Calamine is an important ore in metallurgy. Let's understand what an ore is first: an ore is a naturally occurring mineral from which a metal can be extracted profitably.

The chemical formula for calamine is $\mathrm{ZnCO}3$ (Zinc Carbonate). This means it is a compound containing zinc.

Therefore, calamine is an ore of Zinc.

Related Topics & Formulae:

Ores and Minerals: An ore is a mineral from which metal can be extracted economically. Common ores include:

• Zinc: Calamine ($\mathrm{ZnCO}3$), Zinc Blende ($\mathrm{ZnS}$)
• Copper: Copper Pyrites ($\mathrm{CuFeS}2$)
• Aluminium: Bauxite ($\mathrm{Al}2O3.2H_{2}O$)
• Iron: Haematite ($\mathrm{Fe}2O3$)

Extraction Process: Calamine, being a carbonate ore, is first converted to zinc oxide by calcination (heating in the absence of air). The reaction is:

$\mathrm{ZnCO}3\stackrel{∆}{\to }\mathrm{ZnO}+\mathrm{CO}2$

The zinc oxide is then reduced to zinc metal by heating with carbon (a reducing agent).

$\mathrm{ZnO}+C\stackrel{∆}{\to }\mathrm{Zn}+\mathrm{CO}$