Like you know, is it just a bunch of melted rocks?!? Is there a certain type of rock that they use? Do they just mine it outta volcanos? where can i find this rock?
2007-02-23 04:14:26 · 3 answers · asked by Steve B 1 in Environment
from the ground
2007-02-23 06:38:04 · answer #1 · answered by bprice215 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Rock with a high concentration of metal is called "ore".
Usually ore is associated with ancient volcanoes, but it doesn't have to be.
They usually mine the ore, crush it, and heat it up to melt the metal in it. Sometimes they mix the crushed ore with chemicals to extract it.
Open pit mines are very destructive to the environment, because they can destroy hole mountains, and dump the waste ore (after processing) into the valleys. Ore processing often uses toxic chemicals and produces toxic waste. The bottom of San Francisco Bay still has high concentrations of mercury because of the gold rush days a hundred years ago (mercury is used to help extract gold from the rock).
2007-02-23 04:22:42 · answer #2 · answered by Randy G 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most metals are found naturally in rocky compounds that we call ores. Through various processes, we free the metal from the ore. Some can be found in their natural state like gold but most need to be processed to be pure metal.
2007-02-23 04:19:38 · answer #3 · answered by Gene 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