Bronze is an alloy of

The correct answer is A. Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin, typically with tin forming about 10 to 15 percent of the mix. Adding tin lowers the melting point of copper and makes the metal harder and more durable, which is why bronze replaced pure copper for tools and weapons in the Bronze Age.

• Option B (Copper and Silver) is wrong. Copper-silver alloys are used in jewellery and coinage, such as sterling silver, but they are not called bronze.
• Option C (Copper and Zinc) is wrong. Copper and zinc form brass, which is a different alloy with its own properties and uses.
• Option D (Copper and Lead) is wrong. Lead is sometimes added in small amounts to bronze to improve machinability and bearing properties, but it is not the defining element of bronze.

The core concept here is the identification of common alloys and their constituent metals. For Mains, this links to the history of metallurgy and material science, and to the Indus Valley bronze craft, where the Mohenjo-daro dancing girl figurine is a well-known example of copper-tin alloy work.

Trap: Aspirants often confuse bronze with brass because both are copper-based and both appear in the same contexts, such as statues and utensils. The rule to remember is that tin makes bronze and zinc makes brass.