Metallurgy MCQs with Answer

General principles and processes of isolation of elements MCQs
Multiple Choice Questions for NEET, IIT-JEE and CUET

1. The most abundant element in the earth’s crust is:

• (a) Hydrogen
• (b) Carbon
• (c) Silicon
• (d) Oxygen

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (d) Oxygen

Oxygen makes up nearly 46% of the earth’s crust by mass, making it the most abundant element.

2. Naturally occurring substances from which a metal can be profitably extracted are called:

• (a) Ores
• (b) Mineral
• (c) Salts
• (d) Gangue

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (a) Ores

Ores are minerals from which metals can be economically extracted. Gangue refers to unwanted impurities.

3. Titanium-containing mineral found in our country is:

• (a) Bauxite
• (b) Chalcopyrites
• (c) Ilmenite
• (d) Dolomite

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (c) Ilmenite

Ilmenite (FeTiO₃) is the chief source of titanium and is found in India.

4. Ore pitchblende is the main source of:

• (a) Ra
• (b) Th
• (c) Mg
• (d) Ce

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (a) Ra

Pitchblende (UO₂) is the chief ore of uranium, from which radium was historically isolated.

5. The highest quantity present in the atmosphere is of:

• (a) Oxygen
• (b) Ozone
• (c) Nitrogen
• (d) Hydrogen

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (c) Nitrogen

Nitrogen constitutes about 78% of the atmosphere, making it the most abundant gas.

6. Carnallite is a mineral of:

• (a) Na
• (b) Zn
• (c) Cd
• (d) Mg

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (d) Mg

Carnallite (KMgCl₃·6H₂O) is a mineral of magnesium.

7. Metal which can be extracted from dolomite, magnesite and carnallite is:

• (a) Na
• (b) K
• (c) Mg
• (d) Ca

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (c) Mg

All three minerals are sources of magnesium.

8. Cinnabar is an ore of:

• (a) Pb
• (b) Hg
• (c) Cu
• (d) Zn

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (b) Hg

Cinnabar (HgS) is the chief ore of mercury.

9. Metallurgy is the process of:

• (a) Extracting the metal from the ore
• (b) Adding carbon to the ore in blast furnace
• (c) Concentrating the ore
• (d) Roasting the ore

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (a) Extracting the metal from the ore

Metallurgy is the science of extracting metals from their ores and refining them.

10. What is believed to be the second most common element in the universe?

• (a) Helium
• (b) Silicon
• (c) Hydrogen
• (d) Nitrogen

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (a) Helium

Hydrogen is the most abundant, followed by helium in the universe.

11. Which of the following substances consists of only one element?

• (a) Diamond
• (b) Marble
• (c) Sand
• (d) Glass

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (a) Diamond

Diamond is pure carbon, hence consists of only one element.

12. An example of halide ore is:

• (a) Bauxite
• (b) Cryolite
• (c) Cinnabar
• (d) Galena

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (b) Cryolite

Cryolite (Na₃AlF₆) is a halide ore.

13. "Chile salt petre" is an ore of:

• (a) Magnesium
• (b) Bromine
• (c) Sodium
• (d) Iodine

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (c) Sodium

Chile saltpetre is sodium nitrate (NaNO₃).

14. Which ore is used for industrial extraction of aluminium in India?

• (a) Corundum
• (b) Cryolite
• (c) Bauxite
• (d) Kaolin

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (c) Bauxite

Bauxite (Al₂O₃·2H₂O) is the chief ore of aluminium used in India.

15. Bauxite is an oxide ore of:

• (a) Boron
• (b) Barium
• (c) Aluminium
• (d) Bismuth

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (c) Aluminium

Bauxite is the principal oxide ore of aluminium.

16. Cryolite is:

• (a) Sodium borofluoride
• (b) Magnesium silicate
• (c) Aluminium
• (d) Sodium aluminium fluoride

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (d) Sodium aluminium fluoride

Cryolite is Na₃AlF₆, used in aluminium extraction.

