Main objective of smelting of ore is

Options

A. to oxidise ore
B. to reduce ore
C. to remove volatile impurities
D. alloy formation.

Explanation

**Step-by-Step Solution:**

1. **Understanding Smelting**: Smelting is a metallurgical process used to extract metals from their ores by heating and melting. The primary objective is to convert the ore into a form that allows for the extraction of the metal.

2. **Role of Ore**: An ore is a naturally occurring solid material from which a metal or valuable mineral can be extracted profitably. For example, iron ore (like hematite, Fe2O3) is a source of iron.

3. **Reduction Process**: The smelting process involves a reduction reaction where the metal oxide (ore) is reduced to its elemental form. In the case of iron extraction, Fe2O3 is reduced to Fe (iron) by using carbon as a reducing agent.

4. **Chemical Reaction**: The reaction can be represented as:
\[ \text{Fe}_2\text{O}_3 + 3\text{C} \rightarrow 2\text{Fe} + 3\text{CO} \]
Here, carbon (C) reacts with iron oxide (Fe2O3) to produce iron (Fe) and carbon monoxide (CO).

5. **Conclusion**: The main objective of smelting is to reduce the ore to obtain the pure metal. In this example, the iron in iron oxide is reduced to metallic iron.

**Final Answer**: The main objective of smelting of ore is to extract the metal from its ore by reducing it to its elemental form.

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