Term 4

Question 1

What are mineral resources?

Answer 1

Resources are the things we need to live and work. Minerals are resources that are found inside rocks.
Example: Gold, silver, iron copper, platinum

Question 2

What are renewable resources?

Answer 2

Renewable resources can be replaced.

Example: trees, fish, water, crops, wildlife

Question 3

What are non-renewable resources?

Answer 3

Non-renewable resources cannot be replaced.

Example: Gold, silver, iron, copper, platinum

Question 4

What are South Africa’s main minerals

Answer 4

Gold, platinum, chrome.

Most of our minerals are exported and they make lost of money for our country

Question 5

What is gold used for?

Answer 5

Gold bar is called an ignot.

Gold is used to make coins, medals and jewellery, and to fill teeth.

Question 6

What is platinum used for?

Answer 6

Platinum is very rare. South Africa has the biggest platinum reserves in the world.
Platinum is used to make controllers of exhaust gases and they are needed all over the world.
Platinum is used to make disc drives for computers, jewellery.
Platinum jewellery is more valuable than gold jewellery.

Question 7

What is the hardest known substance?

Answer 7

Diamonds.
They are used for cutting instruments and jewellery.
South Africa is the leading producer of diamonds.

Question 8

What is iron ore used for?

Answer 8

We use coal and iron to make steel.
Steel is used for:
pipes, cars, fencing, cutlery, instruments
We export iron ore

Question 9

What is chrome used for?

Answer 9

Chrome is mixed with steel to make stainless steel.

Stainless steel is used for pots, pans, cutlery, kettles, medical instruments. It does not rust

Question 10

What is copper used for?

Answer 10

Electric cables, wires and water pipes

Question 11

What is silver used for?

Answer 11

Jewellery, trophies. It is mixed with other metals to make coins.

Question 12

What is Maganese

Answer 12

Maganese is mixed with steel to make it harder and stronger. Large high grade tools are made with maganese.

Question 13

How is coal formed?

Answer 13

1. Huge forests grew around 300 million years ago and covered the earth.
2. Vegetation dies and forms peat
3. Peat is compressed between sediment layers
4. Further compression forms coal.
5. And then coal is formed.

Question 14

What is coal used for?

Answer 14

Coal is used to make electricity
Petrol - made in mpumalanga
Oil
Plastic - made at SASOL factory in Sasolburg in the Free State and also Secunda in mpumalanga
Medicine and drugs
Cooking and heating in our homes