DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Region I
Pangasinan II Division
MANGALDAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Mangaldan, Pangasinan

Name: Date of Submission:

Year and Section: Name of Teacher:

QUARTER 1/WEEK 3
EARTH SCIENCE WORKSHEET NO. 3

Week 3 Overview
MELCs:
Describe how ore minerals are found, mined, and processed for human use - S11ES-Ic-d-8
Describe how fossil fuels are formed - S11ES-Id-10

Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
• define ore and minerals
• classify each type of ore deposits based on their characteristics
• give examples of metals found on each type of ore deposits
• support the importance of ore minerals in humans
• judge whether humans should continue using fossil fuels as source of energy
• create an illustration how fossil fuels are formed

Minerals
• Minerals are solid substances that are present in nature and can be made of one element or
more elements combined together (chemical compounds).
• Examples: gold, silver, and carbon

Ore Minerals
 An ore is a natural occurrence of rock or sediment which contains enough minerals with
economically important elements, typically metals, that can be extracted from the deposit
economically. The ores are extracted by mining for a profit from the earth; they are then refined
(often by smelting) in order to extract the valuable elements.
 Metal ores are generally oxides, sulfides, silicates, or native metals (such as native copper) not
commonly concentrated in the crust of the Earth, or noble metals (normally not forming
compounds) such as gold. To remove the elements of interest from the waste material and the
ore crystals, the ores must be extracted. A variety of geological processes form ore bodies. The
formation of the ore process is called the genesis of the ore.
Classification of Ore Deposits

Ore Genesis

Various theories of ore genesis explain how the various types of mineral deposits form within the
Earth's crust. Ore-genesis theories vary depending on the mineral or commodity examined.
Ore-genesis theories generally involve three components: source, transport or conduit, and trap.

• Source is required because metal must come from somewhere and be liberated by some
process.
• Transport is required first to move the metal-bearing fluids or solid minerals into their current
position and refers to the act of physically moving the metal, as well as to chemical or physical
phenomenon which encourage movement.
• Trapping is required to concentrate the metal via some physical, chemical, or geological
mechanism into a concentration which forms mineable ore.

How Ores are Mined and Refined?

Mining
• Nickel is found in two different types of ore, magmatic sulfide and laterite. The former are
usually mined by underground techniques or in large and deep open pits for some new deposits;
the latter are mined in shallow pits using heavy earth-moving equipment such as shovels,
draglines, and front-end loaders.

Beneficiation
• Benficiation is the next step. It converts the ore into a form that can be smelted to separate the
metal. The goal of the process is to make a smaller volume that will require less heat and
chemicals to separate the metal.
Smelting and Refining
• The nickel concentrates from the sulfide ores are then dried, mixed with flux, and heated to
about 1350 °C in an oxidizing environment in smelters. The reaction of oxygen with iron and
sulfur in sulfide ore supplies some of the heat required for smelting. The product is an artificial
nickel-iron sulfide known as matte, which contains 25 to 45 % nickel.

Electrorefining
 The final stage is electrorefining: the nickel oxide is dissolved in sulfate or chloride solutions in
electrolytic cells and pure nickel metal is deposited on the cathode. Sulfur is released in large
quantities at several stages of the process. Some is recovered to be used in industry as a
fertilizer, but a large fraction is lost in smelter fumes and constitutes a serious pollutant.

Useful Ore Deposits

Ore Deposits for Human Use

• Copper, along with gold, was one the first metals to be used by mankind and it is very widely
used today. It is mined in almost all parts of the world and is used very widely in industry. The
major copper producing countries are Chile, USA, Peru and China. Almost every country is a
consumer of copper, the level depending on the size of the population and the extent of
industrialization.
 • Common uses of copper are given in Table 2.3. Its high electrical and thermal conductivity, its
resistance to corrosion and its attractive colour lead to a wide range of applications. It is used as
wire to conduct electricity in electrical appliances and in alloys with zinc (brass) or other metals
in utensils and coins. The development of new types of alloys has led to new uses in
superconductors and batteries; and copper compounds are used in a wide variety of products
such as pesticides (copper sulfate pentahydrate is used to control fungus on grapes and algae in
swimming pools) and antibiotics.

