Chemistry: Using Resources: Key terms

• Agriculture

  farming
• Sustainable development


  development that meets the needs of the current generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
• Fresh water


  water that contains low levels of dissolved salts
• Potable


  water that is safe to drink
• Desalinated

  salt water that has had all the dissolved salts removed to make pure water
• Phytomining

  the use of plants to extract metals from low-grade ores
• Bioleaching


  the use of bacteria to extract metals from low-grade ores
• Corrode


  when a metal reacts with oxygen and water, e.g. the rusting of iron
• Rusting


  when iron or steel objects corrode
• Sacrificial Protection


  a method of protecting iron or steel objects by placing a more reactive metal, such as magnesium, in contact with the object - the magnesium reacts but the object does not
• Galvanising


  a method of protecting iron or steel objects by covering them in a coating of zinc
• Composite material


  a material consisting of two materials with different properties, which are combined together to produce an improved material with its own properties that are better than either of the individual components' properties
• Life cycle assessment (LCA)


  used to assess the environmental impact a product has over its whole lifetime
• Reversible reaction


  a reaction that can go forwards or backwards
• Haber oricess


  an industrial process used to manufacture ammonia, NH3
• Catalyst


  a substance that speeds up the rate of a chemical reaction, but is not used up in the reaction itself
• Exothermic


  a reaction that gives out energy to the surroundings
• NPK fertilisers


  fertilisers that contain nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium to help plants grow better
• Phosphate rock


  a rock that contains high level of phosphorus compounds