Silver is extracted from which of the following ore?

Argentite

The correct answer is option 2. Argentite.

Silver is primarily extracted from the ore known as Argentite.

Argentite \((Ag_2S)\) is a sulfide mineral and one of the primary ores of silver. The extraction of silver from argentite typically involves a combination of processes, including crushing, grinding, flotation, and smelting.

During the extraction process, the argentite ore is crushed and ground to liberate the silver minerals from the gangue minerals. Then, the crushed ore is subjected to froth flotation, where the silver-bearing minerals are selectively separated from the gangue minerals based on their hydrophobicity.

The concentrated silver-bearing material obtained from flotation is then smelted to extract the silver metal. Smelting involves heating the concentrate in a furnace with a reducing agent such as carbon (usually in the form of coke) to convert the silver sulfide \((Ag_2S)\) into metallic silver \((Ag)\), which is then collected as molten metal.

So, the correct answer is Argentite.