Galena is an ore of which metal?
- A.Lead
- B.Mercury
- C.Aluminium
- D.Iron
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is A, lead. Galena is lead sulphide, the principal ore from which lead is obtained; being a sulphide it is concentrated by froth flotation and then roasted in air to the oxide before reduction. Option B, mercury, is obtained from cinnabar, which is mercury sulphide, and the two sulphides are often placed together in matching questions. Option C, aluminium, comes from bauxite, a hydrated oxide, and because aluminium is highly reactive the oxide is reduced by electrolysis rather than by carbon. Option D, iron, comes from haematite and magnetite, both oxides, and magnetite is the one separated magnetically. A short list is worth memorising in ore-and-metal pairs: galena for lead, cinnabar for mercury, bauxite for aluminium, calamine and zinc blende for zinc, and copper pyrites for copper.
Read the full article: Metals and Non-Metals: Properties, Ores and Alloys
Practice Questions
View allCalamine is an ore of:
- A.Tin
- B.Magnesium
- C.Zinc
- D.Copper
Show answer
Calamine is zinc carbonate, and since it is a carbonate ore it is converted to the oxide by calcination, that is by heating in the absence of air, before being reduced to the metal.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following is NOT an alloy?
- A.Solder
- B.Silver
- C.Bronze
- D.Brass
Show answer
Silver is an element, a pure metal with its own place in the periodic table, so it cannot be an alloy; an alloy is a homogeneous mixture of two or more metals, or of a metal with a non-metal such as carbon.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following is the most ductile metal?
- A.Gold
- B.Copper
- C.Silver
- D.Iron
Show answer
Ductility is the property of being drawn into a wire, and gold is the most ductile metal known; it is also the most malleable, so a very small quantity can be beaten into an extremely thin sheet or drawn into a very long wire.
Read the full explanation →Brass is an alloy of:
- A.copper and tin
- B.copper and nickel
- C.copper and iron
- D.copper and zinc
Show answer
Brass takes the workability of copper and the hardness of zinc, resists corrosion and is easy to cast, which is why it is used for utensils, locks, taps, fittings and wind instruments.
Read the full explanation →Which metal is in the liquid state at room temperature?
- A.Sodium
- B.Mercury
- C.Lead
- D.Tungsten
Show answer
Mercury is the only metal that is liquid at ordinary room temperature, which is why it was long used in thermometers and barometers; it is also the metal that forms amalgams, alloys in which mercury is one component.
Read the full explanation →