A partially dried clay mineral contains `8%`d water. The original sample contained `12%` water and `45%` sillica.
The `%` if sillica in the partially dried sample is nearly:

Options

A. `50%`
B. `49%`
C. `55%`
D. `47%`

Explanation

To solve the problem step by step, we will follow these calculations:

### Step 1: Understand the Initial Composition
We start with a sample of clay mineral that originally contains:
- 12% water
- 45% silica

This means that in a 100 g sample:
- Water = 12 g
- Silica = 45 g
- The remaining mass (other components) = 100 g - (12 g + 45 g) = 43 g

### Step 2: Determine the Composition of the Partially Dried Sample
The partially dried sample contains:
- 8% water

In a 100 g sample, this means:
- Water = 8 g

### Step 3: Calculate the Loss of Water
To find out how much water has been lost during the drying process:
- Initial water = 12 g
- Remaining water = 8 g
- Water lost = 12 g - 8 g = 4 g

### Step 4: Calculate the New Total Mass of the Sample
Since 4 g of water has been lost, the new total mass of the sample is:
- Total mass after drying = 100 g - 4 g = 96 g

### Step 5: Calculate the Amount of Silica in the Partially Dried Sample
The amount of silica in the original sample remains unchanged, as silica does not evaporate:
- Silica = 45 g

### Step 6: Calculate the Percentage of Silica in the Partially Dried Sample
Now, we can calculate the percentage of silica in the new total mass of 96 g:
\[ \text{Percentage of Silica} = \left( \frac{\text{Amount of Silica}}{\text{Total Mass of Partially Dried Sample}} \right) \times 100 \]
\[ \text{Percentage of Silica} = \left( \frac{45 \text{ g}}{96 \text{ g}} \right) \times 100 \approx 46.875\% \]

Rounding this to the nearest whole number gives us approximately:
- **47% Silica**

### Final Answer
The percentage of silica in the partially dried sample is nearly **47%**.

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