Metals, Minerals, Ores : Properties, Uses Part-1

Metal is obtained at high temperature by the reduction of ore in the process of Smelting.

Smelting involves heating an ore to a high temperature, usually with a reducing agent (like carbon), to extract the metal in its molten/fused form. This process aims to separate the metal from its ore by chemical reduction and melting.

Roasting is a process where an ore (typically sulfide ore) is heated in the presence of excess air, usually to convert it into an oxide. The metal itself is not necessarily obtained in a fused state.

Calcination is the thermal decomposition of a solid material (like carbonate or hydroxide ores) by heating it to a high temperature below its melting point, often to remove volatile substances like water or carbon dioxide. The metal is not obtained in a fused state.

Froth Floatation is a concentration method used for separating hydrophobic minerals from hydrophilic gangue (impurities) by creating a froth on the surface of a slurry. It does not involve obtaining the metal in a fused state.

The answer is  Smelting.

The general characteristics of metals based on their electron configurations:

Metals typically have 1, 2, or 3 electrons in their outermost shell (valence shell). They tend to lose these valence electrons to form positive ions (cations) and achieve a stable noble gas configuration.

Non-metals typically have 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 valence electrons (except for hydrogen and helium). They tend to gain or share electrons to achieve a stable configuration.

Noble gases have a full outermost shell (8 valence electrons, or 2 for helium), making them very stable and unreactive.

Here, 2, 8, 8, 2: This configuration has 2 electrons in the outermost shell. Elements with 2 valence electrons are typically metals (alkaline earth metals) that tend to lose these two electrons. This is the electron configuration of Calcium (Ca), Calcium is a dull, grey, solid element with a silver appearance which exists in the solid state. It has a high melting point (1115K) and boiling point (1757K).  It make ionic bonding and can form ionic compounds. Like other metals, Calcium also reacts vigorously with dilute acids like hydrochloric acid and produces large amounts of heat, forms Calcium Chloride (CaCl₂) and Hydrogen gas. All these properties of Calcium prove that it is a metal. which is a metal.

Among the given options, Potassium is the most reactive metal. The given metals in order of reactivity are: Potassium (K) > Sodium (Na) > Calcium (Ca) > Iron (Fe).

Reactivity series of metals :

The paramagnetic theory of magnetism applies to materials that are weakly attracted to an external magnetic field. This behavior arises from the presence of unpaired electrons in the atoms or molecules of the substance. These unpaired electrons act as tiny magnetic dipoles that, in the absence of an external field, are randomly oriented. When an external magnetic field is applied, these dipoles tend to align with the field, causing a weak magnetization in the direction of the field. When the external field is removed, the magnetization is lost.

Nickel: Nickel is a ferromagnetic material. Ferromagnetic materials exhibit strong attraction to magnetic fields and retain their magnetism even after the external field is removed. This is due to the presence of magnetic domains that align strongly.

Mercury: Mercury is a diamagnetic material. Diamagnetic materials are weakly repelled by a magnetic field. This occurs when all electrons are paired, resulting in no net magnetic moment.

Iron: Iron is also a ferromagnetic material, similar to nickel.

Platinum: Platinum is a paramagnetic material. It has unpaired electrons and is weakly attracted to a magnetic field.

Therefore, the paramagnetic theory of magnetism applies to (d) Platinum.

Atomic Mass: These are typically the average atomic masses, considering the natural abundance of isotopes.

Density: Densities are usually given at standard room temperature (20∘C or 25∘C) and pressure, unless otherwise specified. Mercury is liquid at room temperature, so its density is for its liquid state.

From the above-mentioned data, it is clear that Lithium is the lightest and Osmium is the heaviest metal.

Among all natural materials, diamond is the hardest (which is non-metal) whereas, among the metals, Tungsten is the hardest.

Diamond is the hardest, least compressible, and best thermal conductor among all natural materials.

Graphite: This is an allotrope of carbon, known for being very soft and used as a lubricant. Its hardness on the ∗Mohs scale is typically 1-2.

Wurtzite boron nitride: Wurtzite boron nitride is created under high pressure, often during volcanic eruptions or through scientific processes . So, this is a synthetic material, a polymorphic form of boron nitride, and is known to be extremely hard, even theoretically harder than diamond under certain conditions. However, the question specifically asks for a naturally occurring substance. While boron nitride exists naturally as the mineral "hongshiite," the wurtzite form is primarily synthetic.

Iron: Iron is a metal, and while strong, it is not considered among the hardest substances. Its ∗Mohs hardness is around 4-5.

Diamond: Diamond is an allotrope of carbon and is famously the hardest naturally occurring mineral on Earth. Its ∗Mohs hardness is 10, the highest on the scale.

∗The Mohs scale of hardness is a qualitative ordinal scale used to measure the scratch resistance of minerals. It ranks minerals from 1 (softest) to 10 (hardest).

The final answer is Diamond.

The heaviest element discovered to date is indeed Oganesson, with an atomic number of 118. It is represented by the symbol Og. But it is a man-made (synthetic) element.