Question

The British used charcoal for melting iron ore. Usage of charcoal had its own drawbacks. What were these drawbacks?

• A. High demand led to deforestation.
• B. Charcoal was too fragile to be transported over long distance.
• C. Charcoal was hard and difficult to cut and transport.
• D. Charcoal was too delicate and any form of impurities affected the purity of iron.

Answer 1

Answer: (A), (B), (D)

Charcoal was too delicate and any form of impurities affected the purity of iron.

<!--td {border: 1px solid #ccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}--> Charcoal was produced by burning trees in the forests. With extensive deforestation, the forest area got reduced. Charcoal was fragile, and transporting it to long distances was a difficult process. It sometimes had impurities, due to which it could not generate high temperatures, resulting in the production of low-quality iron.