring chemical substances in form of which the metal occur in the earth along with impurities are called minerals. The minerals from which the metal can be extracted conveniently and economically is called an ore. Thus, all ores are minerals but all minerals are not ores. For example iron is found in the earth’s crust an oxides, carbonates and sulphides. Out of these minerals of iron, the oxides of iron are employed for extraction of the metal. Therefore, oxides of iron are the ores of iron. Similarly, aluminium occurs in earth’s crust in form of two minerals, i.e, bauxite (Al₂O₃. x H₂O) and clay (Al₂O₃.2SiO. 2H₂O). Out of these two minerals, Al can be conveniently and economically extracted from bauxite the ore of aluminium.

Differentiate between “minerals” and “ores”.

2 Answers