Using resources

    Cards (48)

    • What do we use Earth's resources for?
      Warmth, shelter, food, and transport
    • How do natural resources contribute to our needs?
      They provide food, timber, clothing, and fuels
    • What are finite resources?
      Resources with a limited supply
    • What role does chemistry play in sustainable development?
      It improves agricultural and industrial processes
    • What defines renewable energy resources?
      Sources that quickly replenish themselves
    • What is potable water?
      Water that is safe to drink
    • Why is potable water not considered 'pure'?
      It contains dissolved substances
    • What is the first step in producing potable water in the UK?
      Selecting an appropriate source of fresh water
    • What is the purpose of sterilizing water?
      To kill microbes present in the water
    • What is required if only salty water is available?
      Desalination
    • What are two methods of desalination?
      Distillation and reverse osmosis
    • What is essential for life regarding water quality?
      It must be free of poisonous salts and harmful microbes
    • What is the first step in wastewater treatment?
      Passing water through a mesh screen
    • What happens during anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge?
      Microbes break down organic matter without oxygen
    • Why is it cheaper to obtain potable water from groundwater?
      It is easier than desalinating seawater
    • What are copper ores becoming?
      Scarce
    • What are two new methods of extracting copper?
      Phytomining and bioleaching
    • How does phytomining work?
      Plants absorb metal compounds and are burned
    • What is bioleaching?
      Bacteria produce leachate solutions with metals
    • How can copper be obtained from copper compounds?
      By displacement using scrap iron or electrolysis
    • What is the purpose of a life cycle assessment (LCA)?
      To assess the environmental impact of products
    • What stages are assessed in an LCA?
      Extraction, manufacturing, use, and disposal
    • Why is quantifying pollutant effects in LCA challenging?
      It requires value judgments and is subjective
    • What can selective LCAs be misused for?
      To support advertising claims
    • How can reducing, reusing, and recycling help the environment?
      It reduces resource use and waste impacts
    • What materials are produced from limited raw materials?
      Metals, glass, building materials, and plastics
    • How can glass bottles be reused?
      They can be crushed and melted for new products
    • How are metals recycled?
      By melting and recasting or reforming
    • What is corrosion?
      Destruction of materials by chemical reactions
    • What is required for iron to rust?
      Both air and water
    • How can corrosion be prevented?
      By applying a protective coating
    • What is sacrificial protection?
      A more reactive metal protects another metal
    • What are most metals used in everyday applications?
      Alloys
    • Why are pure metals often mixed with other metals?
      To make them harder for everyday use
    • What is bronze an alloy of?
      Copper and tin
    • What is stainless steel resistant to?
      Corrosion
    • What are the properties of low-density polyethene?
      Low melting point and soft texture
    • How are thermosoftening polymers characterized?
      They are made of individual, tangled chains
    • What distinguishes thermosetting polymers?
      They do not melt when heated
    • What are composites made of?
      A matrix binding together reinforcement materials
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