Question

Chile saltpetre is a nitrate mineral of:
A.Potassium
B.Sodium
C.Calcium
D.lithium

Answer 1

Mineral is defined as naturally occurring inorganic element or compound (combination of elements) having their own internal structure and chemical properties and properties. For example: quartz, mica, etc.

Complete step by step solution:
Let us first define minerals and ores.
Mineral is defined as a naturally occurring inorganic element or compound (combination of elements) having their own internal structure and chemical properties and properties. For example: quartz, mica, etc. Metals are extracted from minerals. They are found in less quantity at a place. So there is no profit in accessing metals from minerals.
Ore: Ores are those minerals from which metals can be extracted profitably. Ores contains a good percentage of metals in them.
In short we can say that all ores are minerals but all minerals are not ore. Ore will be only that mineral from which we can extract metal profitably.
Now coming to the question we have to find that chile saltpetre is a nitrate mineral of which element. Let us first define what is nitrate mineral.
Nitrate is defined as an ion having a molecular formula as $N{O_3}^ -$. It is an anion (having negative charge). When it forms a compound by reacting with a metal then the compound is known as metal nitrate. For example: when sodium reacts with nitrate then it forms a compound which is known as sodium nitrate also known as chile saltpetre having molecular formula as $NaN{O_3}$. When calcium reacts with nitrate then it forms a compound which is known as calcium nitrate having molecular formula as $Ca{(N{O_3})_2}$. When potassium reacts with nitrate then it forms a compound which is known as potassium nitrate having molecular formula as $KN{O_3}$.

Hence, Chile saltpetre is a nitrate mineral of sodium. So option B is correct.

Note:
Charge is balanced by the number of atoms. For example: we know that calcium has charge $+ 2$ i.e. $C{a^{2 + }}$ so now when calcium ion reacts with nitrate ion then it forms $Ca{(N{O_3})_2}$ because calcium ions need two negative charge to balance the two positive charge on it.