Using Resources

Question 1

What is a ceramic?

Answer 1

• non metal solid

- have high melting point that aren’t carbon based compounds

Question 2

What are some examples of ceramics?

Answer 2

• clay ceramic

- glass

Question 3

How is glass created?

Answer 3

Heat a mixture of limestone, sand and sodium carbonate until it melts
When mixture cools it comes out as glass

Question 4

How is clay ceramic formed?

Answer 4

When clay is fired at high temperatures, it hardens to form a clay ceramic

Question 5

What is a composite?

Answer 5

• made of one material embedded in another

- fibres or fragments of a material are surrounded by a matrix acting as a binder

Question 6

What are some examples of composites?

Answer 6

• fibreglass
• carbon fibre
• concrete
• wood

Question 7

How is low density (LD) poly(ethane) made?

Answer 7

• made from ethene at a moderate temperature under a high pressure and with a catalyst
• used for bags and bottles as it is flexible

Question 8

How is high density (HD) poly(ethene) made?

Answer 8

• made from ethene at a lower temp and pressure with a different catalyst
• more rigid and is used for water tanks and drainpipes

Question 9

What is a thermosetting polymer?

Answer 9

Contains monomers that can form cross links between the polymer chains which holds chains together in a solid structure

• don’t soften when they’re heated
• strong, hard and rigid

Question 10

What is a thermosoftening polymer?

Answer 10

Contain individual polymer gains entwined together with weak forces between chains
-can be melted and remoulded

Question 11

What properties do ceramics have?

Answer 11

-good insulators of heat and electricity
-brittle and stiff
Eg porcelain and bricks

Question 12

What properties do polymers have?

Answer 12

• good insulators of heat and electricity
• can be flexible and easily moulder
• used in clothing and insulators in electrical items

Question 13

What properties do composites have?

Answer 13

Their properties depend on the matrix/binder and the reinforcement used to make them
-have many uses

Question 14

What properties do metals have?

Answer 14

-generally malleable
-good conductors of heat and electricity
-ductile (drawn into wires)
-shiny and stiff
Eg used in electrical wires, cutlery etc

Question 15

How is an alloy created?

Answer 15

Made by adding another element to metal

This disrupts the structure of the metal, making alloys harder than pure metals

Question 16

How are steels created?

Answer 16

Adding a small amount of carbon and sometimes other metals to pure carbon

Question 17

What is corrosion?

Answer 17

Where metals react with substances in their environment and are gradually destroyed
-happens on the surface of a material where it’s exposed to air

Question 18

How does iron “rust” ?

Answer 18

Needs to be in contact with both oxygen and water which are present in the air
-destroys the object as the rust flakes off leaving more iron to rust again

Question 19

What is the formula for hydrated iron (lll) oxide? (Rusting of iron)

Answer 19

iron + oxygen + water —-> hydrated iron (lll) oxide (iron is oxidised)

Question 20

What happens when aluminium corrodes?

Answer 20

• things made from Al are not destroyed by corrosion
• because the aluminium oxide formed doesn’t flake away
• it forms a nice protective layer that sticks firmly to aluminium to stop any further reaction taking place unlike iron

Question 21

Why will the mass of a rusty nail increase?

Answer 21

Because iron atoms in nail have bonded to oxygen and water molecules
-results in a compound that is heavier than iron alone

Question 22

How can rusting be prevented?

Answer 22

• painting/coating with plastic (barrier from oxygen and water)
• electroplating (coat iron with layer of different material)
• oiling/greasing

Question 23

What is a finite resource?

Answer 23

• non-renewable

- aren’t formed quickly enough to be considered replaceable

Question 24

Examples of finite resources?

Answer 24

• fossil fuels
• nuclear fuels-uranium & plutonium
• minerals and metals in ores in earth

Question 25

What is the Haber process?

Answer 25

Used to make ammonia from hydrogen and nitrogen

Question 26

What is the equation to form ammonia in the Haber process?

Answer 26

Nitrogen + hydrogen >< ammonia

Question 27

What is bioleaching?

Answer 27

Used to convert copper compounds in the ore into soluble copper compounds, separating the copper from the ore in the process

Question 28

What is phytomining?

Answer 28

Involves growing plants in soil that contains water

Question 29

What is potable water?

Answer 29

Water that has been treated or is naturally safe to be drank
-has a pH of 6.5 -8.5 (no bacteria in it)

Question 30

What is an NPK fertiliser?

Answer 30

Formulations containing salts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium
-in the right percentage of the elements

Question 31

What happens in the Haber process?

Answer 31

• nitrogen easily obtained from the air (78%)
• reactant gases are passed over an iron catalyst. A high temp and pressure are used
• some of the ammonia converts back into hydrogen and nitrogen again (reversible)
• ammonia is formed as a gas but then condenses and is removed