Question

A sample of ore contains 34.0% malachite, a copper mineral. Malachite is 57.5% copper. What is the maximum amount of pure copper that could be extracted from 250 kg of the ore?

A. 48.125 kg
B. 57.5 kg
C. 80.75 kg
D. 86 kg

Answer 1

The maximum amount of pure copper that can be extracted from 250 kg of ore with 34.0% malachite content, which is 57.5% copper, is 48.875 kg. This is closest to the given option A, 48.125 kg.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the maximum amount of pure copper that could be extracted from 250 kg of the ore which contains 34.0% malachite, and knowing that malachite is 57.5% copper, we need to use the concept of percent composition.

First, we calculate the amount of malachite in the ore:

• 250 kg ore × 34.0% malachite = 85 kg malachite

Next, we determine the amount of pure copper that can be extracted from the malachite:

• 85 kg malachite × 57.5% copper = 48.875 kg copper

The maximum amount of pure copper that could be extracted is therefore 48.875 kg, which is closest to option A, 48.125 kg, if assuming that there's a typo in the question's options.