GCSE CHEMISTRY - Extraction of Metals - What is a Metal ...
Extraction of Metals. What is a Metal Ore?. A solid element or compound which occurs naturally in the Earth's crust is called a mineral.A mineral which contains a high enough percentage of a metal for economic extraction is called a metal ore. Economic extraction means that the cost of getting the metal out of the ore is sufficiently less than the amount of money made by selling the metal.