In the following question, a statement of assertion followed by a statement of reason is given. Choose the correct answer out of the following choices:
Assertion : In froth floatation process, sodium ethyl xanthate is used as a collector.
Reason: Sulphide ores are water soluble .
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is option 3. Assertion is true but the reason is false.
Lets break down both the assertion and the reason:
Assertion: In froth flotation process, sodium ethyl xanthate is used as a collector.
This statement is true. In the froth flotation process, which is a widely used method for separating valuable minerals from their ores, collectors like sodium ethyl xanthate are added to enhance the hydrophobicity of certain minerals. These collectors selectively bind to the surface of target minerals, such as sulfide minerals, making them more amenable to attachment to air bubbles during flotation.
Reason: Sulphide ores are water soluble.
This statement is false. Sulfide ores, which often contain valuable minerals like copper, lead, zinc, and others, are generally not water-soluble. Instead, they tend to be insoluble or only sparingly soluble in water. The froth flotation process is used precisely because sulfide minerals are not soluble in water. Instead of relying on solubility, froth flotation exploits differences in the surface properties (hydrophobicity) of sulfide minerals and gangue minerals to achieve separation.
So, while the assertion is true because sodium ethyl xanthate is indeed used as a collector in froth flotation, the reason provided is incorrect since sulfide ores are not water-soluble. Therefore, the correct option is indeed "Assertion is true but the reason is false."