What is the term for a rock that contains a large amount of valuable material, making it viable to mine?

What is the term for a rock that contains a large amount of valuable material, making it viable to mine?

• A. Deposit
• B. Ore
• C. Mineral
• D. Vein

Answer: (B)

The term you’re looking for describes rock that contains enough of a valuable material to make mining worthwhile. That is ore. Ore is defined by its economic viability: the concentration of the metal or mineral is high enough, and the costs of extraction and processing are low enough, that mining can be profitable. A mineral is a single natural substance with a definite chemical composition and structure—think of pure substances like quartz or galena. A vein is a specific, narrow body of mineral material that fills cracks in rocks; ore can occur in veins, but not all ore is in veins. A deposit is a broader term for any natural concentration of minerals in a rock formation; it describes the location and extent, not necessarily whether it’s economically recoverable. So the rock that is mined for profit because of its valuable content is an ore.

The term you’re looking for describes rock that contains enough of a valuable material to make mining worthwhile. That is ore. Ore is defined by its economic viability: the concentration of the metal or mineral is high enough, and the costs of extraction and processing are low enough, that mining can be profitable.

A mineral is a single natural substance with a definite chemical composition and structure—think of pure substances like quartz or galena. A vein is a specific, narrow body of mineral material that fills cracks in rocks; ore can occur in veins, but not all ore is in veins. A deposit is a broader term for any natural concentration of minerals in a rock formation; it describes the location and extent, not necessarily whether it’s economically recoverable. So the rock that is mined for profit because of its valuable content is an ore.