Chapter 3 - mineral and power resources - Class 8

Mind Map
Meaning of
Minerals
Types of
Minerals
Extraction of
Minerals
Distribution
of Minerals
Uses of
Minerals
Conservation
of Minerals
Power
Resources
Conventional
Sources of
Energy
Non-
Conventional
Sources of
Energy

Meaning of minerals
A naturally occurring substance that has a definite chemical composition is a mineral.
• Minerals are not equally distributed over space.
•Minerals are formed in different types of geological environments, under varying
conditions.
• They are created by natural processes without any human interference.
•They can be identified on the basis of their physical properties such as colour, density,
hardness and chemical property such as solubility.

Formation of Minerals
• Nearly all minerals have the internal ordered arrangement
of atoms and ions .
• Minerals form in all geologic environments and thus under a wide range
of chemical and physical conditions, such as
varying temperature and pressure. The four main categories of mineral
formation are:
• (1) igneous, or magmatic, in which minerals crystallize from a melt.
• (2) sedimentary, in which minerals are the result of sedimentation, a
process whose raw materials are particles from other rocks that have
undergone weatheringor erosion.
• (3) metamorphic, in which new minerals form at the expense of earlier
ones owing to the effects of changing—usually increasing—
temperature or pressure or both on some existing rock type
• (4) hydrothermal, in which minerals are chemically precipitated from
hot solutions within Earth.

Types of Minerals
On the basis of composition, minerals are classified mainly as:
• → Metallic
• → Non-metallic minerals
• Metallic minerals contain metal in raw form. Metals are hard substances
that conduct heat and electricity and have a characteristic lustre or shine.
Examples: Iron ore, bauxite, manganese ore.
• Metallic minerals may be ferrous or non-ferrous.
→ Ferrous minerals contains iron. Examples are iron ore, manganese and
chromites.
→ Non-ferrous mineral does not contain iron but may contain some other
metal such as gold, silver, copper or lead.
• Non-metallic minerals do not contain metals.
→ Examples: Limestone, mica and gypsum and mineral fuels like coal and
petroleum.

Extraction of minerals
Minerals can be extracted by mining, drilling or
quarrying
Extraction
of Minerals
Mining
Open cast
mining
Shaft
Mining
Drilling Quarrying

Type of Extraction of Minerals
The process of taking out minerals from rocks buried
under the earth’s surface is called mining.
Minerals that lie at shallow depths are taken out by
removing the surface layer; this is known as open-cast
mining.
Deep bores, called shafts, have to be made to reach
mineral deposits that lie at great depths. This is called
shaft mining.
Petroleum and natural gas occur far below the earth’s
surface. Deep wells are bored to take them out, this is
called drilling .
Minerals that lie near the surface are simply dug out,

Extraction of Minerals
Open cast
Shaft Mining
Drilling Quarrying

Distribution of Minerals
• Minerals occur in different types of rocks. Some are found in
igneous rocks, some in metamorphic rocks while others occur in
sedimentary rocks.
• Generally, metallic minerals are found in igneous and metamorphic
rock formations that form large plateaus.
• Iron-ore in north Sweden, copper and nickel deposits in Ontario,
Canada, iron, nickel, chromites and platinum in South Africa are
examples of minerals found in igneous and metamorphic rocks.
• Sedimentary rock formations of plains and young fold mountains
contain non-metallic minerals like limestone. Limestone deposits of
Caucasus region of France, manganese deposits of Georgia and
Ukraine and phosphate beds of Algeria are some examples.
• Mineral fuels such as coal and petroleum are also found in the
sedimentary strata.

Asia
• Asia China and India have large iron ore deposits.
The continent produces more than half of the
world’s tin.
• China, Malaysia and Indonesia are among the
world’s leading tin producers.
• China also leads in production of lead, antimony
and tungsten.
• Asia also has deposits of manganese, bauxite,
nickel, zinc and copper.

