Topic 10 - Using Resources

Question 1

What do life cycle assessments show us?

Answer 1

The total environmental cost of a product from getting raw materials to disposal

Question 2

What are the four stage in a life cycle assessment?

Answer 2

1. Extracting raw materials
2. Manufacturing and packaging
3. Using the product
4. Product disposal

Question 3

Why life cycle assessment useful?

Answer 3

They can help us compare two products and evaluate which one we should be using based on how bad it is for the environment

Question 4

What are three problems with life cycle assessments?

Answer 4

1. Selective LCAs can be written just showing facts which support the companies products
2. Some impacts of the product cannot be quantified such as whether one pollutant is worse than another
3. LCAs can be biased based on the assessors personal values

Question 5

What is potable water and why isn’t it pure?

Answer 5

Potable water is water which is safe for people to drink, but it is not pure because it has minerals and ions added to it

Question 6

What does filtration entail?

Answer 6

The water is passed through a wire mesh in order to remove any large insoluble molecules, the wire mesh gradually gets smaller

Question 7

What does distillation entail?

Answer 7

Evaporating and then condensing the water again in order to remove any soluble substances that have been dissolved into it

Question 8

What does sterilisation entail?

Answer 8

This kills of any microbes or bacteria by bubbling chlorine gas through it, or using ozone or UV light

Question 9

What are composites?

Answer 9

Made of one material embedded into another