Science Unit 4 Lesson 8

Question 1

What are rare-earth elements?

Answer 1

A group of metallic elements in the lanthanide series that are difficult and dangerous to extract

Question 2

How many elements are on the periodic table?

Answer 2

118

Question 3

How many elements are in the human body?

Answer 3

6

Question 4

How many element are in a phone?

Answer 4

about 75

Question 5

What is lithium? State its chararterstics?

Answer 5

Lithium is a soft metal and the lightest element that is solid at standard room temperature and pressure. It is highly reactive and flammable.

Question 6

What role does lithium play in cellphones?

Answer 6

Lithium is also one of the primary components of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries used in smartphones and other portable electronics.

Question 7

Are lithium ion batteries safe?

Answer 7

No, Lithium ion batteries have caused numerous fires and explosions when they’ve been mishandled or damaged.

Question 8

What are lithium batteries made out of?

Answer 8

Lithium-ion batteries are made up of an anode, a cathode, a separator, an electrolyte, and two current collectors, one positive and one negative

Question 9

Where is the lithium located in the battery?

Answer 9

In the anode and the cathode

Question 10

How does the lithium ion battery work?

Answer 10

The electrolyte carries positively charged lithium ions from the anode to the cathode. This movement of ions produces free electrons in the anode, which in turn creates a charge at the positive current collector. From there, the electrical current flows into the smartphone (or other device) and through the circuits to the negative current collector.

Question 11

Is Cobalt a key component in lithium-ion batteries?

Answer 11

Cobalt is a key component in lithium-ion batteries.

Question 12

Most lithium-ion batteries are based on a mixture of what?

Answer 12

Most lithium-ion batteries are based on a mixture of lithium and cobalt such as lithium cobalt oxide or lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide.

Question 13

Other than inside batteries, where can cobalt be found?

Answer 13

paint
jet engines
and other products

Question 14

Smartphone batteries have how many grams of cobalt?

Answer 14

Smartphone batteries have around 8.5 grams (0.3 ounces) of cobalt which is equivalent to the weight of about three pennies.

Question 15

Electric car batteries have how many kiolograms of cobalt?

Answer 15

Electric car batteries, however, contain as much as 6.8 kilograms (15 pounds) of cobalt, which is about the weight of two gallons of milk.

Question 16

Silicon is the ______ most abundant element in Earth’s crust?

Answer 16

second

Question 17

What type of element is silicon?

Answer 17

Non-metallic

Question 18

How is silicon found in nature?

Answer 18

is not found in its pure form in nature

Question 19

Where is silicon found?

Answer 19

Silicon is often found in silicon dioxide, also known as silica, as a main component of sand.

Question 20

Silicon is the main component of what?

Answer 20

quartz crystals

Question 21

In electronics silicon is used to make what?

Answer 21

In electronics, silicon is used to make computer chips, transistors, silicon diodes, and other electronic circuits and switching devices because it is an ideal semiconductor

Question 22

What is a semiconductor?

Answer 22

A semiconductor is a crystal material that is more able to conduct electricity as its temperature goes up.

Question 23

Silicon chips are used in what?

Answer 23

Silicon chips, used in computers, cell phones, and even microwave ovens, can be a half inch square yet contain millions of transistors providing control and memory functions.

Question 24

What is the screen of a device made out of?

Answer 24

silica (silicon dioxide or
quartz) sand, with ceramic materials and
then add potassium.
Primary: Silica Secondary: The mixed with ceramic materials and potassium

Question 25

What are transparent circuits made out of?

Answer 25

Primary: tin

Comes from: Cassiterite

Question 26

What is used to make the screen’s conductive coating and LEDs?

Answer 26

Primary: Indium and germanium
Comes From: Sphalerite
…
Sphalerite is the source of indium (used in the screen’s conductive coating) and germanium (used in displays and LEDs).

Question 27

What is chalcopyrite the source of?

Answer 27

The content of copper in a mobile device
far exceeds the amount of any other
metal. Copper conducts electricity and
heat and comes from the source mineral
chalcopyrite

Question 28

What is used to make electrical pathways through a device?

Answer 28

Primary: Silver
Comes From: Tetrahedrite
…
Tetrahedrite is a primary source of silver. Silver-based inks on compos- ite boards create electrical pathways through a device.

Question 29

What is used to make radio frequencies and power amplifiers?

Answer 29

Primary: Arsenic

Comes From: Arsenopyrite

Question 30

What is added to make capacitors to regulate voltage and improve the audio quality of a device?

Answer 30

Primary: Tantalum

Comes From: tantalite

Question 31

What is used to make heat sinks and provides the mass for mobile phone vibrations?

Answer 31

Primary: Tungsten

Comes from: wolframite

Question 32

What is main source of lithium?

Answer 32

Spodumene and subsurface brines are
the sources of lithium used in cathodes
of lithium-ion batteries.

Question 33

What is graphite used for in a device?

Answer 33

Anodes of lithium batteries because of its electrical and thermal conductivity.

Question 34

What is bastnaesite the source of?

Answer 34

is a source of rare-earth
elements used to produce magnets in
speakers, microphones, and vibration
motors.

Question 35

What makes up the positive and negative parts of a battery?

Answer 35

Positive: lithium
Negative: graphite

Question 36

Where are silicon and tantalum found?

Answer 36

In the circuit board

Question 37

Where is bastnasite found?

Answer 37

Speakers

Question 38

How does mining rare-earth minerals affect the earth surface?

Answer 38

A large amount of waste is produced in the concentration, purification, and separation of rare-earth minerals. This waste pollutes the air and water around the mining cite with sulfur oxide, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen fluoride, radiative substances, heavy metals, acids, fluorides, ammonium, chromium, and lead.

Question 39

How does mining gold affect earth’s surface?

Answer 39

A gold mine contaminates land and water with mercury and cyanide, both of which are toxic to the environment. Extracting and processing the gold of a single ring can generate up to 40 thousand pounds of waste.

Question 40

True or False.

Gold mining is one of the most destructive industries in the world.

Answer 40

True

Question 41

How does lithium mining affect the environment?

Answer 41

In addition to using so much water, lithium mining often leaks toxic chemicals in the water supply, killing organisms.

Question 42

What does lithium mining require?

Answer 42

lots of water

Question 43

In on region of Chile, mining accounts for ___ percent of water usage.

Answer 43

65

Question 44

In a lithium mining operation, how much fish was found dead?

Answer 44

One study found contaminated fish up to 150 miles downstream fro a lithium mining operation.

Question 45

What does aluminum mining do to Earth’s surface?

Answer 45

Aluminum mines strip all native vegetation in the mining region. Resulting in a loss of habitat, food for wild life, and soil erosion. The toxic waste that remains is deposited into excavated mine pits, where it ultimately seep into aquifers, contaminating local water sources.

Question 46

The Indonesian island of Bangka provides over _____ of the world’s tin.

Answer 46

30%

Question 47

Tin operations in Bangka happen in the water, how does it affect Earth’s surface?

Answer 47

Mining operations in the waters off the island have destroyed up to 60% of the local coral reef, seagrass, and mangroves.

Question 48

What is the definition is tailings?

Answer 48

Material left over after the valuable resources have been removed from ore

Question 49

Why are tailing ponds good and bad?

Answer 49

Tailing ponds are a way to “clean up” tailings, however, these can fail causing toxic waste spills, which are harmful to the local ecosystem, waterways, and humans.