⛏️ Q4 Vocab: Pt. 1

Question 1

Smelting

Answer 1

Process in which a desired metal is separated from the other elements in an ore mineral

Question 2

Open Pit Mining

Answer 2

A mining technique that uses a large pit or hole in the ground, visible from the surface of Earth

Question 3

Overburden

Answer 3

Layer of soil and rock overlying a mineral deposit. Surface mining removes this layer

Question 4

Subsurface Mining

Answer 4

Extraction of a metal ore or fuel resource such as coal from a deep underground deposit

Question 5

Mineral

Answer 5

A naturally occurring, inorganic solid that has a crystal structure & a definite chemical composition

Question 6

Ore

Answer 6

A rock that contains a large enough concentration of a mineral making it profitable to mine

Question 7

Acid Mine Drainage

Answer 7

Result of rainwater seeping through waste materials called tailings, which creates strong acids & dissolved toxic metals that move into nearby soil & water
•the low pH (acidic) liquid that flows out of coal or metal mines

Question 8

Quarries

Answer 8

Open pits for clay, gravel, sand, stone (limestone, granite, marble, slate)

Question 9

Estimated Reserve

Answer 9

Estimated quantities of oil and gas which are not supported by data - determined quantity of a mineral source that is economically feasible to recover

Question 10

Tailings / Tailings Pond

Answer 10

The materials left over after minerals have been extracted from the ore
Areas of mining tailings where refuse material is pumped into a pond to allow the separation of solids from water

Question 11

Strip Mining

Answer 11

A process whereby miners strip away at the surface of the earth to lay bare the mineral deposits

Question 12

Bauxite

Answer 12

Mineral used to make aluminum

Question 13

Reclamation

Answer 13

A process in which mined land must be recovered with soil and replanted with vegetation - returning land to its original condition

Question 14

Proven Reserve

Answer 14

The supply of energy remaining in deposits that have been discovered

Question 15

Slag

Answer 15

The residue or mass of metal left after smelting; worthless matter

Question 16

1st Law of Thermodynamics

Answer 16

The principle of conservation of energy. Energy can be transferred and transformed, but it cannot be created or destroyed

Question 17

2nd Law of Thermodynamics

Answer 17

Every energy transfer or transformation increases the entropy of the universe. Ordered forms of energy are at least partly converted to heat, and in spontaneous reactions, the free energy of the system also decreases. -Flows from hot to cold

Question 18

Chain Reaction

Answer 18

A series of reactions in which the product or by-product of the reaction initiates further reaction

Question 19

Peat

Answer 19

A brown, soil-like material characteristic of boggy, acid ground, consisting of partly decomposed vegetable matter. Used in gardening and for fuel

Question 20

Closed System

Answer 20

A system in which matter and energy exchanges do not occur across boundaries

Question 21

Open System

Answer 21

A system in which exchanges of matter or energy occur across system boundaries

Question 22

Fractional Distillation

Answer 22

Separating liquids into individual components

Question 23

Scrubber

Answer 23

A device that removes pollutants or changes them chemically before they leave factory smokestacks

Question 24

Hydrogen Fuel Cell

Answer 24

A cell that generates electricity from a controlled reaction between hydrogen & oxygen

Question 25

Nuclear Fission

Answer 25

A nuclear reaction in which a massive nucleus splits into smaller nuclei with the simultaneous release of energy

Question 26

Three Mile Island

Answer 26

A nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania. Infamous due to a partial meltdown of one of its reactors in 1979, which led to concerns about nuclear safety & environmental impact. Had significant consequences for the nuclear industry & public perception of nuclear power

Question 27

Anthracite

Answer 27

A type of coal, noted for being hard and clean burning

Question 28

Bituminous Coal

Answer 28

The most common form of coal; produces a high amount of heat & is used by electric power plants

Question 29

Lignite Coal

Answer 29

Lowest grade of coal containing only about 30% carbon

Question 30

Geothermal

Answer 30

Of, relating to, or produced by the internal heat of the earth

Question 31

Oil Sands

Answer 31

Deposits of moist sand & clay containing bitumen

Question 32

Natural Gas

Answer 32

Flammable gas, consisting of methane & other hydrocarbons, occurring naturally underground & used as fuel

Question 33

Energy Efficiency

Answer 33

The ratio of the amount of work done to the total amount of energy introduced to the system

Question 34

Wind Power

Answer 34

Power derived from the wind (as by windmills)

Question 35

Ionizing Radiation

Answer 35

Enough energy to dislodge electrons from atoms, forming ions; capable of causing cancer (gamma, X-rays, UV)

Question 36

Nuclear Fusion

Answer 36

A nuclear reaction in which atomic nuclei of low atomic number fuse to form a heavier nucleus with the release of energy

Question 37

Background Radiation

Answer 37

The nuclear radiation that comes from cosmic rays & from radioactive isotopes in the soil & air

Question 38

Biomass

Answer 38

A measure of the total dry mass of organisms within a particular region

Question 39

Photovoltaic Cell

Answer 39

A solar energy cell, usually made from silicon, that collects solar rays to generate electricity

Question 40

Chernobyl, Ukraine

Answer 40

April 26, 1986, unauthorized safety test, leads to fire and explosion at nuclear power plant—millions exposed to unsafe levels of radiation

Question 41

Control Rod

Answer 41

A device inserted between the fuel rods in a nuclear reactor to absorb excess neutrons & slow down / stop the fission reaction

Question 42

Curie

Answer 42

A unit of measure for radiation; 1 curie = 37 billion decays per second

Question 43

Hoover Dam

Answer 43

Dam built during Great Depression. Huge public works project on the Colorado River that provided jobs, water for irrigation, and power

Question 44

Three Gorges Dam

Answer 44

A dam begun in the late 20th century on the Chang Jiang in China, to help control flooding, generate power, & allow ships to sail farther into China

Question 45

Yucca Mountain

Answer 45

In Nevada as a permanent storage site for high-level radioactive wastes from commercially operated nuclear power plants

Question 46

Hydroelectric

Answer 46

Relating to the generation of electricity using flowing water to drive a turbine that powers a generator

Question 47

Point Source Pollution

Answer 47

Pollution that enters a body of water from a specific source

Question 48

PM10 & PM2.5

Answer 48

Produced by many industrial processes, particles get embedded in the lungs, PM in upper troposphere may reduce global warming

Question 49

Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)

Answer 49

• Air pollution that includes Nitrogen dioxide, nitric oxide, nitrous acid, & nitric acid
• Nitrogen dioxide holds the greatest interest, & it forms from automobile emissions as well as other forms of transportation.
• It can contribute to ozone development & particulate matter pollution

Question 50

Thermal Inversion

Answer 50

The temperature inversion in which warm air traps cold air and pollutants near the earth

Question 51

Asbestos

Answer 51

A long, thin, fibrous silicate mineral with insulating properties, which can cause cancer when inhaled

Question 52

VOCs (Volatile organic compounds)

Answer 52

Hydrocarbon solvents used in paints, stains and other products that are released into the air during the application of coatings & react with nitrous oxides and sunlight to form ozone

Question 53

Aerosols

Answer 53

Tiny solid particles or liquid droplets that stay suspended in the atmosphere for a long time

Question 54

Nonpoint Source Pollution

Answer 54

Pollution that comes from many sources rather than from a single, specific site