Minerals and Energy Resources

Minerals are an indispensable part of our lives: almost everything we use, from a tiny pin to a towering building or a big ship, is made from minerals. A mineral is a homogeneous, naturally occurring substance with a definable internal structure. In this chapter you will learn how minerals occur in veins and lodes, beds and layers, as residual deposits formed by weathering, as placer deposits in sands of valley floors, and in ocean waters. You will study ferrous minerals such as iron ore (magnetite and haematite) and manganese, non-ferrous minerals such as copper and bauxite, non-metallic minerals such as mica, and rock minerals such as limestone, along with the main mining belts of India and the need to conserve minerals. You will then study energy resources. Conventional sources include firewood, cattle dung cake, coal, petroleum, natural gas and electricity from hydel and thermal plants. Non-conventional sources include nuclear, solar, wind, tidal, geothermal and biogas energy. Finally, you will learn why conservation of energy resources is essential for sustainable development.

Detailed Worksheet: Minerals and Energy Resources Section A - Definitions (10 marks) 1. What is a mineral? Name the two main types of metallic minerals. (2 marks) 2. What are placer deposits? Name two minerals obtained from them. (2 marks) 3. Distinguish between magnetite and haematite iron ore. (2 marks) 4. Distinguish between conventional and non-conventional sources of energy, with two examples of each. (2 marks) 5. What is geothermal energy? Name two places in India where it has been tapped experimentally. (2 marks) Section B - Calculations and Applications (15 marks) 6. Magnetite contains up to 70% iron, while haematite contains 50-60% iron. Calculate the maximum iron that can be obtained from 500 tonnes of magnetite and the range from 500 tonnes of haematite. Name the iron ore belt that includes Kudremukh. (3 marks) 7. About 10 kg of manganese is required to manufacture one tonne of steel. Calculate the manganese needed for a steel plant producing 5 million tonnes of steel a year, in tonnes. Name the largest manganese-producing state of India. (3 marks) 8. Of India's petroleum production, about 63% comes from Mumbai High, 18% from Gujarat and 16% from Assam (as per NCERT). If total production is 30 million tonnes in a year, calculate the production from each region and the remainder from other areas. (3 marks) 9. A household uses ten 60 W incandescent bulbs for 5 hours a day. If they are replaced with 9 W LED bulbs giving similar light, calculate the energy saved per day and per month (30 days) in kWh. How does this help in conserving energy resources? (3 marks) 10. Anthracite contains over 80% carbon, bituminous coal about 60-80% and lignite about 40-55%. A power plant burns 1,000 tonnes of lignite at 50% carbon. How much anthracite at 85% carbon would contain the same amount of carbon? Where is lignite mined in India? (3 marks) Section C - Diagrams (10 marks) 11. On an outline map of India, locate and label: (i) the Mumbai High oil field (ii) the Neyveli lignite mine (iii) the Kudremukh iron ore mine (iv) the Jharia coal field. (4 marks) 12. On an outline map of India, mark and label any three nuclear power plants: Tarapur, Rawatbhata, Kalpakkam, Narora, Kakrapar and Kaiga. (3 marks) 13. Draw a flowchart showing the classification of minerals into metallic (ferrous, non-ferrous, precious), non-metallic and energy minerals with two examples of each. (3 marks) Section D - Analysis and Higher-order Thinking (15 marks) 14. 'Consumption of energy in all forms has been steadily rising all over the country.' Explain why India needs to develop non-conventional sources of energy. Discuss the prospects of solar, wind, tidal and biogas energy in India, with examples of places. (5 marks) 15. Why is the conservation of mineral resources necessary? Explain why minerals are non-renewable and how mining affects the health of miners and the environment. Suggest measures to conserve minerals. (5 marks) 16. Compare the advantages and disadvantages of thermal power and hydroelectricity in India. Why is nuclear energy an important alternative, and what are its limitations? (5 marks) Instructions: Time allowed 2 hours. Attempt all sections. Mark all places on the outline map neatly with symbols and names. Show all calculations step by step.