ore

thumb|Iron ore ([[banded iron formation)]] thumb|Manganese ore – [[psilomelane (size: 6.7 × 5.8 × 5.1 cm)]] thumb|Lead ore – [[galena and anglesite (size: 4.8 × 4.0 × 3.0 cm)]]

AI overview

Ore is a naturally occurring mineral or rock that contains valuable metals like iron, manganese, or lead in concentrations worth extracting. It matters because these metals extracted from ore are essential raw materials used to make countless products we rely on in modern life.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Wikidata facts

Image: Banded iron formation.png

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Commons category: Ores
Commons gallery: Ore
exact match: purl.obolibrary.org/obo/ENVO_02000094

Sources (4)

via Wikidata · CC0

~25 min read

Article

17 sections

Contents

Gangue and tailings
Ore deposits
Classification
Magmatic deposits
Metamorphic deposits
Porphyry copper deposits
Sedimentary deposits
Manganese nodules
Extraction
Hazards
History
Trade
Important ore minerals
See also
References
Further reading
External links

thumb|Iron ore ([[banded iron formation)]] thumb|Manganese ore – [[psilomelane (size: 6.7 × 5.8 × 5.1 cm)]] thumb|Lead ore – [[galena and anglesite (size: 4.8 × 4.0 × 3.0 cm)]]

Ore is natural rock or sediment that contains one or more valuable minerals, typically including metals, concentrated above background levels, and that is economically viable to mine and process. Ore grade refers to the concentration of the desired material it contains. The value of the metals or minerals a rock contains must be weighed against the cost of extraction to determine whether it is of sufficiently high grade to be worth mining and is therefore considered an ore. A complex ore is one containing more than one valuable mineral.