Hi Everyone!! This article will share Minerals and Power Resources Questions & Answers.
In my previous posts, I have shared Minerals and Power Resources Objective Type Questions & Answers so, make sure to check this post as well.
Minerals and Power Resources Questions & Answers
Question 1: Define the following:
(a) Mineral
Answer: A mineral is a naturally occurring substance that has a definite chemical composition. Minerals have distinct physical properties such as colour, density, hardness and chemical properties such as solubility.
(b) Quarrying
Answer: Some minerals are taken out by removing the surface layer of the rock. These minerals lie at shallow depths. The process involved is called open-cast mining or quarrying.
(c) Biogas Fuel
Answer: Biogas Fuel is a fuel that is made by converting organic waste such as dead plant and animal material, animal dung and kitchen waste into a gaseous fuel.
(d) Tidal Energy
Answer: Energy produced by tides in seas and oceans is known as tidal energy.
Question 2: What is the major difference between metallic and non-metallic minerals?
Answer: Minerals that contain metals in their ores are called metallic minerals whereas minerals that don’t contain metals in their ores are called non-metallic minerals.
Question 3: What is the major difference between ferrous and non-ferrous minerals?
Answer: Minerals that contain iron are known as ferrous minerals. For example – iron ore, chromite and manganese.
Minerals that contain some metal other than iron such as gold, silver and lead are known as non-ferrous minerals.
Question 4: What is the major difference between the open cast mining and shaft mining?
Answer: Some minerals are taken out by removing the surface layer of the rock. These minerals lie at shallow depths. The process involved is called open-cast mining or quarrying.
When deep bores named shafts are made to reach the mineral at great depths, the method of mining involved is known as shaft mining.
Question 5: What is a high grade and a low-grade ore?
Answer: A high grade ore is an ore that contains high mineral content. If the mineral content is low in the ore, it is known as a low-grade ore.
Minerals and Power Resources Questions & Answers
Question 6: List some uses of minerals.
Answer: There are varieties of minerals available on the earth. They are processed in industries and made into items of utility for our daily use.
For example, minerals are used in the following manner:
- Iron ore and copper are used to make machinery and its parts.
- Silver, gold and bronze are used to make ornaments.
- Mica is used as an insulation material in electric appliances.
- Lead is used for making of pipes, tubes, x-ray machines, batteries, etc.
- Food and food processing industry uses salt as preservative.
- Plants use apatite and nitrate as fertilizers for their growth.
- Mica and sulphur are used in making medicines.
- Some other uses of minerals are limestone in cement industry, silicon in computer making and uranium in generating nuclear powers.
Question 7: What are two types of drilling?
Answer: The two types of drilling are:
i. On-shore drilling – Oil drilling on the land is called on-shore drilling.
ii. Off-shore drilling – Oil drilling under the sea is called off-shore drilling.
Question 8: What are the properties of non-conventional sources of energy?
Answer: Non-conventional sources of energy are abundant, free of cost, mostly ubiquitous, renewable and pollution free.
Question 9: Why should we conserve minerals? List few examples from your daily life where you can substitute the mineral used with any other alternative.
Answer: Mineral deposits in the world are limited. Thus, it is important that they are used judiciously for future generations. For example, gold and silver jewelleries can be substituted with thread and macrame jewellery.
Question 10: What are the various ways of conservation of mineral resources?
Answer: Various ways of conservation of mineral resources are:
i. Reclamation
Efforts should be made to reclaim various minerals by using latest technology like remote sensing satellite in identifying their reserves.
ii. Substitution
Mineral based products should be replaced with alternatives such as plastics, etc. which has now effectively replaced copper in piping and steel in car bodies.
iii. Recycling
The waste produced during a production process and post consumption such as scrap iron from old machinery, automobiles, industrial equipments, etc. should be recycled.
Minerals and Power Resources Questions & Answers
Question 11: What is solar field? Why solar energy lacks wide spread application?
Answer: Energy received from the sun is also used to generate electricity. Solar cells, also known as photovoltaic cells, capture sunlight and convert it into electricity. Many of these solar cells are joined to form solar panels that generate power for heating and lighting. Such a large place is called. Solar energy lacks wide spread application as itexpensive technology.
Question 12: What are the factors affecting the extraction of the mineral resources?
Answer: The factors affecting the extraction of the mineral resources are:
i. Quality of the ore and size of the deposit.
ii. Accessbility to the areas where the resources are found.
iii. Technical knowledge of human beings to use various tools.
iv. Economic need of the people.
v. Level of industrial development.
Question 13: Write short note on ‘Geothermal energy’.
Answer: Geothermal energy is the heat energy obtained from the earth. This energy can be used to generate power. Geothermal energy in the form of hot springs has been used for cooking, bathing and heating for several years. The world’s largest geothermal plants are located in USA, Iceland, Turkey, New Zealand, Philippines and Central America are also famous for their geothermal plants. In India, Tattapani in Chhattisgarh, Puga Valley in Ladakh and Manikaran in Himachal Pradesh are some potential sites.
Question 14: How are fossil fuels formed?
Answer: Remains of plants and animals remain buried under the earth for millions of years and gets converted into fossil fuel by the heat and pressure.
Question 15: List any two ways that would help to save electricity at home.
Answer:
- Turn off lights and fans when not in use.
- Using more energy efficient bulbs, tubelights, etc.
Question 16: List any one advantages and disadvantages of petroleum as a conventional source of energy.
Answer:
Advantages:
- Easy to transport.
- Raw material of petrochemical industry.
Disadvantages:
- Causes acid rain.
- Oil spills depletes oxygen.
Question 17: We need to develop alternative sources of power. Give reasons.
Answer: The increasing demand of energy has led to the fast and continuous depletion of conventional sources of energy such as coal, petroleum and natural gas, etc. They are likely to get exhausted in the near future. Thus, it is important to find and develop alternative sources of power, such as sun, wind, tides, biological wastes, hot springs, etc.
Question 18: Solar energy is not widely used. Give reason.
Answer: Solar energy is not widely used because it is an expensive technology.
Question 19: How is electricity generated from water?
Answer: Hydroelectricity or hydel power is generated when rain water or river water stored in dams is made to fall from a height. Water flows through pipes inside the dam over moving turbine blades at the end of the dam. The moving blades turn the generators and electricity is produced. Electricity thus produced is known as hydroelectricity.
So, these were Minerals and Power Resources Questions & Answers.