Science Unit 4 Lesson 7 Flashcards

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1
Q

Where are most metals and minerals found?

A

Most metals and minerals are found in Earth’s crust combined with other elements in rocks known as ores.

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2
Q

What is the meaning of ore?

A

naturally occurring rocks that contains useful metals and minerals mixed with large amounts of earth

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3
Q

What are the four types of Mining?

A

.Underground mining
.Surface mining
.Placer mining
.Situ mining

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4
Q

What is underground mining used for?

A

Is used to reach material deep under Earth’s surface. It is also used to retrieve valuable materials such as iron, copper, and tin

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5
Q

What is the environment like in underground mining?

A

Miners travel underground to dig out ores, so these mines must have structural support to ensure the tunnels don’t collapse. The mines also require ventilation systems to clear exhaust fumes and naturally occurring toxic gases such as methane and radon from the air.

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6
Q

Names some types of surface mining?

A

Surface mining includes a variety of methods, including strip mining, open-pit mining, and mountaintop removal.

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7
Q

Surface mining is used to retrieve what kind of materials?

A

These methods restructure large expanses of a
landscape in order to access relatively shallow minerals

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8
Q

Why is surface mining controversial?

A

Surface mining is highly controversial because of the damage it does to habitats and ecosystems.

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9
Q

What is placer mining?

A

Placer mining is the removal of minerals from alluvial deposits
and stream beds. Larger-scale placer mines use trommels or mechanical dredges to sift through much greater amounts of sediment.

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10
Q

What does alluvial deposists mean?

A

Gravel and sediment deposited where flowing water slows down

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11
Q

What is the simplest form of placer mining

A

The simplest form of placer mining is panning for
gold

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12
Q

What does larger scale placer mines use?

A

Larger-scale placer mines
use trommels or mechanical
dredges to sift through much
greater amounts of sediment.

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13
Q

What does Trommel mean?

A

A rotating cylindrical screen for washing and sorting ore

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14
Q

What does dredge mean?

A

A machine that lifts sediment from a body of water

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15
Q

How does placer mining affect the environment?

A

As large quantities of sediments are moved, placer mining can impact the marine ecosystem and the quality of surface water
downstream.

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16
Q

What does Situ mining involve?

A

In situ mining involves the use of solvents pumped into porous rock.
The solvents dissolve the target minerals to create a solution. The
solution is then pumped out of the rock so the mineral can be extracted.

17
Q

Situ mining is used to retrieve what?

A

This technique is most commonly used for uranium mining, though it can also be used to extract certain salts, copper, gold, and lithium.

18
Q

How does Situ mining affect the environment?

A

Even though it has a low production cost, the leaching liquid can seep into the rock and contaminate groundwater.

19
Q

What does solvent mean?

A

Even though it has a
low production cost, the leaching liquid
can seep into the rock and contaminate
ground water.

20
Q

What is special about lithium?

A

Lithium is a soft, silvery-white metal and is the lightest metal. It is also the lightest element that is solid at room temperature and pressure.

21
Q

True of False.

Lithium is not in its pure form in nature.

A

True, lithium is not found in its pure
form in nature, so it has to be extracted
from the brine or ore. Lithium extraction
involves mining to reach underground
deposits of lithium-rich minerals or
brines.

22
Q

Tin cans vs Aluminum cans

A

Tin cans are heavier and more durable than aluminum cans and are highly resistant to corrosion.
Aluminum cans are lighter, newer, and easier to recycle and there is much more of it in Earth’s crust

23
Q

Why is aluminum harder to mine than tin?

A

Because of its high reactivity, aluminum is much harder to extract from the earth than tin, as aluminum bonds with other elements to form compounds such as potassium aluminum sulfate and aluminum oxide.

24
Q

Most reactive metals are found with what?

A

Most reactive metals are often found as oxides (combined with oxygen). To extract the metal, the oxygen must be removed using chemical reactions

25
Q

What is the removal of oxygen from a substance called?

A

The removal of oxygen from a substance is called reduction.

26
Q

Is it hard to extract a reactive metal?

A

The more reactive the metal is, the harder it is to extract the metal from its ore.