Question

Why is gangue removed from an ore?

Answer 1

Try to analyze what is gangue and what are the properties of it and how it is different from the ore. Then try to understand why it is separated from the ore.

Complete step by step answer:
Gangue is the unwanted material or the impurities present in the ore. It is commercially worthless. Gangue is the impurity that surrounds or is closely mixed with the ore deposit in which the minerals are present. Gangue is composed of waste rocks, stone and extra unwanted materials that are mixed up with the ore while its extraction.
To extract the minerals which are present in the ore the waste particles are separated first which is nothing but gangue.
For example while cooking food first of all we will separate the waste materials present in that and then we will wash it and then it will be used for cooking so that we can have pure food and unwanted materials are not allowed to enter our body which may affect our health.
In the same manner while we are extracting a mineral from an ore we need the pure metal or mineral, for that we need to separate all the unwanted materials present in the ore which is called gangue.

Note: There are different methods of separation of the gangue from the ore depending upon the mineral ore and the type of gangue. The process of separation of minerals from the gangue is called mineral processing, mineral dressing, or ore dressing.