Assertion (A): Sodium cannot be obtained by chemical reduction of its ore.
Reason (R ): Sodium is one of the strongest reducing agents.

Options

A. If both (A) and (R ) are correct and (R ) is the correct explanation of (A).
B. If both (A) and (R ) are correct, but (R ) is not the correct explanation of (A).
C. If (A) is correct, but (R ) is incorrect.
D. If (A) is incorrect, but (R ) is correct.

Answer

To analyze the given assertion and reason, we will break down the statements step by step.

### Step 1: Understanding the Assertion
The assertion states that "Sodium cannot be obtained by chemical reduction of its ore." This implies that sodium cannot be extracted from its compounds (like sodium oxide) using a reducing agent such as carbon.

### Step 2: Understanding the Reason
The reason provided is that "Sodium is one of the strongest reducing agents." A reducing agent is a substance that donates electrons to another substance, thereby reducing it. Sodium, being highly reactive and having a strong tendency to lose its outer electron, qualifies as a strong reducing agent.

### Step 3: Analyzing the Relationship
Now, we need to determine if the reason supports the assertion. Since sodium is a strong reducing agent, it means that it can easily lose its electron. This property makes it difficult to reduce sodium compounds (like sodium oxide) using typical reducing agents, as sodium itself would react with them instead of being reduced.

### Step 4: Conclusion
Both the assertion and the reason are true. The reason correctly explains why sodium cannot be obtained by chemical reduction of its ore. Therefore, the assertion (A) is true, and the reason (R) is also true, with R being the correct explanation of A.

### Final Answer
Both the assertion and reason are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.

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