THE PROCESS OR ACT OF EXTRACTING A METAL FROM ITS ORE AND REFINING IT IS CALLED

• A. Extraction
• B. Metal mining
• C. Metallurgy ✓
• D. Prospecting

The answer to the question is: C. Metallurgy

The process or act of extracting a metal from its ore and refining it is called metallurgy. Metallurgy is the branch of science and technology concerned with the properties of metals and their production and purification. It involves various processes such as mining, crushing, grinding, concentrating, smelting, and refining to obtain the pure metal from its ore.

Metallurgy plays a crucial role in the production of various metals such as iron, copper, aluminum, gold, silver, and many others. The extraction of metals from their ores involves several steps. Firstly, the ore is mined from the earth’s crust and then processed to remove the impurities. This is followed by crushing and grinding the ore to a fine powder. The next step involves concentrating the metal-bearing minerals through various techniques such as froth flotation, magnetic separation, or leaching. Subsequently, the concentrated ore undergoes smelting to extract the metal from the ore. Finally, the extracted metal is refined to remove any remaining impurities.

Metallurgy has been a fundamental part of human civilization since ancient times, enabling the development of tools, weapons, and infrastructure. With advancements in technology and scientific understanding, modern metallurgical processes have become highly sophisticated, allowing for the extraction and refinement of a wide range of metals with high purity and efficiency.