Alloys are best prepared by cooling a molten mixture of the metals. This is because when metals are melted, they become more reactive and are able to mix and combine evenly. By combining different metals in a molten state, they can form a new material with unique properties that are different from the original metals.
This process of cooling the molten mixture of metals is called solidification, which allows the metals to solidify into a homogeneous mixture, forming an alloy. This method is widely used in industry and can be used to create alloys with precise compositions and properties for specific applications.
Electroplating involves coating a metal with a thin layer of another metal, which is different from forming an alloy. Arc-welding, on the other hand, is used to join metals together, but it doesn't create a new material with different properties. Reducing and mixing metallic oxides is another method used to form alloys, but it is less common and more complicated than the process of melting and cooling a mixture of metals.