Indian uranium mining: the approximate percentage of natural uranium present in uranium ore at Jadugoda (Jharkhand) is closest to which value?

Introduction / Context:
Uranium ore grades vary widely, but many conventional deposits are of relatively low grade by percentage of uranium content. India’s Jadugoda mines are often cited in exam questions to emphasise that processing plants extract uranium economically even from low-percentage ores.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question asks for an order-of-magnitude percentage, not exact geology per vein.
• We refer to uranium content in ore, typically reported as U or U3O8 equivalent.

Concept / Approach:
Introductory nuclear engineering and mining overviews generally place Jadugoda ore in the low-grade category around a few tenths of a percent or less. A commonly taught figure for such MCQs is ~0.1%, highlighting the need for large-scale milling and leaching to recover usable uranium.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Recall that Jadugoda is low-grade relative to very high-grade Canadian deposits.Pick the closest low-percentage choice: 0.1%.Eliminate obviously high values inconsistent with India’s known ore grades at that site.

Verification / Alternative check:
Educational summaries on Indian uranium resources consistently describe Jadugoda as a low-grade source, aligning with ~0.1% order of magnitude used in standard MCQs.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• 1%, 3%, 12%: Too high for the typical values taught for Jadugoda.
• 0.01%: An order of magnitude lower than the often-quoted figure for exam purposes.

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing ore grade percentages with U-235 enrichment percentages; mixing site-specific averages with exceptional lenses.

Final Answer:
0.1