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Using Earth’s resources Flashcards

1
Q

What do we use resources for?

A

Warmth
Shelter
Food
Transport

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2
Q

How do we produce resources?

A

Agriculture
Tree planting
Synthetic resources

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3
Q

Examples of agriculture

A

Growing cotton from a plant
So we can grow as much as possible for the needs

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4
Q

Examples of tree planting for fuel

A

Woodchips act as biofuel to power power stations

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5
Q

Examples of synthetic resources

A

Natural rubber = tree sap
Synthetic rubber = crude oil

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6
Q

Finite

A

Resources that cannot be replaced as quickly as they are used
For example fossil fuels and metals

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7
Q

Renewable

A

Resources that will never run out as they can be replaced as quickly as we use them
For example wood

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8
Q

What does drinking water have to require?

A

Low levels of dissolved salts
Low levels of microbes like bacteria

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9
Q

Potable water

A

Water that is safe to drink

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10
Q

Pure water

A

Has no dissolved substances in it
Just H2O molecules

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11
Q

Are potable and pure water the same?

A

No because potable water contains small dissolved substances in small amounts
Whereas pure water is 100% H2O

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12
Q

How does the Uk get most of our potable water?

A

Rain water because it contains low levels of dissolved substances

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13
Q

Where does rain water accumulate?

A

Aquifers
Lakes
Rivers
Reservoirs
= supplies of freshwater

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14
Q

How to produce potable water?

A

Choose a freshwater supply eg lake
Pass it through filter beds to remove leaves and dirt
Sterilise water to kill bacteria using chlorine, ozone or UV light

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15
Q

How to produce potable water if it’s too salty?

A

Use desalination
Reduces levels of dissolved minerals to a good level

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16
Q

Desalination methods

A

Distillation
Reverse osmosis = pass it through membranes

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17
Q

Cons of desalination methods

A

Use large amounts of energy so it’s expensive

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18
Q

Uses of water

A

Drinking
Personal hygiene (bath, shower)
Flushing the toilet
Washing laundry
Farming

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19
Q

What does waste water contain and why do we need to treat waste water?

A

It contains:
Large amounts of organic molecules such as urine and feces
Harmful bacteria

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20
Q

Stages of treating waste water

A

Sewage passed through mesh (screened) to remove solids and grit
Settle in large sedimentation tanks
Produces a liquid effluent and a solid sludge
The sludge sinks and is taken away to be digested by anaerobic bacteria
Without oxygen, the bacteria produces biogas fuel
This digested sludge used as fertilisers

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21
Q

Where is sewage first passed through and why?

A

Mesh to be screened and remove solid particles and grit

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22
Q

What does the sewage settle in and why?

A

Large sedimentation tanks to separate into liquid effluent and solid sludge

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23
Q

What does sludge do?

A

Sinks then taken away to be digested by anaerobic bacteria
Which, with no oxygen the bacteria produces biogas for fuel

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24
Q

What is the digested sludge used for?

