c9 the earths resources Flashcards
what are natural resources?
where do they come from?
1) resources that form without any human input. some of the products made from natural resources can be replaced by synthetic products or improved upon by man made processes.
2) the earth, sea and air
what are renewable resources?
examples?
1) resources that reform at a similar rate to, or faster than we use them.
2) an example is timber as trees can be planted following a harvest and only take a few years to grow.
3) fresh water
what are finite resources?
examples?
1) resources that arent formed quickly enough to be considered replaceable.
2) some examples are fossil fuels, nuclear fuels (such as uranium and plutonium), minerals and metals found in ores.
what happens to many finite resources after they’ve been extracted?
examples?
they undergo man-made processes to provide fuels and materials necessary for modern life.
- eg: crude oil undergoing fractional distillation to produce petrol.
- eg: metal ores being reduced to pure metal
what must people bear in mind when extracting raw finite resources?
1) they have to balance out: social, economic and environmental effects of extraction.
how can we improve the sustainability of copper?
extracting copper from low-grade ores:
1) bioleaching
2) phytomining
what is sustainable development?
an approach to development that takes into account the needs of present society, while not damaging the lives of future generations
in what ways can resources not be sustainable?
1) using them
2) extracting them due to the amount of energy used and waste produced.
3) processing resources into useful materials due to the energy used and the fact that they’re made from finite resources
how does biobleaching work?
1) bacteria is used to convert copper compounds in the ore into soluble copper compounds, extracting the copper in the process.
2) the leachate contains copper ions which can be extracted by electrolysis or displacement with scrap iron
how does phytomining work?
1) involves growing plants in soil that contains copper.
2) the plants cant use or get rid of the copper so it gradually builds up in the leaves.
3) the plants can be harvested, dried and burned in a furnace.
4) the ash containing the soluble copper compounds can be electrolysed or displaced to extract the soluble copper compounds
how are metals usually recycled?
1) by melting them and then casting them into the shape of a new product
- depending on what the metal will be used for after recycling, the amount of separation required for recyclable metals can change
what are some disadvantages and advantages to recycling metals?
DISADVANTAGES-
1) the process is slow
ADVANTAGE-
1) uses much less energy than mining for metals.
2) conserves the finite resources
3) reduces the amount of waste getting sent to landfill
how can glass be recycled?
1) the glass is separated by colour and chemical composition before being recycled.
2) the glass is then crushed and then melted to be reshaped for use in glass products such as bottles or jars.
3) it can also be used for insulating glass wool insulation in homes
what is the life cycle assessment?
an assessment that looks at the stage of a products life to assess the impact it would have on the environment.
what are the different stages that need to be considered in the LCA?
1) getting the raw materials
2) manufacturing and packaging
3) using the product
4) product disposal
what could selective or abbreviated LCA be devised to do?
to evaluate a product. however these can be misused to reach a predetermined conclusion. eg in support of claims for advertising purposes
what is the LCA for a plastic bag?
1) RAW MATERIALS:
- crude oil
2) MANUFACTURING & PACKAGING:
- compounds needed to make the plastic bag are extracted by fractional distillation. followed by cracking and then polymerisation
3) USING THE PRODUCT:
- can be reused. used as shopping bags or bin liners.
4) PRODUCT DISPOSAL:
- recyclable but not biodegradable and will take up space in a landfill
what is the LCA for a paper bag?
1) RAW MATERIALS:
- timber
2) MANUFACTURING & PACKAGING:
- pulped timber is processed using lots of energy. lots of waste is made.
3) USING THE PRODUCT:
- usually only used once
4) PRODUCT DISPOSAL:
- biodegradable, non toxic and can be recycled
problems with LCAs?
1) the effect of pollutants is harder to give a numerical value to.
2) they can be biased as it takes into account the values of the person carrying out the assessment.
3) selective LCAs only show some of the impacts of a product on the environment, they can also be biased as they can be deliberately written to support the positive claims of a company.
what is potable water?
water that has been treated or is naturally safe for humans to drink- its essential for life
is potable water also pure?
no it wouldnt be considered pure because pure water contains only H2O molecules. whereas potable water contains many other dissolved substances
what are two ways in which you can collect water when it rains?
1) collect it as surface water (lakes, rivers ect)
2) collect it as groundwater (in rocks underground called aquifers that trap water underground)
how to treat rain water to make it potable?
