Using Resources

Question 1

Using earths resources

Answer 1

We​ ​use​ ​them​ ​to​ ​provide​ ​warmth,​ ​shelter,​ ​food​ ​and​ ​transport
● Natural​ ​resources,​ ​supplemented​ ​by​ ​agriculture,​ ​provide​ ​food,​ ​timber,​ ​clothing
and​ ​fuels
● Finite​ ​resources​ ​from​ ​the​ ​Earth,​ ​oceans​ ​and​ ​atmosphere​ ​are​ ​processed​ ​to
provide​ ​energy​ ​and​ ​materials
● Chemistry​ ​plays​ ​an​ ​important​ ​role​ ​in​ ​improving​ ​agricultural​ ​and​ ​industrial
processes​ ​to​ ​provide​ ​new​ ​products​ ​and​ ​in​ ​sustainable​ ​development,​ ​which​ ​is development​ ​that​ ​meets​ ​the​ ​needs​ ​of​ ​current​ ​generations​ ​without compromising​ ​the​ ​ability​ ​of​ ​future​ ​generations​ ​to​ ​meet​ ​their​ ​own​ ​needs
● Renewable​ ​energy​ ​resources:​ ​sources​ ​of​ ​power​ ​that​ ​quickly​ ​replenish themselves​ ​and​ ​can​ ​be​ ​used​ ​again​ ​(only​ ​includes​ ​plants/wood​ ​if​ ​they​ ​continue​ ​to be​ ​re-planted)
● Finite​ ​resources:​ ​have​ ​a​ ​limited​ ​supply​ ​that​ ​will​ ​eventually​ ​run​ ​out

Question 2

Potable water

Answer 2

● Potable​ ​water=​ ​water​ ​that​ ​is​ ​safe​ ​to​ ​drink
● Potable​ ​water​ ​is​ ​not​ ​‘pure’​ ​because​ ​it​ ​contains​ ​dissolved​ ​substances,​ ​athough​ ​to
be​ ​safe​ ​it​ ​must​ ​have​ ​sufficiently​ ​low​ ​levels​ ​of​ ​dissolved​ ​salts​ ​and​ ​microbes
● The​ ​methods​ ​used​ ​to​ ​produce​ ​potable​ ​water​ ​depend​ ​on​ ​available​ ​supplies​ ​of
water​ ​and​ ​local​ ​conditions.​ ​In​ ​the​ ​UK:
○ an​ ​appropriate​ ​source​ ​of​ ​fresh​ ​water​ ​is​ ​selected​ ​(rain​ ​provides​ ​water​ ​with
low​ ​levels​ ​of​ ​dissolved​ ​substances​ ​and​ ​this​ ​collects​ ​in​ ​the
ground/rivers/lakes)
○ the​ ​water​ ​is​ ​passed​ ​through​ ​filter​ ​beds​ ​to​ ​remove​ ​different​ ​sized
insoluble​ ​solids
○ the​ ​water​ ​is​ ​then​ ​sterilised,​ ​to​ ​kill​ ​microbes​ ​(sterilising​ ​agents​ ​include:
ozone,​ ​UV​ ​light​ ​or​ ​chlorine)
● If​ ​only​ ​salty/sea​ ​water​ ​is​ ​available,​ ​desalination​ ​is​ ​required:
○ can​ ​be​ ​done​ ​by​ ​distillation
○ OR​ ​can​ ​be​ ​done​ ​using​ ​processes​ ​with​ ​membranes​ ​(e.g.​ ​reverse​ ​osmosis)
○ BOTH​ ​are​ ​very​ ​expensive

Question 3

Waste water treatment

Answer 3

Water​ ​of​ ​the​ ​correct​ ​quality​ ​is​ ​essential
for​ ​life.​ ​It​ ​must​ ​be​ ​free​ ​of​ ​poisonous​ ​salts and​ ​harmful​ ​microbes

Question 4

How quality water is produced

Answer 4

Water​ ​is​ ​passed​ ​through​ ​a​ ​mesh​ ​screen
to​ ​remove​ ​large​ ​bits​ ​e.g​ ​twigs​ ​or​ ​grit
2. Chemicals​ ​are​ ​added​ ​to​ ​make​ ​solids​ ​and
microbes​ ​stick​ ​together​ ​to​ ​form sediment​ ​and​ ​sink
3. There​ ​is​ ​then​ ​anaerobic​ ​digestion​ ​of​ ​sewage​ ​sludge
4. The​ ​water​ ​is​ ​then​ ​sterilised​ ​with​ ​chlorine​ ​to​ ​kill​ ​any​ ​microbes​ ​left.

Question 5

Pros of potable water

Answer 5

it​ ​is​ ​relatively​ ​cheaper​ ​and​ ​easier​ ​to​ ​obtain​ ​potable​ ​water​ ​from​ ​groundwater​ ​and wastewater​ ​than​ ​salt​ ​water,​ ​although​ ​seawater​ ​is​ ​a​ ​plentiful​ ​raw​ ​material,​ ​so​ ​is good​ ​for​ ​countries​ ​with​ ​little​ ​fresh​ ​water
Alternative​ ​methods​ ​of​ ​extracti

Question 6

Alternate methods of extracting metals

Answer 6

Earth’s​ ​resources​ ​of​ ​metal​ ​ores​ ​are​ ​limited
● Copper​ ​ores​ ​are​ ​becoming​ ​scarce​ ​and​ ​new​ ​ways​ ​of​ ​extracting​ ​copper​ ​from
low-grade​ ​ores​ ​include​ ​phytomining,​ ​and​ ​bioleaching
o These​ ​methods​ ​avoid​ ​traditional​ ​mining​ ​methods​ ​of​ ​digging,​ ​moving
and​ ​disposing​ ​of​ ​large​ ​amounts​ ​of​ ​rock
● Phytomining​ ​uses​ ​plants​ ​to​ ​absorb​ ​metal​ ​compounds.
o Plants​ ​are​ ​harvested​ ​and​ ​then​ ​burned​ ​to​ ​produce​ ​ash​ ​that​ ​contains metal​ ​compounds
● Bioleaching​ ​uses​ ​bacteria​ ​to​ ​produce​ ​leachate​ ​solutions​ ​that​ ​contain​ ​metal compounds
● The​ ​metal​ ​compounds​ ​can​ ​be​ ​processed​ ​to​ ​obtain​ ​the​ ​metal
● For​ ​example,​ ​copper​ ​can​ ​be​ ​obtained​ ​from​ ​solutions​ ​of​ ​copper​ ​compounds​ ​by
displacement​ ​using​ ​scrap​ ​iron​ ​or​ ​by​ ​electrolysi