Mineral Resources — Part 1: Iron ore and manganese: visual lesson, ICSE Class 10 Geography (H.C.G. Paper 2)

Lesson

Metals that build a nation

Part 1 — rails, bridges, buses and pressure cookers all begin as rock dug from the hills of Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. This chapter studies four metallic minerals: iron ore, manganese, copper and bauxite.

In this lesson you will

Name the types of iron ore and state uses of iron
Name two leading iron-ore producing states and a prominent mining area in each
State the uses of manganese and name two leading states with their mining areas

Table of the four minerals in this chapter with type and main use
Mineral	Type	Main use
Iron ore	Ferrous	Iron and steel
Manganese	Ferrous	Hardening steel
Copper	Non-ferrous	Electrical wires
Bauxite	Non-ferrous	Aluminium

Concept

Minerals, ores and their grade

A mineral is a naturally occurring substance with a definite chemical composition. An ore is a mineral or rock from which a metal can be extracted profitably. The grade of an ore is the share of metal in it: a high-grade ore gives more metal per tonne and less waste. Ferrous minerals contain iron or are used with it (iron ore, manganese); non-ferrous metallic minerals do not (copper, bauxite).

Table of terms used for minerals and ores with examples
Term	Meaning	Example
Mineral	Natural substance of definite composition	Hematite
Ore	Rock from which a metal is extracted profitably	Iron ore
Grade	Share of metal in the ore	High-grade hematite
Ferrous	Contains or used with iron	Manganese
Non-ferrous	Contains no iron	Copper, bauxite

Diagram

Types of iron ore

Magnetite: black, magnetic, the richest ore (up to about 70% iron). Hematite: reddish, about 60–70% iron; it is the ore most mined in India and feeds most of our steel plants. Limonite: yellowish-brown, contains water, lower grade (roughly 35–50%). Siderite: a carbonate of iron with many impurities and a low iron content. Approximate values; grades vary from deposit to deposit.

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