Mineral and Power Resources

This geography chapter explains minerals and power resources. A mineral is a naturally occurring substance with a definite chemical composition. You will classify minerals as metallic, which may be ferrous such as iron ore and manganese or non-ferrous such as copper, bauxite and gold, and non-metallic, such as limestone, mica and gypsum. You will learn how minerals are extracted by open-cast mining, shaft mining, drilling and quarrying, where they occur in the world and in India, such as iron ore in Jharkhand, Odisha and Chhattisgarh and bauxite in Odisha and Jharkhand, and why we must conserve these non-renewable resources. The chapter then studies power resources. Conventional sources include firewood and fossil fuels, coal, petroleum and natural gas, as well as hydel power from dams such as Bhakra Nangal. Non-conventional sources include solar, wind, nuclear, geothermal and tidal energy and biogas. You will learn where each is produced in India, from the coal fields of Jharia to the oil fields of Digboi and Mumbai High and the nuclear plant at Tarapur, and how to save energy.

Detailed Worksheet: Mineral and Power Resources Section A - Definitions (10 marks) 1. What is a mineral? What is an ore? (2 marks) 2. Distinguish between ferrous and non-ferrous minerals with two examples each. (2 marks) 3. What is open-cast mining? How is it different from shaft mining? (2 marks) 4. What are conventional and non-conventional sources of energy? Give two examples of each. (2 marks) 5. Why is coal called buried sunshine and petroleum called black gold? (2 marks) Section B - Calculations and Applications (15 marks) 6. Classify the following as metallic ferrous, metallic non-ferrous or non-metallic: iron ore, bauxite, mica, manganese, copper, limestone, gold, gypsum, chromite. (3 marks) 7. A family uses 300 units of electricity a month. If it installs rooftop solar panels producing 4 units a day, how many units does it get from solar in a 30-day month? What percentage of its needs does solar meet? (3 marks) 8. A thermal power plant burns about 0.7 kg of coal to produce 1 unit of electricity. How much coal is needed to produce 10 lakh units? How many tonnes is this? (3 marks) 9. A village replaces 50 kerosene lamps, each using 0.05 litres of kerosene a night, with solar lamps. How much kerosene is saved in a night and in a year of 365 days? (3 marks) 10. Match each place with its resource: Jharia, Digboi, Mumbai High, Tarapur, Bhakra Nangal, Manikaran. Resources: (i) offshore oil (ii) hydel power (iii) coal (iv) geothermal energy (v) nuclear power (vi) oldest oil field of India. (3 marks) Section C - Diagrams (10 marks) 11. Draw labelled diagrams to show open-cast mining, shaft mining and drilling. (4 marks) 12. On an outline map of India, mark two areas each of iron ore, bauxite and coal. (3 marks) 13. Draw a labelled flowchart of a hydroelectric power station, from the reservoir to the transmission lines. (3 marks) Section D - Analysis and Higher-order Thinking (15 marks) 14. Why do we need to conserve minerals? Suggest four ways of conserving mineral resources. (5 marks) 15. Compare fossil fuels and solar energy on five points: renewability, pollution, cost, availability and suitability for India. Why should India promote solar and wind energy? (5 marks) 16. Explain how nuclear power is produced. Give two advantages and two disadvantages of nuclear power, and name two nuclear power stations of India. (5 marks) Instructions: Time allowed 2 hours. Attempt all sections. Use outline maps where asked and show working for all calculations.