BRILLIANT PUBLIC SCHOOL

Seepat Rd, Bahatarai, Bilaspur – CG

Subject – So. Sci. Ch.-3 Mineral and Power Resources Class VIII

I. Answer the following questions.

(i) Name any three common minerals used by you every day.
Ans. Three common minerals used by us in day-to-day life are copper, iron and salt.
(ii) What is an ore? Where are the ores of metallic minerals generally located?
Ans. Rocks from which minerals are obtained are known as ores. The ores of
metallic minerals are generally located in igneous or metamorphic rocks.
(iii) Name two regions rich in natural gas resources.
Ans. Russia and United States are the two regions rich in natural gas resources.
(iv) Which sources of energy would you suggest for
(a) rural areas (b) coastal areas (c) arid regions
Ans. Sources of energy suggested for
(a) Rural areas – Biogas
(b) Coastal areas – Wind energy tidal energy
(c) Arid region – Solar energy, wind energy
(v) Give five ways in which you can save energy at home.
Ans. Five ways in which one can save energy at home:

 Promoting the use of solar energy as much as possible.

 Using biogas as cooking fuel.
 Drying clothes in sunlight instead of electric dryers to prevent emissions
and unnecessary use of electricity.
 Avoiding misuse of electricity; switching off fans and lights when not
required.
 Using pressure cookers for cooking.

II. Give reasons.

(i) Environmental aspects must be carefully looked into before building huge dams.

Ans. Construction of a huge dam causes large scale destruction of the natural
habitats of plants and wild animals living in the area. This disturbs the local
ecosystem. Hence, environmental aspects must be carefully looked into, before
building huge dams.
(ii) Most industries are concentrated around coal mines.

Ans. Coal is used as a source of energy and power and also as a raw material in
most of the industries. Hence, most industries are concentrated around coal mines
for the purpose of saving cost of transportation of coal.

(iii) Petroleum is referred to as “black gold”.

Ans. Petroleum is a thick black liquid. It is an extremely valuable fossil fuel. A variety
of products that we use in our daily life like – kerosene, diesel, petrol, wax, plastics,
lubricants, etc., are all produced from petroleum. Hence, it is also known as “black
Gold”.

(iv) Quarrying can become a major environmental concern.

Ans. Quarrying can become a major environmental concern due to the following
reasons:

 It involves the clearing of surface vegetation that destroy the humus present
in top soil which is much required for the growth of plants.
 It involves the use of explosives to break the huge chunks of rocks. This leads
to massive noise pollution.
 Blasting done for the purpose of quarrying generates great vibrations that can
damage nearby constructions like civilian buildings, dams, etc.
 The quarrying process also generates a lot of dust that causes air pollution.
 Quarrying also destroys natural vegetation and thus the habitat of many wild
animals.

III. Distinguish between the following.

(i) Conventional and non-conventional sources of energy.

Ans.

Conventional sources of energy Non-conventional sources of energy

1. These are the sources of energy which
have been in common use for a long
time
2. They are exhaustible
3. They cause large scale pollution
4. Examples include firewood and fossil
fuels
1. These are the alternative sources of
energy which are not commonly used
2. They are inexhaustible.
3. They do not cause any type of
pollution, thus are environment
friendly.
4. Examples include solar energy,
nuclear energy, wind energy, etc.
(ii) Biogas and natural gas.
Ans.
Biogas
1. It is obtained from the decomposition of
organic matter like dead plants, animal dung,
kitchen waste, etc.
2. It is a renewable source of energy.
3. It pollutes the environment since it
releases carbon dioxide in the air.
4. It is used for domestic purposes like
cooking and lighting.
(iii) Ferrous and non-ferrous minerals.
Ans.
Ferrous Mineral
1.Ferrous minerals contain iron.
2. Examples include iron ore, manganese
and chromites.
(iv) Metallic and non-metallic minerals.
Ans.
Metallic minerals
1. A mineral containing metal in raw
form is called a metallic mineral
2. They are often hard and have shine
or lustre of their own.
3. When hit, they are not broken.
4. Examples are - Iron ore, copper,
aluminium, tin, silver, and gold.
Natural gas
1. It is obtained as a by-product
during the extraction of
petroleum.
2. It is a non-renewable source of
energy.
3. It is a clean fuel.
4. It is used for domestic
purposes, in industries and also
as a fuel to run vehicles.
Non-ferrous Mineral
1. Non-ferrous minerals do not
contain iron.
2. Examples include gold, silver,
copper, lead, etc.
Non-metallic minerals
1. A mineral that does not contain metal
is called a non-metallic mineral.
2. They are neither hard nor do they have
the lustre of their own.
3. When hit, they get broken.
4. Examples are Sulphur, coal, petroleum,
mica, salt.