1) filtration with a wire mesh which screens out large solids.
2) sand beds which also filter out large solids.
3) sterilisation which kills any harmful bacteria or microbes. (using chlorine gas, UV lights or ozone)
how to treat sea water to make it potable?
- desalination using distillation to evaporate out the water.
- reverse osmosis where the salty water is passed through membranes that only allows water molecules to pass through. ions and larger molecules are trapped by the membrane.
BOTH METHODS REQUIRE A LOT OF ENERGY AND ARE THEREFORE EXPENSIVE AND NOT PRACTICAL TO PRODUCE LARGE QUANTITIES
how to treat sewage treatment?
1) the sewage is screened- removing any large solids.
2) sedimentation- sewage stands in a settlement tank. the bottom= sludge & top= effluent.
3) effluent is treated by biological aerobic digestion to break down any organic matter.
4) sludge is treated by anaerobic digestion to break down organic matter, releasing methane which can be used as an energy source. remaining waste can be used as a fertiliser.
5) waste water containing toxic substances may undergo adding chemicals, UV radiation or membranes
what is the haber process?
what is the equation to make ammonia?
Pros of this reaction?
1) it is the process in which ammonia is formed.
2) N2 + 3H2 —> 2NH3
3) well suited for an industrial scale as the reactants arent too difficult or expensive
how does the haber process work?
1) the reactant gases are passed over an iron catalyst at a temperature of 450 degrees and a pressure of 200 atmospheres.
2) the reactants then react to form ammonia and are condensed out
what can happen due to the fact that the haber process is a reversible reaction?
some of the ammonia produced coverts back to hydrogen and nitrogen. it eventually reaches a dynamic equilibrium
what is a use of ammonia?
used to make ammonium nitrate - a very nitrogen rich fertiliser
where is nitrogen and hydrogen obtained?
NITROGEN: air (78% of air is nitrogen)
HYDROGEN: reacting methane with steam to form hydrogen and carbon dioxide.
what type of reaction is the haber process?
so what would happen if the temperature is increased?
but why is a lower temperature bad for the haber process?
1) an exothermic reaction
2) the equilibrium would shift the wrong way
3) because although a lower temp would increase the yield of ammonia, it does mean that there would be a slower rate of reaction, so equilibrium would be reached more slowly
so what is the compromise of temperature for the haber process?
450 degrees is the compromise between the maximum yield and the speed of the reaction
how does pressure effect the haber process?
1) higher pressure shifts the equilibrium towards the products since there are 4 molecules pf gas on the left side for every 2 molecules on the right.
2) so increasing the pressure also increases the yield and the rate of reaction
what is the compromise for pressure in the haber process?
the pressure is set as high as possible without making it too expensive or too dangerous to maintain. 200 atmospheres
what catalyst is added to the haber process (but doesnt affect the yield) ?
an iron catalyst
how do farmers fertilise land?
farmers use manure to fertilise fields as they are more widely available, easier to use, dont smell and have just enough of each nutrient so more crops can be grown
what are the 3 essential nutrients in fertilisers?
nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium
what do fertilisers do?
they replace the elements , or provide more of them.
this helps to increase crop yield, as the crops can grow faster and bigger
what are NPK fertilisers?
fertilisers containing salts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the RIGHT percentages
what can ammonia be used to produce?
examples?
1) nitrogen- containing compounds
- ammonia could be reacted with oxygen and water to make nitric acid.
- ammonia could be reacted with a series of acids to get ammonium salts for fertilisers.
- ammonia and nitric acid can react together to form ammonium nitrate, very good fertiliser
how can a fertiliser such as ammonium nitrate be made in the industry?
1) the reaction of ammonia and nitric acid is carried out in giant vats, at high concentrations, resulting in a very exothermic reaction.
2) the heat released is used to evaporate water from the mixture to make a very concentrated ammonium nitrate product.
how can a fertiliser such as ammonium nitrate be made in the industry?
1) the reaction is carried out in a smaller scale by titration and crystallisation.
2) the reactants are at much lower concentration than in the industry, so less heat is produced by the reaction and it is safer for a person to carry out.
3) after the titration, the mixture then needs to be crystallised to give pure ammonium nitrate crystals.
4) crystallisation isnt used in the industry as it is very slow
where are phosphate and potassium sourced?
-from mined compounds
what compounds of potassium can be mined as a source of potassium?
-potassium chloride and potassium sulphate