C19 - Using the Earth's resources (PAPER 2)

Question 1

What are 4 things that we use natural resources for

Answer 1

food, clothing, timber, fuels

Question 2

What is sustainable development

Answer 2

development that meets the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

Question 3

What are finite resources

Answer 3

ones that will eventually run out

Question 4

What is potable water

Answer 4

water that is safe to drink

Question 5

What are the two steps to producing potable water from a lake

Answer 5

• pass water through filters to remove large objects
• sterilise with ozone, chlorine or UV light

Question 6

What is the name given to the process of turning salty water into potable water
- what are the two methods of doing this

Answer 6

desalination
- reverse osmosis and distillation

Question 7

How does reverse osmosis work
- What are the two issues of this process

Answer 7

using membranes to separate salts from the water
- water must be pressurised and the salty water corrodes the pumps

Question 8

What are the first two steps to treating sewage water

Answer 8

• screening and grit removal
• sedimentation

Question 9

What are the names of the two products of sedimentation of sewage water
- What are they

Answer 9

• sewage sludge - sediment from sedimentation
• effluent - remaining liquid

Question 10

What happens during the anaerobic treatment of sewage sludge
- What is the product

Answer 10

bacteria digest organic matter, which is broken down anaerobically
- biofuels

Question 11

What happens to the effluent after sedimentation
- describe what happens

Answer 11

aerobic treatment
- bacteria feed on the harmful microorganisms and organic matter, which it then digests aerobically
- the bacteria are then left to settle outside the water

Question 12

What are the names of the two main processes of extraction of metal ores
- What are the two alternative methods of extracting copper from low grade copper ores

Answer 12

Reduction and electrolysis
- bioleaching and Phyto mining

Question 13

What are the 3 Phyto mining steps

Answer 13

1 - grow plants near the ore
2 - harvest and burn the plants
3 - Ash contains the metal compound, so process the ash by electrolysis or displacement with scrap metal

Question 14

What are the 3 bioleaching steps

Answer 14

1 - grow bacteria near the ore
2 - bacteria will produce leachate solutions that contain compound, so process the leachate by electrolysis or displacement with scrap metal

Question 15

What is a LCA
- what does it stand for

Answer 15

a way of looking at the whole life of a product and assessing its impact on the environment and sustainability
- Life Cycle Assessment

Question 16

What are the four categories of a LCA

Answer 16

• extracting and processing raw materials
• manufacturing and packaging
• use and operation during its lifetime
• disposal at the end of its useful life, including transport and distribution at each stage

Question 17

What are the four ways to dispose of products

Answer 17

• adding to a landfill site
• incinerating
• reusing
• recycling

Question 18

how are metals
- extracted
- disposed

Answer 18

• quarried and mined, reduction or electrolysis required
• can normally be melted down and recycled

Question 19

How are plastics
- made
- disposed

Answer 19

• come from non-renewable fossil fuels
• often reused or recycled, incinerating releases harmful chemicals, often end in landfills eventually

Question 20

How is paper
- made
- disposed

Answer 20

• from trees that require lots of land and water
• incinerated, decay in landfill sites, however both release greenhouse gases
  recycled

Question 21

How is glass
- made
-disposed

Answer 21

• heating sand requiring lots of energy
• reused, recycled, landfill sites

Question 22

how are ceramics
- made
- disposed

Answer 22

• comes form clay and rocks, need quarrying usually
• not commonly recycled, can’t be reused, persist in landfill