Mining Of Minerals Resources

Question 1

Common mining methods on South Africa

Answer 1

Panning- separating gold from soil or gravels by washing in a pan with water

Surface mining (open pit mining)- process whereby soil and rock overlying the mineral deposit are removed. The valuable minerals are then blasted into smaller rocks using explosives. The rocks are loaded onto huge trucks and taken away for further crushing and processing

Underground mining (shaft mining) -after drilling, blasting and equipping a mine shaft, tunnels are built leading outwards from the main shaft to the ore deposits.

Question 2

Ancient methods of refining metals

Answer 2

People mixed charcoal and iron ore and heated them in a pit.The oxygen in the ore combined with the carbon from the charcoal to form carbon dioxide and the iron was left behind. The process is now called smelting

Question 3

Modern process of extracting iron from iron core

Answer 3

Once the ore is mined, it is crushed into smaller pieces to make extraction of the iron easier. Smelting involves heating the crushed ore to a very high temperature, often in a blast furnace. Metallic iron is then removed using chemical reactions

Question 4

Uses for gold

Answer 4

Jewellery
Medals and Awards
Dentistry and Medicine
Aerospace

Question 5

What jobs does the mining industry create

Answer 5

Geologists
Miners
Mining and chemical engineers