Why metals are usually not found in Free State in nature?

Many of the metals are not found in their pure metallic form in nature. When a metal is found in nature in its pure form, it is known as being in the Free State. On rare occasions, some metals like gold and silver are found in their pure form and can be used without much processing. But a majority of metals are hidden inside lumps that look like rocks. These rocks contain metals mixed with minerals.

Metals are often found in a mix of crystals of elements. The rocks which have minerals mixed with metals are known as ores. The ores have to be processed in several stages to obtain metals that are ready for use.

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