Reactions in Aluminum and Iron Extraction Processes

Steps:

• Reaction 1 represents oxide ion oxidation to oxygen gas during electrolysis, specific to aluminum extraction via Hall-Héroult process.
• Reaction 2 shows carbon reacting with oxygen to form CO₂, occurring in aluminum (anode consumption) and iron (blast furnace combustion).
• Reaction 3 depicts slag formation from lime and silica, used in iron extraction to remove impurities.
• Option B correctly assigns 1 to aluminum only, 3 to iron only, and 2 to both.

Why B is correct:

• B aligns with Hall-Héroult electrolysis for aluminum (reaction 1), blast furnace reduction and slag for iron (reactions 3 and 2), and shared carbon-oxygen chemistry (reaction 2).

Why the others are wrong:

• A: Misplaces reaction 2 as iron-only (it occurs in both) and reaction 3 as both (iron-only).
• C: Not provided, so incorrect by omission.
• D: Wrongly assigns reaction 1 to both (aluminum-only) and reaction 2 to aluminum-only (both).

Final answer: B