Question

TRUE / FALSE

Question 1 - Metallic minerals can be further divided into four types

Question 2 - Subsistence agriculture includes plantation, agriculture and dairy farming

Question 3 - Extensive farming is practiced in densely populated regions

Question 4 - shifting cultivation is called roka in Brazil

Question 5 - Nuclear power is not a safe alternative

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Answer 1

Explanation:

Before we venture into discussing various types of minerals, it is imperative to understand what exactly minerals are. We mine a lot of materials from earth’s crust. For example, metal ores, coal, oil, sand etc. For the purpose of definition, minerals are specifically defined as naturally occurring inorganic substances which are found in solid state. Minerals have a well-defined chemical structure, formula and crystal structures. Different minerals vary in their physical properties such as colour, density, crystal structure, hardness etc. Some minerals may be found in large abundance as compared to others. For example, silica can be considered as the most abundant mineral on earth’s crust. The abundance can also vary from location to location.Types of MineralsBroadly, minerals can be classified as metallic and non-metallic minerals.Metallic Minerals: As the name suggests, metallic minerals are those which are formed by various metals by reacting with other elements. These minerals also show physical properties similar to metals, such as luster. Depending on the chemical composition, metallic minerals can be oxides, sulphides, carbonates, halides etc. But some of the metallic minerals are also found in their pure forms, such as gold. Iron is one of the most commonly used metals on earth, hence a sub-classification of metallic minerals can also be in the form of ferrous and non-ferrous minerals. Ferrous minerals contain iron while non –ferrous minerals do not contain iron. All of the metallic ores such as magnetite, pyrite, bauxite, hematite etc. can be called metallic minerals.Non-Metallic Minerals: These minerals do not contain any metals, so they generally have non-metallic physical properties. Though we cannot extract metals from these minerals, non-metallic minerals are still of immense use to humankind. Silica is one of the most abundant non-metallic minerals and is used for construction activities. Coal is used to produce heat which is in-turn used to produce electrical power in thermal power plants. Diamond is a rare mineral which is used as a gemstone in jewellery.