Question

Differentiate between minerals and ores.

Hint:

All ores are minerals, but not all minerals are ores.

Answer 1

(i) Minerals: A mineral is a naturally occurring inorganic substance with a definite chemical composition and crystal structure. Minerals are the raw materials from which metals can be extracted. For example, \(\text{Haematite (Fe}_2\text{O}_3\text{)}\) is a mineral.
(ii) Ores: An ore is a naturally occurring mineral from which metals can be extracted profitably. It is usually a mixture of a metal compound with other elements. For example, \(\text{Bauxite (Al}_2\text{O}_3\text{)}\) is an ore of aluminum.