3.3 - Industry

Question 1

Classification of manufacturing

Answer 1

• Heavy - iron and steel manufacturing is heavy industry as it uses large, bulky raw materials on a huge scale producing big items
• Light - computer manufacturing, smart phone assembly, clothing, micro-brewing etc.

Question 2

Inputs

Answer 2

Items which are brought into the factory to use in production, or the raw materials for the industry.
* e.g. capital, labour, raw materials

Question 3

Processes

Answer 3

What happens in the factory to convert the raw materials into finished products.
* e.g. assembly, maintenance, packaging, transport

Question 4

Outputs

Answer 4

The finished products, or the items which have been made in the factory.
* e.g. product, profit

Question 5

Primary industry

Answer 5

Primary industry is about producing (making) or obtaining (getting) raw (natural, unprocessed) goods. Historically this has been the initial main industry of countries
* e.g. agriculture, mining

Question 6

Secondary industry

Answer 6

Secondary industries are where raw materials are changed into products – like the manufacturing industry. These usually require a certain level of skill.
* e.g. processing of agricultural products, assembly line work

Question 7

Tertiary industry

Answer 7

It involves working with people rather then materials, many times called ‘service industry’. It is the main part of the economy of an MEDC
* e.g. government (teachers, police, administrators) and private (banks, supermarket) jobs

Question 8

Quaternary sector

Answer 8

Newest industry which works in technological development. Usually involves research and development.
* e.g. media, programmers, scientists

Question 9

4 types of industry

Answer 9

• Manufacturing - Where raw materials
  are turned into finished products.
  
  • E.g. Clothes making/Steel making
• Processing - Industriesthat turn fresh foods from the primary production into food products.
  
  • E.g. Jam factory, food processing
• Assembly - Refers to the process of building finished products by putting different parts together with components often made by manufacturing.
  
  • E.g. car assembly line
• High technology - Involves making and using silicon chips, computers, semi-conductor devices and computer controlled machinery to make computers, pharmaceuticals etc.

Question 10

Physical factors affecting industrial location (name and explain 3)

Answer 10

• Raw materials - industries that need heavy or bulky materials, will locate as near as possible to these materials
• Site - availability and cost of land is important. Large factories need flat, well-drained land with or without the potential for expansion later on
• Climate - industries such as aerospace and film benefit from sunnier climates. Good climate also reduces energy bills and a better quality of life
• Energy - energy demanding industries may relocate to countries/areas with readily available or cheaper energy
• Natural routeways - harbours, motorways, airports and railways provide good locations for ports and industrial complexes, which create good access points for inputs but also outputs
• Water supplies - some industries (paper and cotton processing etc.) require a lot of water in their manufacturing and so need to be near a reliable water supply such as lakes, rivers etc.

Question 11

Human and economic factors affecting industrial location (name explain 4)

Answer 11

• Capital - some areas naturally attract inward investment as the returns will be higher
• Markets - location and size of the potential market is a major influence for some industries
• Government influence - incentives, grants and policies can make areas attractive for industries to invest in
• Transport - cost of transport is expensive and accessibility for easy access helps to reduce those costs.
• Communications - being able to communicate effectively and quickly with customers and suppliers is vital to successful manufacturing
• Labour force - quality and cost of labour is central to effective manufacturing, having a reliable workforce is necessary, but also mobility, turnover and reputation is also a factor
• Quality of life - highly skilled workers will prefer areas where the work/life balance is good

Question 12

Changes to manufacturing and location over time

Answer 12

• Raw Materials = sources of raw materials often run out
  
  • Manufactures will move in response
  • Infrastructure means business not tied to energy centres –coalfields etc.
• Rising costs = wage levels / laws etc, means costs go up in MICs so work moves elsewhere (e.g. manufacturing)
• Transport = commuting & migrating easier because there are now fewer barriers to travel
• Competition = fewer people are needed to complete work now, e.g. banking uses ICT
• Technology = advances in ICT means more work from home, air travel, etc.
• Outsourcing = saves money, work sent elsewhere to save costs (e.g. call centres)

Question 13

Agglomeration

Answer 13

When a number of producers in the same or related industries group themselves together. They do this to benefit from local skill pools, economies of scale or the powess of a locality in a particular field.