Answer
I would recommend mining the deposit containing silver sulfide over the one containing silver oxide. This is because silver sulfide is a more efficient source of silver than silver oxide, and it is easier to extract silver from silver sulfide.
Work Step by Step
Step 1: Determine the percentage of silver in each mineral.
The percentage of silver in silver oxide (Ag2O) is 93.1%, and the molar mass is 231.74 g/mol. Therefore, the mass of silver in 1 ton (1000 kg) of silver oxide can be calculated as:
mass of silver in 1 ton of Ag2O = (93.1/100) x 1000 kg x (1 mol Ag / 231.74 g) x (107.87 g/mol) = 4,442 kg
The percentage of silver in silver sulfide (Ag2S) is 87.1%, and the molar mass is 247.8 g/mol. Therefore, the mass of silver in 1 ton (1000 kg) of silver sulfide can be calculated as:
mass of silver in 1 ton of Ag2S = (87.1/100) x 1000 kg x (1 mol Ag / 247.8 g) x (107.87 g/mol) = 3,871 kg
Step 2: Compare the efficiency of extracting silver from each mineral.
Silver oxide is a less efficient source of silver than silver sulfide. This is because silver oxide requires more energy to break down into its constituent elements (silver and oxygen) than silver sulfide requires to break down into silver and sulfur. In addition, the process of extracting silver from silver oxide is more complex and expensive than the process of extracting silver from silver sulfide.
Step 3: Consider the cost of mining each deposit.
Since the deposits can be mined at the same price per ton of the original silver-containing compound, the cost of mining each deposit is the same. Therefore, the decision should be based on the efficiency of extracting silver from each mineral.
Based on the above analysis, it is recommended to mine the deposit containing silver sulfide over the one containing silver oxide. Silver sulfide is a more efficient source of silver than silver oxide, and it is easier to extract the silver from silver sulfide.
