Using resources

• What is meant by raw material?

  A basic material from which a product is made.
• what is potable water?

  water that is safe to drink.
• What is sustainable development?

  Development that meets the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of further generations to meet thir own needs.
• What’s a renewable resource?

  A natural resource which can be used repeatedly and will not run out due to being naturally replenished.
• What’s an ore?

  A rock from which a metal can be extracted.
• What’s a life cycle assessment (LCA)?

  Life cycle assessments are carried out to assess the environmental impact if products in each of these stages: extracting and processing raw materials, manufacturing and packaging, use and operation during its life time, disposal at the end of its useful life.
• Where can natural resources be extracted from?

  The earth, atmosphere or the oceans.
• Give some examples of natural resources.


  Coal l, crude oil, metal ores, agricultural crops, wood.
• Define synthetic.

  A material that is man-made or not natural
• What is the majority of resources?

  Synthetic.
• Give examples of clothing resources.

  For most of human history natural fibre were used - cotton or wool. But today over half of the forvers are synthetic.
• nature resources such as agricultural resources are often improved for modern uses. how?

  Genetic modification makes crops more resistant to disease or increase their nutritional content.
• Metals are natural resources improved by human effort. Explain why.

  Metals are often combined with other elements to manipulate their properties. e.g iron is mixed with small amounts of carbon to produce steel. This increases the strength of the metal making it an ideal material for construction.
• what’s an organic resource with examples?

  resources that can be grown like agricultural ones -wood, cotton or wool.
• Why are most renewable resources organic?

  Renewable resources can be reproduced in the same time it takes them to be used so we won’t run. Organic resources often fulfil this requirement.
• Define finite.


  Finite means that something has a specific and limited quantity, like a set number of marbles.
• Define sustainability.

  when something meets our current needs with jeopardising the ability of future generations.
• What must we do to ensure a resource is used sustainably?

  Not deplete them; ensure they are conserved.
• Give a method of conserving resources.

  Recycling, makes resources last longer; cutting down on waste / unnecessary usage, reducing the use of resource; placing non-renewable resources with alternative renewable resources, ensuring they are not depleted.
• Who relies on water for survival.

  all living organism.
• water doesn’t always contain contaminants in the form of dissolved salts and naturally occurring bacteria. True or false.

  False. all water does in at least small quantities.
• Do contaminants always oppose a risk?

  No, only above a certain concentration will it cause sickness. so high concentrations of bacteria can spread dosease when consumed.
• Is potable and pure water the same thing?

  No, potable refers to having a low enough concentration of salts / bacteria that it will cause no harm; chemically pure water means it contains no other molecule than H2O.
• Give examples of non-potable water.

  Sewage water - high bacteria concentration

  sea water - high salt concentration
• Freshwater come from what?

  Filtration and sterilisation of rivers lakes and ground water.
• Steps to getting potable water.

  Rain falls as fresh water. Rain water collects in rivers, lakes and ground water. Water is filtered and sterilised for consumption.
• Fresh water doesn’t need to be treated due to its low concentration of salts so it doesn’t need to be treated to be potable. True or false


  False, it needs to be treated.
• What is the first stage in treating water.

  Filtration if large contaminants: water is passed through a large mesh filter removing larger solid contaminants- sticks / rocks / plastics / refuse.
• What’s the second stage of testing water.

  Filtration of sediment. This stage involves the use of a finer mesh called ‘sand and gravel mesh’ to remove sediments - soil / sand / gravel.
• What’s the third step of treating water?

  Sterilisations: treating water with chemicals -chlorine or ozone- and exposing it to uv killing the presence or bacteria and microorganisms preventing sickness.
• Some countries are less rainy, where do they get their water from?

  Sea water.
• How is the sea water made potable?

  Desalination- simple distillation or reverse osmosis
• Give the steps of distillation.


  Sea water is boiled producing stream. The stream is piped away leaving only the now solid salt. Steam can now condense back into water in another vessel. This has removed its solid contaminants annd salt content. The water can now be treated removing any remaining contaminants leaving potable water.
• explain reverse osmosis

  Salt water is passed through a permeable membrane designed so only water molecules can pass through. Any larger molecules or ions are unable to pass through the membrane so are left behind when waters passed through. This leaves potable water.
• What’s the downside of reverse osmosis and distillation?

  they require large amounts if energy making desalination impractical for use on a large scale due to cost.
• What is waters pH?

  Neutral / 7
• l what’s the purpose of a lifecycle assessment?


  To assess the environmental impacts of a product or process throughout its entire life cycle.
• list the 4 main stages of a LCA.

  Extraction and processing of the raw materials.

  manufacturing and packaging your products.

  using the product.

  disposal.

  (transportation)
• When is extraction / processing bad?

  When it damaged the local environment - cutting down forests, digging huge mines

  or indirectly causing damage due to the huge amount of energy processing required - extracting metals from ores, pollutants released during fractional distillation of crude oil.
• Main problems with manufacturing and packaging.

  Energy use

  pollution - carbon monoxide, hydrogen chloride.

  waste products - can be used as a raw material but often are useless and have to be disposed of.