Question

In order to fully separate metals in an ore sample, the sample is heated to extremely high temperatures the various processes are used to separate the metal components.
Which of the following would give the least amount of usable information for developing an extraction method for lead from other metals in an ore sample?

• A. A heating and cooling curve for pure substances which provides information on the energetics of the phase changes indicating optimum temperature for re-solidification of each pure metal.
• B. Knowledge of the viscosity of the various pure substances at elevated temperatures that could be used to determine if the pure metals can be separated by distillation techniques.
• C. Reactions of the various pure metals with non-soluble ions in solution at temperatures cool enough to precipitate out the lead ions as part of non-soluble compound.
• D. Knowledge of the inter and intramolecular forces exhibited by the pure metals when coupled with other substances at very high temperatures not already present in the ore.

Answer 1

The correct option is A A heating and cooling curve for pure substances which provides information on the energetics of the phase changes indicating optimum temperature for re-solidification of each pure metal.

Lead has high boiling point. Nearly ${1800}^o$ $C$. But some metals have less boiling point than lead. If other metals are heated to their boiling point and separated and then cooled, they will separate and metals obtains as solids. So, if we know heating and cooling curves, we can separate them easily.