What is an ore?
Part of Hall of Planet Earth.
Part of Hall of Planet Earth.
Ore is defined as an economic concentration of minerals. The richness of ores can be vastly different, depending on the minerals and elements involved. Chromium ore consists mainly of the mineral chromite, of which chromium is a major constituent. Most vanadium ores are made of magnetite, but vanadium is only a minor element of that mineral. Platinum ore contains only traces of platinum-rich minerals, and most of them are so tiny that they cannot be seen by the naked eye.
The chromium ore contains 25 percent chromium, the vanadium ore 2 percent vanadium, and the platinum ore 0.0008 percent platinum and related elements.