Which of the following set of elements mostly occur as sulphide ores ? — Metallurgy and Isolation of Elements Chemistry Question

💡 Solution & Explanation

Step 1: Review the common minerals of the given elements. Sodium (Na) is an alkali metal occurring as salts (NaCl); Aluminium (Al) occurs as oxides/hydroxides (Bauxite); Titanium (Ti) occurs as oxides (Rutile). Step 2: Zinc (Zn) occurs primarily as zinc blende (ZnS); Copper (Cu) occurs primarily as chalcopyrite (CuFeS2) or chalcocite (Cu2S); Lead (Pb) occurs primarily as galena (PbS). Step 3: Therefore, the set containing Zinc, Copper, and Lead (Zn, Cu, Pb) mostly occur as sulfide ores, which matches option (b).