Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Kyanite
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
Ore identification is essential in the nuclear fuel cycle. While several minerals carry uranium in significant quantities (e.g., pitchblende/uraninite, carnotite, uranophane), many common minerals are unrelated to uranium. This question checks the ability to differentiate uranium ores from unrelated minerals.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
Pitchblende (uraninite) and carnotite are well-known uranium ores; uranophane is a hydrated uranium silicate also found in secondary deposits. Kyanite, by contrast, is an aluminum silicate (Al2SiO5) used as a refractory material and contains no uranium. The task is to exclude the non-uranium mineral from the list.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Match minerals to uranium content: pitchblende ✓, carnotite ✓, uranophane ✓.Identify kyanite: Al2SiO5, refractory, not a uranium ore.Select the outlier: kyanite.
Verification / Alternative check:
Mineralogy references catalog kyanite among aluminosilicate polymorphs (with andalusite, sillimanite), not uranium-bearing species. Uranium ores are dominantly oxides, vanadates, phosphates, or silicates of uranium.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Pitchblende: primary uranium oxide ore.Carnotite: potassium uranium vanadate; an important uranium–vanadium ore.Rescolite: sometimes cited as a synonym/misspelling in legacy lists; not as common as others but historically associated with uranium occurrences in some texts.Uranophane: hydrated uranium silicate found in oxidized zones.
Common Pitfalls:
Confusing refractory aluminosilicates with uranium minerals due to unfamiliar names.Assuming every rare-sounding mineral is uranium-bearing.
Final Answer:
Kyanite
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