Cinnabar is an ore of

Cinnabar is the primary and most important ore of mercury [1]. Chemically known as mercury sulfide (HgS), it is a bright red mineral that has been used historically as a pigment called vermilion [2]. Mercury is extracted from cinnabar by heating the ore in air; this process first converts the sulfide into mercuric oxide (HgO), which is then reduced to elemental mercury upon further heating [1]. While cinnabar is relatively stable at room temperature, it releases toxic mercury vapor when heated [3]. It is found globally, with significant deposits in Almadén, Spain, and is often associated with volcanic activity and alkaline rocks. In the reactivity series, mercury is classified as a metal of low reactivity, allowing its oxide to be reduced to metal by heat alone [3].

Sources

1. [1] Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Metals and Non-metals > 3.4.3 Extracting Metals Low in the Activity Series > p. 51
2. [2] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 13: Types of Rocks & Rock Cycle > 13.5. Some Rock-Forming Minerals > p. 175
3. [3] Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Metals and Non-metals > 3.2.5 The Reactivity Series > p. 45