Question

Bauxite is impure?
1) Al₂O₃
2) Cu2S
3) Fe₂O₃
4) gold

Answer 1

Bauxite is an impure form of aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃), mainly used to extract aluminum through the Bayer Process and electrolysis. Therefore, the correct answer to what bauxite is an impure form of is option 1) Al₂O₃.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student asked which substance bauxite is an impure form of. Bauxite is essentially an impure aluminum oxide.

The most common aluminum ore is bauxite, which mainly consists of aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃) with various impurities such as iron oxides, silicon dioxide, and titanium dioxide.

When it comes to extracting aluminum, the Bayer Process is used to convert bauxite into pure aluminum oxide before it is electrolyzed in molten cryolite.

Unlike bauxite, gold is found in a much purer state in nature, and copper is most often found in sulfide ores such as covellite (CuS) or chalcocite (Cu₂S). Therefore, option 1) Al₂O₃ is the correct answer to the question as it pertains to bauxite.

Answer 2

Bauxite is primarily composed of Al₂O₃, hence it is not impure gold, Cu₂S, or Fe₂O₃.

Explanation:

Bauxite is an ore rich in aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃). While it might contain impurities like iron oxides (Fe₂O₃), it primarily consists of aluminum oxide. The formula Al₂O₃ signifies that each unit of bauxite contains two atoms of aluminum combined with three atoms of oxygen. This composition characterizes bauxite and distinguishes it from other substances listed in the question.

Al₂O₃ is the principal component of bauxite, often reaching concentrations of up to 60-70%. This mineral is refined to extract aluminum metal through the Bayer process, where bauxite is dissolved in sodium hydroxide, precipitating out impurities like iron oxides. The purified solution is then electrolyzed to produce aluminum metal.

Regarding the other options listed:

• Gold is a noble metal and does not typically form compounds like bauxite. It exists in its elemental form.
• Cu₂S represents copper(I) sulfide, a compound of copper and sulfur, distinct from bauxite's composition.
• Fe₂O₃ stands for iron(III) oxide, commonly known as rust or hematite, which can occur as an impurity in bauxite but is not its primary constituent.

Thus, considering the composition and elemental makeup, Al₂O₃ is the major component of bauxite, affirming that bauxite is not impure gold, Cu₂S, or Fe₂O₃.