Chemical Names and Formulae of Metals and Minerals

Metals are the elements that lose electrons and gain positive ions or captions. It represents metallic bond formation. There are different types of Metals and Minerals available on Earth. Each of them represents a certain quality. Metals and Minerals are found in huge quantities around the world. The weather of the region has an important influence on the production of Metals and Minerals.

Students are taught about the concept of Metals and Minerals from a very young age. Once the students start learning about them, they must practice writing the names and formulae accordingly. In the article below, we will be discussing the different types of Metals, Minerals and their formulae.

What are Metals?

The electropositive elements are referred to as metals. In the periodic table, there are around 90 metals. Every metal possesses certain physical and chemical properties. It is advisable that everyone studies the qualities of metals carefully.

When the Metal is in a solid state, they are opaque and shiny. They also have good electrical and thermal conductivity. The physical properties of Metals are given in the section below.

Metals are ductile in nature. Therefore, these Metals can be easily converted into thin wires.
Metals are dense in nature. This makes them a good conductor of electricity and heat.
Metals are malleable. Therefore, they can be beaten and converted into thin sheets.
Metals may have elastic qualities.
Metals are tough.
Metals are lustrous.
Many Metals have a shiny texture.
Metals can be fusible in nature. Therefore, they can be easily converted into liquid.

Minerals, Ore and Gangue: Definition

Minerals and Ore are important components. In the section below, we will describe each of them. A solid natural material that has compounds of Metal is known as Minerals. A Mineral may belong to the combined state and there will be earthly impurities in it. The Minerals are usually found below the surface of the earth.

On the other hand, ores are obtained from Metals. They are extracted commercially at a low cost. They are economically beneficial and require minimum effort for extraction. The ores of Metal can prove to be effective in various situations. Gangue on the other hand refers to the insoluble impurities of the Minerals.

Important Metals and their Ores

In the table given below, we will be discussing the various important Metals and Ores.

Sl No	Name of the Element	Ores	Chemical Formulas
1	Aluminium (Al)	Bauxite	Al2O32H2O
		Corundum	Al2O3
		Kryolite	Na3AlF6
2	Calcium (Ca)	Dolomite	MgCO3CaCO3
		Lime Ston	CaCO3
3	Copper (Cu)	Copper Glance	Cu2S
		Copper Pyrite	CuFeS2
		Malachite	2CuCO3Cu(OH)2
4	Gold (Au)	Calve rite	AuTe2
		Sybarite	AgAuTe2
5	Iron (Fe)	Hematite	Fe2O3
		IronPyrite	FeS2
		Magnetite	Fe3O4
		Siderite	FeCO3
6	Lead (Pb)	Anglesite	PbCl2
		Galena	PbS
7	Phosphorous (P)	Floreopetite	3Ca3(PO4)CaFe2
		Phosphorite	Ca3(PO4)CaFe2
8	Potassium (K)	Karnalite	KClMgCl6H2O
		Salt Petre	KNO3
9	Magnesium (Mg)	Dolomite	MgCO3CaCO3
		Karnalite	KClMgCl26H2O
10	Mercury (Hg)	Calomel	Hg2Cl2
		Cinnabar	HgS
11	Silver (Ag)	Silver Glance	Ag2S
12	Sodium (Na)	Rock Salt	NaCl
		Sodium Carbonate	Na2CO3
13	Tin (Sn)	Classiterite	SnO2
		Tin Pyrites	Cu2FeSnS4
14	Zinc (Zn)	Calamine	ZnCo3
		Zinc Blende	ZnS

Important Minerals and their Ores

The important Minerals and their Ores are given in the table below.

Group	Mineral Name
Native Elements	Diamond, Graphite
(No anions)	Gold
	Copper
	Silver
	Sulfur
Oxides	Hematite
anions	Magnetite
	Corundum
	Limonite
	Bauxite
Silicates	Quartz
	Opal
	Orthoclase, Microcline, Sanadine
	Ca-Plagioclase
	Na-Plagioclase
	Muscovite
	Biotite
	Kaolinite
	Amphibole
	Pyroxene
	Olivine
	Chlorite
	Garnet
	Talc
	Kyanite, Sillimanite, Andalusite
	Staurolite
Carbonates	Calcite, Aragonite
	Dolomite
	Azurite
	Malachite
Sulfates	Anhydrite
	Gypsum
Sulfides	Galena
	Pyrite
	Chalcopyrite
	Sphalerite
Halides	Halite
	Sylvite
	Fluorite
Phosphate	Apatite

Ores and Methods of Extraction

The method of extraction for Ores includes the following.

Metals	Occurrence	Extraction Method
1. Lithium	Spodumeme LiAl(SiO3)2 Lipidolite	Electrolysis of Fused LiCl/ KCl
2. Sodium	Rock Salt (NaCl)	Electrolysis of Fused NaCl / CaCl2
3. Magnesium	Carnallite (KCl.MgCl2.6H2O) Magnesium (MgCO3)	Electrolysis of Fused MgO or MgCl2 / KCl Carbon Reduction of MgO
4. Calcium	Limestone (CACO3) Dolomite (MgCO3.CaCO3) Gypsum (CaSO4)	Electrolysis of Fused CaCl2/ CaF2
5. Copper	Cuprites (Cu2O) Copper Glance (Cu2S)	Roasting of Sulphide Partially and Reduction 1Cu2O + Cu2S+ 6Cu+SO2
6. Aluminum	Bauxite (Al2O3.2H2O) Cryolite (Na2AlF6)	Electrolysis of Al2O3 Dissolved in Molten Cryolite or in Na2AlF6
7. Zinc	Zinc Blende (ZnS) Zincite (ZnO) Calamine (ZnCO3)	Roasting and then Reduction with C
8. Lead	Galena (PbS)	Roasting of Sulphide Ore, Then Reduction of the Oxide
9. Iron	Hematite (Fe2O3) Magnetite (Fe2O4) Siderite (FeCO3) Iron Pyrite (FeS2) Limonite (Fe2O3.3H2O)	Reduction With the Help of CO and Coke in the Blast Furnace, Chemical Reduction with CO, Calcination Followed By Reduction With CO. Roasting Followed By Reduction with CO.

Important Facts About Metals and Their Ores

Given below are some of the important facts about Metals and their Ores.

Some of the most common Metal Ores available on Earth are Oxides and Sulphides.
The Sulphides are the Oldest Ores. Their existence goes back to the time of Earth’s history. The Sulphur was mostly obtained from the volcanic activities on Earth.
Iron Ore is the most common element available in the world. It makes up around 5% of the Earth’s crust. The presence of Iron ore also makes it one of the most abundant rock elements on the earth.
The Oxides are mostly formed later during the stages of photosynthesis in plants. The plants release a huge amount of Oxygen into the atmosphere.
Aluminium is one of the most common elements available on the Earth’s crust. It is found in a variety of Silicate Ores which is also a common type of clay.
Metals, Minerals and Ores are constantly related to each other. It is advisable to follow the basic guidelines to know more.

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