2006-11-26 11:30:07 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
Copper ore is extracted from the Earth usually in rocks dug from strip mines. Kennecot copper in Utah has this humongous open pit near the Great Salt Lake that looks like a mountain dug into the Land. The ore rock is crushed and then run through a blast furnace (Smelter) at extremely high heat (Thousands of degrees fereinheit) which melts out the different metals in the rock including the copper. Then each metal is extracted from that mix and we have pure copper.
2006-11-26 11:42:34 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are many means of extracting copper from ore. One that I am familiar with involves making a slurry (mostly solid dirt/ ore with enough water to make it flow) and introducing cyanide. The cyanide will accept chemical bonds from the copper but not the other impurities. LAter, the copper is seperated from the cyanide with temperature and pressure.
2006-11-26 19:43:50 · answer #2 · answered by MrWiz 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They dig it out of the ground.
2006-11-26 19:32:03 · answer #3 · answered by poorcocoboiboi 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