A

Fertilisers in farming

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25
What happens to the liquid effluent and why?
Bubbles air into the liquid supplying it with oxygen So aerobic bacteria can begin to multiply And thus digest the harmful microorganisms This is because we need to discharge it back into the sea but before had too much harmful microorganisms
26
What happens if the waste water is from industry and needs to be treated?
It will contain harmful chemicals so it will have to have these harmful chemicals removed first
27
Easiest way to produce potable water
Use ground water from aquifers Because once treated with chlorine it’s safe to drink
28
Cons of aquifers
Can be polluted with fertilisers from farms So you need to test the water carefully
29
Cons of Making potable water from treated waste water
Requires many steps so only done if water is scarce
30
Cons of Making potable water from salt water
Requires a lot of energy so it’s expensive
31
How are most metals on earth found?
Reacted with oxygen = metal oxide Aka ores
32
Use of copper
In electronic equipment like phones
33
Metal ore
Contains enough metal in a rock to make it worth extracting ‘Economical’
34
Low grade ores
Rocks contain small amounts of the metal
35
Why are we mining low grade ores?
Because we are running out of higher grade metal ores
36
Phytomining
Growing plants on land that contain the metal compound we are extracting
37
Steps of phytomining
Plant absorbs metal compound in their tissue Plants harvested and burnt Ash contains high concentration of metal compound
38
Bioleaching
Using bacteria to extract metals
39
Steps of bioleaching
Bacteria mixes with low grade ore Bacteria carries out chemical reaction and solution called leachate is produced Leachate contains the metal compound we want
40
But what happens at the end of both phytomining and bioleaching?
Has left us with the metal compound Which we need to extract the metal from
41
How can we extract the metal from the metal compound after bioleaching/ phytomining
Electrolysis Displacement with a more reactive metal
42
Pros of phytomining + bioleaching
Allows us to economically extract metals from low grade ores Methods do not involve transporting/digging large amounts of rock
43
Lifecycle assessment
Attempts to put a number/rating on the environmental impact of a product Gives a rating at different stages of the products lifespan
44
Stages of a lifestyle assessment
Production Transportation Use Disposal
45
Process of producing plastics
Use crude oil Has to be extracted from oil refineries These hydrocarbons must be separated then cracked Then produce the polymer Takes a lot of energy = use fossil fuels = climate change
46
Process of metal extraction (high grade ore)
Has to dig up ore then transport it to be processed Extract the metal = toxic waste products
47
Plastic vs paper products
Plastic from crude oil = non renewable Paper = renewable Extracting crude oil = harmful in case of oil leak Extracting wood = deforestation Both need to be chemically processed = requires energy = release fossil fuels Making paper requires water Plastic is strong = reusable Paper rips easily Both have to be transported to be recycled/ landfill Paper is heavier thus requires more energy Plastic is not biodegradable Paper is
48
Cons of life cycle assessment
We can measure waste products/ amount of energy But we can’t be certain how damaging those are to the environmental So we have to make estimates which may not be accurate May be biased
49
Benefits of recycling
We can reuse resources So we don’t have to extract more limited resources Reduces waste = less harmful to environment
50
Methods of recycling
Reusing it Crushing and melting it to a new product
51
How do we recycle metals?
Melt them then recast them into a new product
52
Problem with recycling metals
We have to separate them before melting it, depending on the product
53
Corrosion
Destruction of materials Caused by chemical reactions the material has with substances in the environment
54
Rusting
A type of corrosion that ONLY applies to iron and alloys of iron
55
How to stop corrosion
Use a barrier between the material and environment Such as grease or paint Or coat it with metal (electroplating) Galvanising
56
Electroplating
A means of protecting materials from corrosion By coating it with a metal Such as aluminium
57
Galvanising
Coating iron with zinc to protect it from rust Acts as a barrier between material and environment However if it gets scratched it still protects it as the oxygen reacts with the zinc since its more reactive
58
Sacrificial protection
Using a more reactive to protect a less reactive metal as a barrier in corrosion Eg galvanising
59
Alloy
A mixture of metal and another element Could be another metal or an element
60
What is the hardness of alloys like and why?
Harder than normal metals Because it has different sized atoms Which disrupts the layers and stops it from sliding over each other
61
Bronze
Alloy of copper and tin
62
Bronze properties
Extremely hard and doesn’t corrode easily
63
Bronze uses
Statues because it doesn’t corrode easily
64
Brass
Alloy of copper and zinc
65
Brass properties
Hard But still malleable into different shapes
66
Brass used
Instruments Door handles
67
Problem with gold
Used for jewellery but too soft
68
What is gold alloyed with to make it harder?
Silver Copper Zinc
69
Purity of gold in an alloy is measured in
Carats 24 carat gold = 100% pure gold
70
Steel
Alloy of iron, certain amounts of carbon and other metals
71
High carbon steel
Steel with a lot of carbon in it
72
Properties of high carbon steel
Extremely hard Brittle (breaks easily)
73
High carbon uses
Cutting tools ie chisels
74
Low carbon steel
Steel with lower amounts of carbon
75
Properties of low carbon steel
Softer Easily shaped
76
Low carbon steel uses
Car bodies
77
Problem with steel
Alloy of iron = prone to rust
78
How to fix problem with steel?
Make stainless steel containing chromium and nickel So hard + resistant to corrosion
79
Aluminium alloys properties + uses
Low density = useful for aeroplane bodies

Chemistry (46 decks)

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