The flex in the smelting of copper is

Options

A. `P_(2)O_(3)`
B. `CaO`
C. `SiO_(2)`
D. `MnO`

Answer

c

Explanation

Durig smelting the roassrted ore is mixed with coke and silica and tranfered to a small blast farunce .The mixture is heated in the processs of axcess of air most of the iron suplhide is oxidiacad to feroms oxide
` 2FeS + 3O_(2) rarr 2FeO+ 2SO_(2)`
ferrrous oxide conninace with slice and forms femous slicate by this reaction mass of the iron is reamoved as slag
`FeO + SiO_(2) rarr FeSiO_(3)`
Thus sillicu is added to raction copper ore during smelting to removes femous oxide (obtained from iron ore, `FeS` as a slag and the is `FeSiO_(3)`
Since fe has greater affinality its oxygen than copper the copper oxide formad during smelting rearts with unclanged irons sulphaide to form oxide and reproshare copper sulphide
`FeS + cu_(2)O rarr FeO + Cu_(2)S`
Thus it is diffcuit to oxide copper sulphide cotil whete of the irons sulphide is oxidoesed