Earth's Resources Flashcards
Aquifier
porous rock strata containing water
Bauxite
aluminium ore
Bioleaching
a method of extracting copper from low-grade ore involving bacteria that break the copper sulphate bonds, separating the copper and sulphate atom by atom
Chalcopyrite
a low-grade copper ore, 0.27% copper
Chlorination
where chlorine is added to kill bacteria
Coagulants
bind contaminants together to remove them
Coarse Filtering
removes more small items from water
Desalination
where sodium chloride is removed from water to get potable water
Displacement
method of extracting copper where malachite is reacted with sulphuric acid to produce copper sulphate, when copper is then extracted from the copper sulphate by displacement with scrap iron
Effluent
liquid waste
Eutrophication
where fertilisers that have been used for agricultural uses runs off into the rivers or sea, increasing the amount of algae, meaning algae covers the surface of the water and prevents oxygen or sunlight getting to other organisms in the water
Filtration
where smaller objects are removed by sand
Fine Filtering
removes very small items from water
Finite Resources
resources such as coal, oil, natural gas and metals that will one day run out as they are being used quicker than they can be created
Flouride
added to water to help strengthen teeth
Fresh Water
water from rain that has collected in lakes, rivers or underground
Grey Water
rain water that can be used for things such as toilets and recycled water
Ground Water
rain water that collects underground
High-Grade Ore
ore with lots of the desired metal
Low-Grade Ore
ores with less than 1% of the desired metal
Malachite
copper ore, copper carbonate
Natural Resources
resources such as wool, cotton, linseed oil and wood that are found naturally-occurring
Phytomining
a method of extracting copper from low-grade ore involving plants taking copper up from the soil so they are contained in the plant, burning the plant then leaves the copper as sa solid oxide in the ash, the copper and oxygen are then separated by electrolysis
Potable Water
water that is safe to drink, but rarely pure, as it often has dissolved salts and some microbes in it
Pure Water
water that contains only H2O
Rain Water
water that dissolves from gasses in the air and falls to the ground
Renewable Resources
resources such as biomass, solar and wind that are never going to run out
Screening
where water is passed through a wire mesh, removing large items such as leaves and sticks
Sedimentation
sands and sediments settle to the bottom of the tank and the top later of water is taken off
Sewerage
pipes that sewage runs through
Sludge
solid waste
Smelting
where malachite is ground down and roasted and this requires a lot of energy as the temperatures needs to be very high and after smelting the copper needs to be purified by electrolysis as impure copper has very high resistance and will overheat; this is a reduction reaction
Sterilisation
where compounds such as ozone, chlorine and UV light is added to water to kill microbes
Synthetic Resources
resources such as nylon, polyvinylchloride, polyester and composites that are manmade
Filtration
where smaller objects are removed by sand
Wastewater
unsafe water that, if put back into the environment, may contain pollutants, organic matter, harmful microbes, pesticides, fertilisers and harmful chemicals
Agricultural Wastewater
wastewater from farmland
Industrial Wastewater
wastewater from factories
Sewage
wastewater from households and businesses