Europe
• Europe is the leading producer of iron-ore in
the world.
• The countries with large deposits of iron ore
are Russia, Ukraine, Sweden and France.
Minerals deposits of copper, lead, zinc,
manganese and nickel are found in eastern
Europe and European Russia

North America
• The mineral deposits in North America are
located in three zones:
• The Canadian region north of the Great Lakes,
the Appalachian region and the mountain ranges
of the west.
• Iron ore, nickel, gold, uranium and copper are
mined in the Canadian Shield Region, coal in the
Appalachians region.
• Western Cordilleras have vast deposits of copper,
lead, zinc, gold and silver.

South America
.
Brazil is the largest producer of high grade iron-ore
in the world.
Chile and Peru are leading producers of copper.
Brazil and Bolivia are among the world’s largest
producers of tin.
South America also has large deposits of gold,
silver, zinc, chromium, manganese, bauxite, mica,
platinum, asbestos and diamond.
Mineral oil is found in Venezuela, Argentina, Chile,
Peru and Columbia

Africa
• Africa is rich in mineral resources.
• It is the world’s largest producer of diamonds,
gold and platinum.
• South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zaire produce a
large portion of the world’s gold.
• The other minerals found in Africa are copper,
iron ore, chromium, uranium, cobalt and bauxite.
Oil is found in Nigeria, Libya and Angola.

Australia
• Australia is the largest producer of bauxite in
the world.
• It is a leading producer of gold, diamond, iron
ore, tin and nickel.
• It is also rich in copper, lead, zinc and
manganese.
• Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie areas of western
Australia have the largest deposits of gold.

Antarctica
• The geology of Antarctica is sufficiently well
known to predict the existence of a variety of
mineral deposits, some probably large.
Significant size of deposits of coal in the
Transantarctic Mountains and iron near the
Prince Charles Mountains of East Antarctica is
forecasted. Iron ore, gold, silver and oil are
also present in commercial quantities.

Uses of Minerals
• Minerals are used in many industries.
• Minerals which are used for gems are usually hard.
• These are then set in various styles for jewellery.
• Copper is another metal used in everything from coins
to pipes.
• Silicon, used in the computer industry is obtained from
quartz.
• Aluminum obtained from its ore bauxite is used in
automobiles and airplanes, bottling industry, buildings
and even in kitchen cookware.

Minerals are a non-renewable resource.
It takes thousands of years for the formation and
concentration of minerals.
The rate of formation is much smaller than the rate at
which the humans consume these minerals.
It is necessary to reduce wastage in the process of
mining.
Recycling of metals is another way in which the
mineral resources can be conserved.
Conservation of Minerals
Why to conserve Minerals

Power is used for for industry, agriculture, transport, communication
and defense.
Power resources may be broadly categorised as
1.
2.
Conventional and
Non conventional resources.
Conventional Sources
Conventional sources of energy are those which have been in
common use for a long time. Firewood and fossil fuels are the two
main conventional energy sources.
conventional energy. The reserves of these minerals are limited. The
rate at which the growing world population is consuming them is far
greater than the rate of their formation. So, these are likely to be
exhausted soon.
Power Resources

Fire wood
It is widely used for cooking and heating.
In India more than fifty percent of energy
used by the villagers comes from fire wood

Coal
• This is the most abundantly found fossil fuel. It is used
as a domestic fuel, in industries such as iron and steel,
steam engines and to generate electricity. Electricity
from coal is called thermal power. The coal which we
are using today was formed millions of years ago when
giant ferns and swamps got buried under the layers of
earth. Coal is therefore referred to as Buried Sunshine.
• The leading coal producers of the world are China,
USA, Germany, Russia, South Africa and France. The
coal producing areas of India are Raniganj, Jharia,
Dhanbad and Bokaro in Jharkhand.

How is coal formed?
The environments or conditions under which these coals were
formed: anthracite coal, bituminous coal,
lignite?
Coal formed millions of years ago when the earth was covered with
huge swampy forests where plants - giant ferns, reeds and mosses -
grew. As the plants grew, some died and fell into the swamp
waters. After millions of years many layers had formed, one on top of
the other. The weight of the top layers and the water and dirt packed
down the lower layers of plant matter. Heat and pressure produced
chemical and physical changes in the plant layers which forced out
oxygen and left rich carbon deposits. In time, material that had been
plants became coal.

