Question

Thermite is a mixture of:
A.Copper and aluminium
B.Zinc and aluminium powder
C.Iron and aluminium
D.Ferric oxide and aluminium powder

Answer 1

The metal used in the thermite is in the powdered form and is the same in all the given options. The metal oxide used in the thermite is known as the mineral hematite. It is often known as rust. The oxidation state of metal is 3.

Complete step by step answer:
Thermite is a mixture of a metal powder and a metal oxide. When we heat the thermite it undergoes a redox reaction specifically an exothermic redox reaction. A redox reaction is a reaction in which reduction and oxidation occur simultaneously; basically one substance gets oxidised and the other one gets reduced. An exothermic reaction is that reaction in which heat is released by the system. Thermite is not very much explosive but can cause small bursts of heat when high temperatures are applied to small areas. Aluminium is generally used as a metal powder in the thermite.
Thermites can be made out of various metals and their oxides; the metals that are used to make thermite are aluminium, magnesium, titanium, zinc silicon, and boron. As we mentioned that Aluminium is used mostly because of its high boiling point. The metal oxides that are used are Bismuth oxide, boron oxide, chromium oxide, iron oxide, copper oxide, lead oxide and magnesium oxide.

Thus, the correct option is D.

Note:
Thermite is basically of three types are iron thermite, copper thermite and thermates. The reaction between metal and its oxide is known as the Goldschmidt process. Metal in the powdered form itself gets oxidized and reduces the metal oxide present. In the reaction between iron oxide and aluminum, aluminium and iron oxide is formed after redox reaction.