Using resources

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    • What are four main uses of Earth's natural resources by humans?
      Warmth, shelter, food, and transport.
    • Give two examples of natural products that are supplemented or replaced by agricultural or synthetic products.
      • Rubber (replaced by synthetic rubber)
      • Cotton (supplemented by polyester)
      • Natural dyes (replaced by synthetic dyes)
    • What is the definition of sustainable development?
      Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
    • What do natural resources and agriculture provide for humans?
      Food, timber, clothing, and fuels.
    • What role does chemistry play in sustainable development and industry?
      Improving agricultural and industrial processes, creating new products, and supporting sustainable development.
    • What does sustainable development aim to balance?
      The needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
    • What is one thing that orders of magnitude helps with in evaluating data?
      Orders of magnitude help us evaluate the significance of data, especially when comparing large differences in numbers. For example, if one resource use is 100 times larger than another, orders of magnitude can help you see how big that difference really is.
    • Why does desalination require large amounts of energy?
      Desalination requires large amounts of energy because the processes, like distillation and reverse osmosis, involve removing salts and other dissolved substances from the water, which requires significant energy input to either heat the water or push it through membranes.
    • What are the two main components of wastewater that need to be treated?
      Sewage and agricultural wastewater require removal of organic matter and harmful microbes, while industrial wastewater may require removal of organic matter and harmful chemicals.
    • What are the steps involved in sewage treatment?
      Sewage treatment includes:
      1. Screening and grit removal
      2. Sedimentation to produce sewage sludge and effluent
      3. Anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge
      4. Aerobic biological treatment of effluent.
    • How does the ease of obtaining potable water differ between wastewater, groundwater, and saltwater?
      • Groundwater is generally easier to treat for potable water, requiring filtration and sterilisation.
      • Wastewater requires more complex treatment (removing chemicals and microbes).
      • Saltwater requires desalination, which is energy-intensive and costly.
    • What is the treatment process for industrial wastewater?
      Industrial wastewater treatment may involve the removal of organic matter, harmful chemicals, and toxic substances, depending on the type of industry. Methods can include chemical precipitation, filtration, and neutralisation to remove harmful substances before the water is safely released or reused.
    • Why are copper ores becoming scarce?
      Copper ores are becoming scarce because the Earth's resources of metal ores are limited and many high-grade copper ores have already been extracted.
    • What is bioleaching and how does it work?
      Bioleaching uses bacteria to break down ores and produce leachate solutions that contain metal compounds, such as copper. These metal compounds can then be extracted from the leachate.
    • What are some disadvantages of phytomining and bioleaching?
      • Slow processes.
      • Large areas of land required.
      • May not be as economically efficient as traditional mining methods.
    • What makes allocating numerical values to pollutant effects in an LCA difficult?
      Allocating numerical values to pollutant effects is difficult because it requires value judgements, meaning it's not a purely objective process.
      • What is the problem with using selective or abbreviated LCAs?
      Selective or abbreviated LCAs can be misused to reach pre-determined conclusions, such as in support of advertising claims.
    • What should students be able to do in relation to LCAs for shopping bags?
      Students should be able to carry out simple comparative LCAs for shopping bags made from plastic and paper.
    • What are the key stages in an LCA for comparing plastic and paper bags?
      Raw material extraction, manufacturing, use, and disposal.
    • How does the raw material extraction differ for plastic and paper bags?
      Plastic uses petroleum; paper uses wood and water.
    • Which bag type is more reusable?
      Plastic bags are typically more reusable than paper bags.
    • What are the disposal impacts of plastic and paper bags?
      Plastic bags contribute more to landfill and litter; paper bags are biodegradable but require more resources to recycle.
    • Why is reducing the use, reuse, and recycling of materials important for the environment?
      It conserves limited resources, reduces energy use, minimizes waste, and lowers environmental impacts.
    • What are some of the environmental impacts of producing materials like metals, glass, and plastics?
      It leads to resource depletion, pollution, and energy use from limited resources, contributing to environmental harm.
    • How does quarrying and mining contribute to environmental impacts?
      They destroy ecosystems, cause soil erosion, water pollution, and habitat loss.
    • How can glass bottles be reused?
      Glass bottles can be cleaned, refilled, or crushed and melted to make new glass products.
    • What happens to glass bottles when they can no longer be reused?
      They are crushed and melted to create new glass products.
    • How are metals like steel recycled?
      Metals are melted, recast, or reformed into new products, saving energy and raw materials.
    • How much separation is required for recycling different metals?
      It depends on the metal; some require little separation, others need more detailed processing.
    • What is the benefit of recycling metals, such as steel and aluminum?
      It saves energy, reduces the need for mining, and decreases environmental impact.
    • What should students be able to evaluate when reducing the use of limited resources?
      Students should evaluate strategies like reuse, recycling, and using sustainable alternatives based on their environmental, economic, and social benefits.
    • What is corrosion?
      Corrosion is the destruction of materials by chemical reactions with substances in the environment. Rusting is an example of corrosion.
    • How can corrosion be prevented?
      Corrosion can be prevented by applying coatings like grease, paint, or electroplating to act as a barrier, stopping air and water from reaching the material.
    • How does aluminium prevent corrosion?
      Aluminium has an oxide coating that forms on its surface, protecting the metal from further corrosion. This oxide layer prevents the metal underneath from reacting with the environment.
    • What is sacrificial protection?
      Sacrificial protection involves using a more reactive metal that corrodes (erodes) instead of the metal being protected. The more reactive metal acts as a "sacrificial" anode, preventing the less reactive metal from corroding.
    • How can students explain sacrificial protection in terms of relative reactivity?
      Sacrificial protection works because a more reactive metal (like zinc) will react with the environment (corrode) before the less reactive metal (like iron), thereby protecting the less reactive metal from corrosion.
    • What is bronze made of?
      Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin.
    • What is brass made of?
      Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc.
    • What is gold used in jewellery usually an alloy of?
      Gold used in jewellery is usually an alloy of gold with silver, copper, and zinc.
    • What are steels made of?
      Steels are alloys of iron containing specific amounts of carbon and other metals.
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