Classification of coals
Coals are classified into three main ranks, or types: lignite, bituminous coal, and
anthracite. These classifications are based on the amount of carbon, oxygen, and
hydrogen present in the coal. Some of the undesirable chemical constituents
include chorine and sodium. In the process of transformation (coalification),
peat is altered to lignite, lignite is altered to sub-bituminous, sub-bituminous coal
is altered to bituminous coal, and bituminous coal is altered to anthracite.
Peat formation is the result of incomplete decomposition of the remains of
plants growing in waterlogged conditions. As a result, partially decomposed plant
remains accumulate and become compacted, forming peat that changes the
substrate chemical and physical properties leading to a succession of plant
communities.
Lignite - is the lowest rank of coal - which means that it has the lowest heating
value and lowest carbon content. Although lignite is more solid than peat it
crumbles when shipped long distances. Lignite is used to generate electricity.
Other uses include generating synthetic natural gas and producing fertilizer
products.

Bituminous - is intermediate in rank and sometimes called soft coal. It
appears smooth when you first see it, but look closer and you'll find it
has many layers. It is the most abundant kind of coal. It has a high
heating value, but it also has a high sulfur content. More than 80% of
the bituminous coal produce is burned to generate electricity. Other
major coal users are the cement, food, paper, automobile, textile and
plastic industries. Another important industrial use is to provide coke
for iron and steel industries. Bituminous coal derivatives, or by-
products can be changed into many different chemicals form which we
can make paint, nylon, aspirin and many other items.
Anthracite - is the highest rank of coal which means that it has the
highest heating value and highest carbon content. It is very hard, deep
black, and looks almost metallic because it is brilliantly
glossy. Anthracite burns longer, with more heat and with less dust and
soot than other types of coal. The primary market for anthracite is for
heating homes. Nearly all of the anthracite in the U.S. is in
Pennsylvania, but there are some small beds in other states.

Fossil Fuels
Remains of plants and animals which
buried under the earth for millions of
years got converted by the heat and
pressure into fossil fuels.
Coal , Petroleum and Natural gas are the
fossils which are the main sources of
conventional energy.
Fossils fuels are in limited quantities and
rate at which the growing World
population is consuming them is far
greater than the rate of their formation.

The petrol that keeps your car running as well as the oil that keeps
your cycle from squeaking, both began as a thick black liquid called
Petroleum. It is found between the layers of rocks and is drilled from
oil fields located in off-shore and coastal areas. This is then sent to
refineries which process the crude oil and produce a variety of
products like diesel, petrol, kerosene, wax, plastics and lubricants.
Petroleum and its derivatives are called Black Gold as they are very
valuable. The chief petroleum producing countries are Iran, Iraq,
Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The other major producers are USA, Russia,
Venezuela, and Algeria. The leading producers in India are Digboi in
Assam, Bombay High in Mumbai and the deltas of Krishna and
Godavari rivers.
A fossil fuel, petroleum is formed when large quantities of dead
organisms, mostly zooplankton and algae, are buried underneath
sedimentary rock and subjected to both intense heat and pressure
Petroleum

Natural Gas
Natural gas is found with petroleum deposits and is released when
crude oil is brought to the surface.
It can be used as a domestic and industrial fuel.
Russia, Norway, UK and the Netherlands are the major producers of
natural gas.
In India Jaisalmer, Krishna Godavari delta, Tripura and some areas off
shore in Mumbai have natural gas resources.
Very few countries in the world have sufficient natural gas reserves of
their own.
The sharp increase in our consumption of fossil fuels has led to their
depletion at an alarming rate.
The toxic pollutants released from burning these fuels are also a cause
for concern.
Unchecked burning of fossil fuel is like an unchecked dripping tap
which will eventually run dry.
This has led to the tapping of various non-conventional sources of
energy that are cleaner alternatives to fossil fuels.

