General Awareness · Geography

Minerals and Ores

1,167 Questions

Minerals and ores encompass the extraction, identification, and economic significance of naturally occurring crystalline substances. Topics cover specific ores like cinnabar and bauxite, alongside global mineral resource distribution. Candidates preparing for general awareness and geography sections should review these questions to master regional and global mineral reserves.

Ore identificationMineral extractionGlobal mineral reservesIndustrial minerals

Minerals and Ores Questions

Multiple choice

What are 'potato ores'?

  1. Nodules on the seabed containing variety of minerals.

  2. Seed potato grown in Himachal Pradesh.

  3. Iron ore having a large concentration of sulphur.

  4. Ores of nuclear minerals.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Potato ores are the seed potato grown in Kufri, Himachal Pradesh.

Multiple choice

The monazite sand found along the coast of Kerala yields

  1. Uranium
  2. Thorium
  3. Zirconium
  4. Plutonium

  1. Only 1 and 2

  2. Only 2

  3. Only 2 and 4

  4. Only 1, 2 and 3
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Uranium and thorium are the main atomic minerals which are mostly used in generating nuclear energy. Apart from these two, beryllium lithium and zirconium are other atomic minerals. Although monazite sands which occur in east and west coasts of India have also reserves of uranium. However, the largest concentration of monazite sand is found on the Kerala coast and over 1,50,000 tones of uranium is estimated to be contained in monazite. It is also derived from monazite which contains 10% thorium. It is found along the Kerala coast and in alluvial rocks of Ranchi and Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand.

Multiple choice

In which of the following mineral resources is India self sufficient?

  1. Iron ore
  2. Bauxite
  3. Copper
  4. Manganese

  1. Only 1 and 2

  2. Only 1 and 4

  3. Only 2 and 3

  4. Only 3 and 4
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

India is the fifth largest exporter of iron ore. India consumes 80% of its manganese production and exports the rest 20%. Despite having large reserves of copper, India imports copper due to decrease in its production trend. India imports bauxite from various countries, mainly from Italy and the UK.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is a set of iron ores only?

  1. Hematite, Manganite, Siderite

  2. Azurite, Malachite, Pyrolusite

  3. Hematite, Magnetite, Pyrolusite

  4. Malachite, Limonite, Siderite

  5. Hematite, Siderite, Limonite
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

Hematite, Fe2O3: Iron ore Siderite, FeCO3: Iron ore Limonite, FeO(OH)·nH2O: Iron ore

Multiple choice

The ore for aluminium is

  1. hematite

  2. bauxite

  3. laterite

  4. pyrolusite
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Bauxite is the primary ore of aluminium, containing aluminium hydroxides in hydrated forms. It is the only commercially viable source of aluminium among the options given. Hematite is an iron ore, laterite is a soil type rich in iron and aluminium, and pyrolusite is a manganese ore.

Multiple choice

What is the main mineral of Australia?

  1. Gold

  2. Silver

  3. Lead

  4. Diamond
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Gold has historically been Australia's main mineral, particularly from major finds in Victoria (1850s) and Western Australia (Kalgoorlie, Coolgardie). The question reflects early-to-mid 20th-century perspectives when gold was the premier mineral. Today, iron ore is Australia's largest mineral export by value, and coal is also significant, but gold remains culturally and historically important.

Multiple choice

Which of the following are feldspar minerals? (A) Celsian (B) Crystobalite (C) Heulandite (D) Anorthite

  1. (A) and (D)

  2. (C) and (D)

  3. (A), (B) and (C)

  4. (C) and (B)

  5. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

This option is correct because the felspars are most important rock minerals in which Ba++, K+, Ca++, are linked with three dimensional framework of the SiO4 and AlO4 in tetrahedron. Celsian and anorthite are best known examples of  felspar. (Celsian = BaAl2Si2O8, and Anorthite = CaAl2Si2O8)