Animated Solution for Chemistry - Metallurgy: Calamine and malachite, respectively, are the ores of

Welcome to the fascinating world of Metallurgy! Have you ever looked at a piece of rock and wondered if it holds the secret to building skyscrapers, conducting electricity, or even protecting your skin? The Earth's crust is a treasure trove of minerals, but only a select few are economically viable enough to be called ores.

In this journey, we are going to decode a classic JEE question that tests your familiarity with two very famous ores: Calamine and Malachite. While it might seem like a simple memory-based question, the stories behind these chemical compounds are deeply intertwined with human history and industrial progress.

More Than Just a Lotion

Let's break down this question by looking at the first ore mentioned, which is Calamine. Now, in metallurgy, remembering the common names of ores is absolutely crucial. When you hear the word 'calamine', your mind might immediately jump to the pink soothing lotion used for rashes and insect bites. Interestingly, there is a connection!

Calamine is a very well-known and commercially important ore of zinc. If we dive into its chemical composition, it is primarily composed of zinc carbonate. We write its pristine chemical formula as $ZnC{O}_3$.

Zinc is an incredibly important metal in our modern world. It is primarily used for galvanizing iron to prevent rusting, a process that saves billions of dollars in infrastructure maintenance globally. It is also a key component in making brass, an alloy of copper and zinc. So, right off the bat, we know that the first metal in our answer must be zinc. This immediately helps us eliminate options that don't start with zinc.

The Green Gem of Antiquity

Now, let's shift our focus to the second ore given in the question, Malachite. Have you ever seen those beautiful, vibrant green artifacts, sculptures, or jewelry in museums? They are often carved directly from malachite!

Malachite is a very famous and historically significant ore of copper. Long before humans understood complex metallurgy, they were attracted to the bright green rocks of malachite, using it as a pigment and eventually discovering how to smelt copper from it.

Its chemical formula is a bit more complex than calamine. It is actually a basic copper carbonate. We write it mathematically as $CuC{O}_3\cdot Cu(OH{)}_2$. The presence of the copper(II) ions is exactly what gives this mineral its striking green color.

This clearly tells us that the second metal we are looking for is copper. Remembering these formulas not only helps in direct questions like this one but also in reaction-based problems where you might be asked what gases are released when malachite is heated (spoiler: it's $C{O}_2$ and $H_{2}O$!).

So, let's put all the pieces of the puzzle together. From our analysis, we established that Calamine is an ore of zinc. And we also confirmed that Malachite is an ore of copper.

Therefore, the respective metals are zinc and copper, in that exact order. Now, if we look at our given options, option (b) says 'zinc and copper'. This perfectly matches our findings.

It's a straightforward memory-based question, but understanding the underlying chemistry makes it impossible to forget. The key takeaway here is that inorganic chemistry and metallurgy require a strategic approach to memorization. Always make a list of these common ores, their chemical formulas, and their primary metals, and revise them frequently. You never know when a simple fact will secure you those crucial +4 marks in the exam!