Question

Reverberatory furnace is employed in the metallurgical process mainly for
A. reduction of oxide ore
B. smelting of sulphide ore
C. conversion of chloride to sulphate
D. getting magnesium materials

Answer 1

Hint: Reverberatory is generally used in the process of smelting. In the process of smelting fused metals are obtained from its ore by a reducing agent. In this process the ore gets reduced.

Complete Step by Step Answer:
Reverberatory furnace are used in smelting as the furnace. The process of smelting involves heating and melting of the ore mainly oxide ores. In this process a metal oxide ore is heated and melted in presence of a reducing agent to form fused or molten metal. Here the reducing agent reduces the metal oxide to fused metal and oxidises itself to oxide. Thus reverberatory furnaces are employed in the metallurgical process mainly for reduction of oxide ore.

Let us take an example.
When ferrous oxide an oxide ore of iron is reduced in presence of carbon a reducing agent iron metal is produced.
The reaction can be given as follows-
$F{{e}_{2}}{{O}_{3}}+3C\to 3CO+2Fe$
In this reaction ferrous oxide reacts with three moles of carbon atom which acts as a reducing agent to produce three moles of carbon monoxide and two moles of iron metal.
Thus the correct option is A.

Note: Reverberatory furnace is also called an open hearth furnace. It can only produce low electropositive metals like iron, platinum, lead, cadmium etc. These metals are produced from their oxide in molten state.