Using Resources Continued (Unit 10)

Question 1

How do you make a ‘Life Cycle Assessment’ of a product?

Answer 1

Look at the different stages of the product’s life:
- extracting/processing raw materials
- manufacturing and packaging
- use + operation during lifetime
- disposal at end of useful life
(It then repeats itself and links back to start)

Question 2

What do you consider at the extraction/processing of raw materials stage?

Answer 2

• Is it finite or renewable?
• Energy involves for process and extraction
• Environmental impacts e.g. mining scars the land
• Energy and resources used for transport

Question 3

What is a ‘Life Cycle Assessment’?

Answer 3

Looking at the environmental impacts of the making, usage, and disposal of a product

Question 4

What do you consider at the manufacturing/packaging stage?

Answer 4

• Amount of energy needed
• How much water required
• Chemicals needed
• Types of pollution caused
• Transportation to consumer

Question 5

What do you consider at the ‘use + operation during lifetime’ stage?

Answer 5

• How much electricity used e.g. repeated phone charging (though better jan buying new phone as won’t repeat first two stages?)
• Durability
• Pollution caused e.g. nitrous and sulfur dioxides from the exhaust of a car

Question 6

What do you consider at the end of the product’s useful life?

Answer 6

• If it is sent to landfill (releases methane, running out)
• Incineration (organic matter): carbon neutral, heat can be used as energy
• Recycling and reusing

Question 7

What is the best way to dispose of a product at the end of its useful life?

Answer 7

3 Rs as less resources will be used up in making new products

Question 8

What is an issue of reusing products (such as glass)?

Answer 8

Has to be cleaned AND transported

Question 9

How do you recycle metal?

Answer 9

Melting the metal and recasting (use a furnace)

Question 10

How do you recycle glass?

Answer 10

Melt and crush glass to make new glass products

Question 11

What is corrosion?

Answer 11

Corrosion weakens a material and breaks it down

Question 12

What are different methods of corrosion?

Answer 12

Reacting with oxygen/oxygen

Reacting with oxygen AND water (rust)

Question 13

Why does it not matter if aluminium is oxidised?

Answer 13

Aluminium oxide is formed at surface and acts as a protective layer to prevent the rest of the aluminium from eroding

Question 14

What is the formula for rust/hydrated iron oxide? (re-do formula in subscript)

What type of iron ion is it?

Answer 14

Fe2O3.H2O

Iron (III)

Question 15

What are the two ways of preventing corrosion in something like iron?

Answer 15

1) Barrier Protection

2) Sacrificial Protection

Question 16

What is the barrier method? give examples

Answer 16

Covering the metal with another material.

Examples: paint, oil, plastic, LESS REACTIVE METAL

Question 17

What is the process of covering a metal with a less reactive one?

Answer 17

Electroplating: dip object in molten metal

Question 18

What is an issue of using the barrier method?

Answer 18

The barrier is compromised if it scratched.

Question 19

What is the process of sacrificial protection? Give examples

Answer 19

Coating the metal with a MORE REACTIVE metal e.g. magnesium, aluminium, zinc (galvanising)

It works because if rust forms in the iron, the more reactive metal displaced the iron from the oxide

Question 20

What is the advantage of using sacrificial protection?

Answer 20

1) You don’t need to coat the whole surface
2) It is more effective
3) It can be used in more harsh conditions

Question 21

What is the disadvantage of using sacrificial protection?

Answer 21

• It needs to be replaced regularly

- It is more expensive

Question 22

Amount of separation required for recycling depends on…

Answer 22

…material and properties required of the final product

Question 23

Describe one way of recycling iron.

Answer 23

Add scrap steel to a blast furnace to