Final answer:
The common ore of tin is cassiterite, separated from the ore through a process of roasting, acid treatment, and smelting with carbon at high temperatures.
Step-by-step explanation:
The common ore of tin is cassiterite, which contains tin(IV) oxide. Tin is separated from cassiterite by first roasting the ore, which removes contaminants such as arsenic and sulfur as volatile oxides. After that, the remaining material is treated with hydrochloric acid to remove the oxides of other metals. Finally, heating the purified ore with carbon at a temperature above 1000 °C produces tin.
In the context of metallurgy, the preliminary treatment often includes crushing and grinding the ore, concentrating the metallic components, and chemically treating these substances to facilitate reduction to the metal. Smelting is the extraction of metal in the molten state which includes the reduction of the metallic compound to the metal. The final step usually involves refining the metal, either through distillation, physical separation, or electrolysis.