III. Answer the Following:
1. List five minerals and their uses.
2. Why are minerals non-renewable resources? What can we do to maintain their
reserves for a longer time?
3. How has man harnessed the kinetic energy of water?
4. How do solar energy appliances work?
5. How is nuclear energy obtained and what are its uses?
Answers
Answer:
1)Beryllium is an alkaline metallic element that is highly toxic. It is known for its sugary sweet taste and some of its common uses are in X-rays and fluorescent lights.
Beryllium : A very thorough and technical site about this mineral.
Chromite
Chromite is the ore of chromium and is a very hard metal, and diamond is the only thing harder. This hardness is what allows a chrome finish to take a high polish.
Cobalt
Cobalt is famous for the incredible blue color it imparts to glass and pigment. It has been found in meteorites and is used in invisible ink. It is a brittle metal and resembles iron.
Cobalt : This site has photos, video, charts and physical and atomic descriptions.
Columbite-tantalite
Columbite-tantalite group is a mineral used widely in technology. Electronics, automotive systems and health products like the pacemaker need this mineral to operate. It is mined in Africa and has earned the name of Coltan over the last few years.
Copper
Copper is a common metal throughout the world. It is used for currency, jewelry, plumbing and to conduct electricity. It is a soft, orange-red metal.
2)While the universe is infinitely expanding, the very resources that power the Earth are running out. In 2017, only 11 percent of U.S. energy consumption was generated from renewable energy sources. The rest was powered by nonrenewable resources.
3)Since the late 19th century, the kinetic energy in flowing water has been used to generate electricity. A hydroelectric system involves putting up a dam to store vast quantities of water in a reservoir. The power of the "falling" water, which is released on a regular basis, is used to turn the blades of a turbine.
4)Solar power works by converting light from the sun into electricity. ... This is done by installing solar panels on your roof which generate DC (Direct Current) electricity. This is then fed into a solar inverter which converts the DC electricity from your solar panels into AC (Alternating Current) electricity.
5)Nuclear energy comes from splitting atoms in a reactor to heat water into steam, turn a turbine and generate electricity. Ninety-four nuclear reactors in 28 states generate nearly 20 percent of the nation's electricity, all without carbon emissions because reactors use uranium, not fossil fuels.