It is easier to obtain a metal from its oxide rather than its sulphides or carbonates because oxides are more readily reduced to metals compared to sulphides and carbonates.
Why is it easier to obtain a metal from its oxide rather than its sulphides or carbonates?
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Obtaining a metal from its oxide is often easier than from its sulphides or carbonates due to differences in thermodynamic stability. Metal oxides generally have lower thermodynamic stability than sulphides or carbonates. In the extraction process, metals are often reduced from their ores through a reaction with a reducing agent. Reduction of metal oxides requires less energy compared to sulphides or carbonates. Additionally, metal oxides are more commonly found in nature, simplifying the extraction process. This makes the reduction of metal oxides a more economically feasible and energetically favorable method for obtaining metals in various metallurgical processes.