• In developed countries, the per capita consumption of copper has remained nearly constant for
decades. New uses of the metal generally require only relatively small quantities of copper and
these additions are countered by abandonment of other industrial applications and by increased
recycling. However, increasing demand from developing countries will require that global
production be increased significantly; this production can only be met by discovery of new
deposits and efficient exploitation of these deposits.

Activity 3.1

Define the following:

Minerals and ores.

Classify the type of ore deposit being described.

1. Type of ore deposit that can be easily found in near surface.

2. It occurs in near intrusive rocks.
3. Type of ore deposit that can be found within 300-600 °C.
4. Type of ore deposit that occur in igneous rocks.

Give three (3) types of metals found on different ore deposits.

1. Telethermal
2. Epithermal
3. Mesothermal
4. Hypothermal

Essay.

Give an example of ore deposit and explain its use for humans.
Fossil Fuels

A fossil fuel is a fuel formed by natural processes, such as anaerobic decomposition of buried

dead organisms, containing organic molecules originating in ancient photosynthesis that release energy
in combustion. Such organisms and their resulting fossil fuels typically have an age of millions of years,
and sometimes more than 650 million years. Fossil fuels contain high percentages of carbon and
include petroleum, coal, and natural gas. Peat is also sometimes considered a fossil fuel.

Types of Fossil Fuels

Coal

• Coal is formed from fossilized plants. As the plants

get buried deeper and deeper underground they
become subjected to intense heat.

Oil

• Oil is formed from buried plankton. As sediment

accumulates on top of the fossilized plankton over
the millennia, intense heat flow from the depths
of the earth transform the plankton into oil.

Natural Gas

• Similar to oil, natural gas is formed from buried

plankton, but also from coal in late stages of
breakdown. The creation of natural gas, however,
requires higher temperatures than oil.

Peat

• As the plant material begins to break down it turns into a

fibrous material called peat. Peat is the partially decomposed
plant material that can eventually turn into coal when
subjected to more heat. Also known as turf, peat has
traditionally been harvested around the world for fuel
after it is cut from marshlands like bogs or fens.

How Fossil Fuels are Formed?

INTRODUCTION

• Fuels are sources of energy and fossil fuels are no different. The energy in fossil fuels comes
from the sun, which drives photosynthesis to change carbon dioxide and water into the
molecular building blocks of ancient plants and animals. Both plants and animals build their
bodies using predominantly carbon and hydrogen atoms and it is the stored energy in the
fossilized hydrocarbon-type compounds that serve as fuel when burned.

II. DECOMPOSITION

• As the fossil material begins to get buried deeper and deeper underground it is subjected to
increased heat and pressure. As the heat rises, the fossil molecules begin to break apart. The
initial breakdown creates partially changed materials, like peat from plants and kerogen from
plankton. These transitional materials can be used as fuel sources too, however, they have less
stored energy than fully formed coal, natural gas, or oil.
 III. FOSSIL FUELS FORM

• After millions of years underground, the compounds that make up plankton and plants turn into
fossil fuels. Plankton decomposes into natural gas and oil, while plants become coal. Today,
humans extract these resources through coal mining and the drilling of oil and gas wells on land
and offshore. They are sought after because they contain stored energy, and when burned,
fossil fuels power machinery and provide transportation, as well as the electricity essential to
modern-day life. They also contain essential ingredients used within the chemical industry.

Essay.

In your own opinion, should we stop using fossil fuels as source of energy. Yes or No? Support your
answer.

Rubrics for Essay Questions

10 pts. 8 pts. 5 pts. 2 pts.

Source: https://www.thoughtco.com/essay-rubric-2081367
References

• Arndt, N., Kesler, S., & Ganino, C. (2015). Classification, distribution and uses of ores and ore
deposits. In Metals and Society (pp. 15-40). Springer, Cham.
• http://fossilsubakiri.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of.html
• http://www.geologypage.com/2019/11/ore-minerals.html#ixzz6cWsyI2zU
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil_fuel
• https://ocean.si.edu/conservation/gulf-oil-spill/what-are-fossil-fuels#:~:text=III.-,FOSSIL
%20FUELS%20FORM,wells%20on%20land%20and%20offshore.

Whether