17. Main ore of aluminium is:

• (a) Cryolite
• (b) Corundum
• (c) Bauxite
• (d) Magnetite

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (c) Bauxite

Bauxite is the principal ore of aluminium.

18. Corundum is:

• (a) Cu₂Cl₂
• (b) CaCl₂
• (c) SrO₂
• (d) Al₂O₃

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (d) Al₂O₃

Corundum is crystalline aluminium oxide (Al₂O₃).

19. Which is not a mineral of aluminium?

• (a) Corundum
• (b) Anhydrite
• (c) Diaspore
• (d) Bauxite

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (b) Anhydrite

Anhydrite is calcium sulphate, not an aluminium mineral.

20. An important ore of iron is:

• (a) Pyrites
• (b) Malachite
• (c) Haematite
• (d) Siderite

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (c) Haematite

Haematite (Fe₂O₃) is a major ore of iron.

21. Which ore is used for the manufacture of iron?

• (a) Haematite
• (b) Chalcopyrites
• (c) Cryolite
• (d) Bauxite

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (a) Haematite

Haematite is the chief ore used in iron extraction.

22. Formula of magnetite is:

• (a) Fe₃O₄
• (b) Fe₂O₃
• (c) FeS₂
• (d) FeCO₃

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (a) Fe₃O₄

Magnetite is Fe₃O₄, a mixed oxide of iron.

23. The formula of haematite is:

• (a) Fe₂O₃
• (b) FeS₂
• (c) FeCO₃
• (d) Fe₃O₄

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (a) Fe₂O₃

Haematite is Fe₂O₃, a common iron ore.

24. Copper can be extracted from:

• (a) Dolomite
• (b) Malachite
• (c) Galena
• (d) Kupfer nickel

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (b) Malachite

Malachite (CuCO₃·Cu(OH)₂) is a copper ore.

25. Which of the following ore is called malachite?

• (a) Cu₂S
• (b) CuCO₃
• (c) CuCO₃·Cu(OH)₂
• (d) Cu₂O

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (c) CuCO₃·Cu(OH)₂

Malachite is basic copper carbonate, CuCO₃·Cu(OH)₂.

36. All ores are minerals, while all minerals are not ores because:

• (a) Minerals are complex compounds
• (b) The minerals are obtained from mines
• (c) The metal cannot be extracted economically from all the minerals
• (d) All of the above are correct

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (c) The metal cannot be extracted economically from all the minerals

Only minerals from which metals can be profitably extracted are called ores.

37. Which one of the following is correct?

• (a) All minerals are ores
• (b) All ores cannot be a mineral
• (c) A mineral cannot be an ore
• (d) All ores are minerals

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (d) All ores are minerals

Ores are a subset of minerals, hence all ores are minerals but not all minerals are ores.

38. Chile salt petre is:

• (a) NaNO₃
• (b) Na₂S₂O₃
• (c) Na₂SO₄
• (d) KNO₃

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (a) NaNO₃

Chile saltpetre is sodium nitrate (NaNO₃).

39. Which one is not an ore of magnesium?

• (a) Gypsum
• (b) Dolomite
• (c) Magnesite
• (d) Carnallite

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (a) Gypsum

Gypsum is CaSO₄·2H₂O, not a magnesium ore.

40. Which of the following metal is sometimes found native in nature?

• (a) Mg
• (b) Cu
• (c) Al
• (d) Fe

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (b) Cu

Copper is occasionally found in native metallic form in nature.

41. Important ore of Mg is:

• (a) Carnolite
• (b) Magnatide
• (c) Carnallite
• (d) Gypsum

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (c) Carnallite

Carnallite (KMgCl₃·6H₂O) is an important ore of magnesium.

