4.10.1 Using the Earth's resources and obtaining potable water Flashcards
What are the key uses of the Earth’s resources?
Humans use the Earth’s resources to provide warmth, shelter, food, and transport.
What do natural resources provide?
Natural resources, supplemented by agriculture, provide food, timber, clothing, and fuels.
What are finite resources?
Finite resources from the Earth, oceans, and atmosphere are processed to provide energy and materials.
What is sustainable development?
Sustainable development meets the needs of current generations without compromising future generations’ ability to meet their own needs.
What should students be able to do regarding natural products?
Students should be able to state examples of natural products that are supplemented or replaced by agricultural and synthetic products.
How can students distinguish between resource types?
Students should be able to distinguish between finite and renewable resources given appropriate information.
What skills should students develop regarding resource information?
Students should be able to extract and interpret information about resources from charts, graphs, and tables.
What is potable water?
Potable water is safe to drink and has sufficiently low levels of dissolved salts and microbes.
What are the methods used to produce potable water in the UK?
Potable water is produced by choosing an appropriate source of fresh water, passing the water through filter beds, and sterilising.
What sterilising agents are used for potable water?
Sterilising agents include chlorine, ozone, or ultraviolet light.
What is desalination?
Desalination is the process of removing salt from salty water or sea water, often requiring large amounts of energy.
What should students be able to distinguish between?
Students should be able to distinguish between potable water and pure water.
What is involved in sewage treatment?
Sewage treatment includes screening and grit removal, sedimentation, anaerobic digestion, and aerobic biological treatment.
What are alternative methods of extracting metals?
Phytomining and bioleaching are alternative methods for extracting metals from low-grade ores.
How does phytomining work?
Phytomining uses plants to absorb metal compounds, which are then harvested and burned to produce ash containing metal compounds.
How does bioleaching work?
Bioleaching uses bacteria to produce leachate solutions that contain metal compounds.
What should students be able to evaluate regarding metal extraction?
Students should be able to evaluate alternative biological methods of metal extraction, given appropriate information.
