Bauxite is an alloy of which of the following metals?
(1) Aluminium
(2) Silver
(3) Tin
(4) Iron
Answer: (1) Bauxite is an aluminum ore and is the main source of aluminum. This form of rock consists mostly of the minerals gibbsite Al(OH)3, boehmite -AlO(OH), and diaspore a-AlO(OH), in a mixture with the two iron oxides goethite and hematite, the clay mineral kaolinite, and small amounts of anatase TiO2. Bauxite was named after the village Les Baux in southern France, where it was first recognized as containing aluminum and named by the French geologist Pierre Berthier in 1821.