42. Which of the following is a carbonate ore?

• (a) Pyrolusite
• (b) Diaspore
• (c) Cassiterite
• (d) Malachite

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (d) Malachite

Malachite is basic copper carbonate, CuCO₃·Cu(OH)₂.

43. Sulphide ores are generally concentrated by:

• (a) Hand picking
• (b) Froth floatation process
• (c) Gravity separation
• (d) Magnetic separation

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (b) Froth floatation process

Sulphide ores are concentrated by froth floatation method.

44. Froth floatation process is used for concentration of:

• (a) Amalgams
• (b) Chloride ores
• (c) Sulphide ores
• (d) Oxide ores

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (c) Sulphide ores

Froth floatation is specifically used for sulphide ores.

45. Magnetic separation is used for increasing concentration of the following:

• (a) Calcite
• (b) Horn silver
• (c) Magnesite
• (d) Haematite

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (d) Haematite

Magnetic separation is used for iron ores like haematite.

46. The substance added in water in the froth floatation process is:

• (a) Pine oil
• (b) Coconut oil
• (c) Soap powder
• (d) None of these

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (a) Pine oil

Pine oil is added to create froth in the floatation process.

47. Cyanide process is used in the extraction of:

• (a) Au
• (b) Cu
• (c) Ag
• (d) Both (a) and (c)

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (d) Both (a) and (c)

The cyanide process is used for extraction of gold and silver by forming soluble complexes.

48. Cassiterite is concentrated by:

• (a) Liquefaction
• (b) Floatation
• (c) Electromagnetic separation
• (d) Levigation

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (c) Electromagnetic separation

Cassiterite (SnO₂) is concentrated by electromagnetic separation due to its magnetic properties.

49. Froth floatation process for the concentration of ores is an illustration of the practical application of:

• (a) Adsorption
• (b) Sedimentation
• (c) Coagulation
• (d) Absorption

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (a) Adsorption

Froth floatation works because sulphide particles preferentially adsorb oil, separating them from gangue.

50. Bauxite ore is concentrated by:

• (a) Froth floatation
• (b) Electromagnetic separation
• (c) Chemical separation
• (d) Hydraulic separation

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (c) Chemical separation

Bauxite is concentrated by chemical methods such as leaching with sodium hydroxide (Bayer’s process).

51. Copper pyrites are concentrated by:

• (a) Gravity method
• (b) Froth floatation process
• (c) Electromagnetic method
• (d) All the above methods

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (b) Froth floatation process

Copper pyrites (CuFeS₂) are sulphide ores, concentrated by froth floatation.

52. Froth floatation method is successful in separating impurities from ores because:

• (a) The pure ore is soluble in water containing additives like pine oil, cresylic acid etc.
• (b) The pure ore is lighter than water containing additives like pine oil, cresylic acid etc.
• (c) The impurities are soluble in water containing additives like pine oil, cresylic acid etc.
• (d) The pure ore is not easily wetted by water as by pine oil, cresylic acid etc.

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (d) The pure ore is not easily wetted by water as by pine oil, cresylic acid etc.

In froth floatation, sulphide ore particles attach to oil and rise, while impurities remain wetted by water.

53. The method of concentrating the ore which makes use of the difference in density between ore and impurities is called:

• (a) Leaching
• (b) Liquefaction
• (c) Levigation
• (d) Magnetic separation

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (c) Levigation

Levigation (gravity separation) separates ore from gangue based on density differences.

54. Which of the following ore is best concentrated by froth floatation method?

• (a) Galena
• (b) Cassiterite
• (c) Malachite
• (d) Magnetite

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (a) Galena

Galena (PbS) is a sulphide ore, efficiently concentrated by froth floatation.

55. Refractory materials are generally used in furnaces because:

• (a) They can withstand high temperature
• (b) They are chemically inert
• (c) They do not require replacement
• (d) They possess great structural strength

View Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: (a) They can withstand high temperature

Refractory materials resist very high temperatures, making them suitable for furnace linings.

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