Question

The most abundant metal in the earth’s crust is
(a). Iron
(b). Nickel
(c). Aluminium
(d). Sodium

Answer 1

Hint: It is a silvery white, lightweight metal. It is a very good conductor of electricity and heat. Therefore, it is used in electrical wires commercially.

Complete answer:
1. The most abundant metal in the earth’s crust is ALUMINIUM.
2. The percentage abundance of different elements is given below:
Oxygen: 46.6%
Silicon: 27.7%
Aluminium: 8.9%
Iron: 5%
3. Due to the eight percent of the earth’s crust being aluminium, it is one of the most abundant metals on earth. However. It is always found combined with various other elements, never by itself in its free state. The most frequently encountered ores are Bauxite, Corundum, Feldspar, Cryolite, Alunite and Kaolin etc.

Therefore, the correct answer of the question is (c). Aluminium

Additional Information:
Bauxite is the most commonly found ore of aluminium. It is hydrated oxides of aluminium. It contains varying amounts of water and several impurities of which ferric oxide and silica are usually predominant. It is essential to obtain alumina substantially free from these impurities as iron oxide or silica would contaminate the metallic aluminium produced in the Hall or Heroult Process. The separation of the alumina from the impurities in the bauxite ore is usually carried out by Bayers Process.

Note: It should not be confused that Oxygen/Silicon has more percentage abundance in the earth’ crust. So, Oxygen/Silicon is not the most abundant metal. It should be noted that both Oxygen/Silicon are non-metals and the question that is asked is about the abundance of metal.