Unit 3: Earth Materials Lesson 4: Non-Renewable Energy
Resources (Heath Earth Science pg. 84-96)
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Todays Objectives Assess the extraction and use of geological
resources, including: Recognize ways in which the study of rocks
relates to geology and industry (e.g., gravel deposits used for
construction materials) Distinguish between renewable and
non-renewable resources (e.g., wind and solar vs. fossil fuels)
Identify the uses of ore minerals, rock and sediment materials, and
fossil fuels (e.g., extracting metals) Describe several methods of
extraction employed in the development of ore minerals, rock and
sediment materials, and fossil fuels (e.g., open pit vs.
underground mining) Describe methods of concentrating and refining
ore minerals and fossil fuels (e.g., fractionation of fossil
fuels)
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Review Last day we learned more about the 3 different types of
rocks You should review this section by reading the summary on page
82, review the vocabulary terms on page 82, and answer the review
questions on page 82-83
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Geology and Industry The study of rocks in many ways relates to
industry Understanding the physical properties of rocks, how
different rocks are formed, and where they might be found is very
valuable in several industries: Mining/Extraction (Fossil Fuels,
Metals, Non-metals, etc.) Mineral Exploration Energy Environmental
Consulting Conservation Ex.) Understanding when and how petroleum
was formed can help energy companies determine where to drill for
oil
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Renewable vs. Non-renewable Which resources are renewable?
Non-renewable? Whats the difference between the two? non
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Renewable vs. Non-Renewable A renewable resource is one that
can be replaced in nature at a rate close to its rate of use Ex.)
oxygen in the air, trees in a forest, vegetables grown in the soil,
solar energy from the sun, etc. A nonrenewable resource is one that
exists in a fixed amount or is used up faster than it can be
replaced in nature Ex.) all metals such as gold, silver, iron,
copper, and aluminum; nonmetals such as sand, gravel, limestone,
and sulfur; and energy resources such as coal, oil, natural gas,
and uranium Some geological resources can be reused, but most of
them, especially the energy resources, are destroyed by use
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Metals and Nonmetals All metallic and many important
nonmetallic elements can be obtained from minerals Some elements
are attached to, but not chemically bonded to other elements and
are easily separated from them (gold, silver) More commonly, the
metal or nonmetal is chemically combined with another substance,
and must be chemically separated to be useful In both cases, the
valuable element is often only a small portion of the rock it is
found in
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Metals and Nonmetals Ore: A rock with a profitable amount of
the valuable element/mineral Ore mineral: the valuable
element/mineral Gangue: the rest of the rock Quartz, feldspar,
calcite, and dolomite are common gangue minerals Mineral resources
are nonrenewable Mineral reserves are the amount of known deposits
of a mineral in ores worth mining (profitable)
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Ore Minerals of Important Metals
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Mineral Availability Estimating how much of a particular
resource exists on Earth is a complex and controversial process
Difficult to make reliable estimates because exploration is
incomplete Most estimates refer to reserves Future availability of
a mineral/resource depends on the amount of supply as well as how
rapidly the supply is being used up The US is one of the largest
producers and consumers of mineral resources
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Methods of Extracting Ore Minerals Open pit mining Used when
materials are close to the surface
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Methods of Extracting Ore Minerals Underground mining Used when
materials are deep beneath the surface
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Uses of Metallic Ore Minerals Iron used in steel production
Steel used for construction of skyscrapers, bridges, tunnels,
ships, planes, trains, utensils, pins, many more Copper used in
electrical wiring, making brass Aluminum used for cans, cookware,
lightweight construction materials Zinc combined with copper to
make brass Also used to coat iron and steel, prevent rust Lead used
in storage batteries, solder, shielding around radioactive
materials
Energy Use Energy is defined as the ability to do work Water,
wind, animals, and even humans muscles can supply energy for work
Energy use has increased dramatically in the last century At one
time, wood, which can be burned for heat, light, and cooking, was
the major source of energy in the world Today, the worlds use of
energy is greater than ever, yet only 7% of that energy comes from
renewable sources like water power and wind The rest comes from
nonrenewable sources of energy
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Nonrenewable Energy Resources There are several sources of
nonrenewable energy: Fossil Fuels coal petroleum (oil) natural gas
Uranium
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Nonrenewable Energy Resources World Energy Use
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Fossil Fuels: Coal
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Coal is an organic sedimentary rock Formed from slowly decayed
plant materials that were buried in swamp waters All living things
contain C, H, and O As time passes, the H and O is lost and only
the C remains Plant material peat coal As the % of C increases, the
amount of energy given off by burning the coal increases World
reserves of coal could last hundreds of years at the present rate
of use
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Fossil Fuels: Petroleum
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Fossil Fuels: Natural Gas
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Fossil Fuels: Petroleum and Natural Gas The word petroleum
means rock oil Like coal, petroleum is a sedimentary material of
organic origin It is a mixture made mainly of liquid hydrocarbons
Gasoline and kerosene are two examples of hydrocarbons Petroleum
may have formed by slow chemical changes in plant/animal materials
buried under sand and clay in shallow coastal waters Some of the
hydrocarbons formed were liquid (petroleum) and some were gas
(natural gas)
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Fossil Fuels: Petroleum and Natural Gas As the sediments became
compacted, the hydrocarbons were squeezed into pores and cracks of
nearby sandstones or limestones that also contained seawater The
lighter, mixed hydrocarbon liquids (petroleum) rose above the sea
water, and the natural gas collected above the petroleum Wells are
drilled into oil-bearing rock to release the oil The pressure of
the natural gas helps to bring the oil to the surface Natural gas
often occurs with petroleum, but may also exist in great deposits
of gas alone
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Uses of Fossil Fuels Coal - electricity, steel production, raw
material in chemical factories, heating (China) Natural gas fuel
for heating Petroleum (petroleum, oil, kerosene, gasoline) fuel for
automobiles, heating, lubricants, raw material for plastics,
fertilizers, dyes, and medicines
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Nuclear Power: Uranium
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Uranium is not a fossil fuel, but it is a fuel or source of
energy It is used in nuclear reactors to generate electricity
Energy is obtained from certain kinds of uranium during atomic
fission (see the diagram) A nuclear power plant be used can produce
electricity by fissioning uranium inside a nuclear reactor Heat
produced during fission is used to create steam from water, the
steam then runs a turbine At present rate of use, US uranium
reserves will last about 20-30 years
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Uses of Nuclear Power Fourth most important source of energy
after the fossil fuels Used primarily for electricity