Natural Gas
• Natural gas (also called fossil gas; sometimes just gas), is
a naturally occurring hydrocarbon gas mixture consisting
primarily of methane, but commonly including varying
amounts of other higher alkanes, and sometimes a small
percentage of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide,
or helium.
• In conventional natural gas deposits, the natural
gas generally flows easily up through wells to the surface.
In the United States and in a few other countries, natural
gas is produced from shale and other types of sedimentary
rock formations by forcing water, chemicals, and sand down
a well under high pressure.
•

Hydel Power
Rain water or river water stored in dams is made to fall
from heights. The falling water flows through pipes inside
the dam over turbine blades placed at the bottom of the
dam. The moving blades then turn the generator to
produce electricity. This is called hydro electricity. The
water discharged after the generation of electricity is used
for irrigation. One fourth of the world’s electricity is
produced by hydel power. The leading producers of hydel
power in the world are Paraguay, Norway, Brazil, and
China. Some important hydel power stations in India are
Bhakra Nangal, Gandhi Sagar, Nagarjunsagar and Damodar
valley projects.

Non-conventional Sources of Energy
The increasing use of fossil fuels is
leading to its shortage.
It is estimated that if the present rate of
consumption continues, the reserves of
these fuel will get exhausted. Moreover,
their use also causes environmental
pollution. Therefore, there is need for
using non-conventional sources such as
solar energy, wind energy, tidal energy
which are renewable.

Solar energy
Sun’s heat and light energy can be felt by us every day.
Solar energy trapped from the sun can be used in solar
cells to produce electricity.
Many of these cells are joined into solar panels to
generate power for heating and lighting purpose.
The technology of utilising solar energy benefits a lot of
tropical countries that are blessed with abundant sun
shine.
Solar energy is also used in solar heaters, solar cookers,
solar dryers besides being used for community lighting
and traffic signals.

Wind Energy
Wind is an inexhaustible source of energy.
Wind mills have been used for grinding grain and lifting water
since times immemorial.
In modern time wind mills, the high speed winds rotate the
wind mill which is connected to a generator to produce
electricity.
• Wind farms having clusters of such wind mills are located in
coastal regions and in mountain passes where strong and
steady winds blow.
• Windfarms are found in Netherlands, Germany, Denmark,
UK, USA and Spain are noted for their wind energy
production.

Nuclear Power
Nuclear power is obtained from energy stored in the nuclei of
atoms of naturally occurring radio active elements like uranium
and thorium.
These fuels undergo nuclear fission in nuclear reactors and emit
power. The greatest producers of nuclear power are USA and
Europe.
In India Rajasthan and Jharkhand have large deposits of
Uranium.
Thorium is found in large quantities in the Monozite sands of
Kerala.
The nuclear power stations in India are located in Kalpakkam in
Tamilnadu, Tarapur in Maharastra, Ranapratap Sagar near Kota in
Rajasthan, Narora in Uttar Pradesh and Kaiga in Karnataka.

Geothermal Energy
• Heat energy obtained from the earth is called geothermal
energy. The temperature in the interior of the earth rises
steadily as we go deeper. Some times this heat energy may
surface itself in the form of hot springs. This heat energy
can be used to generate power.
• Geothermal energy in the form of hot springs has been
used for cooking, heating and bathing for several years.
USA has the world’s largest geothermal power plants
followed by New Zealand, Iceland, Philippines and Central
America. In India, geothermal plants are located in
Manikaran in Himachal Pradesh and Puga Valley in Ladakh

Tidal Energy
Energy generated from tides is called tidal
energy.
Tidal energy can be harnessed by building
dams at narrow openings of the sea.
During high tide the energy of the tides is used
to turn the turbine installed in the dam to
produce electricity.
Russia, France and the Gulf of Kachchh in India
have huge tidal mill farms.

Biogas
• Organic waste such as dead plant and animal material,
animal dung and kitchen waste can be converted into a
gaseous fuel called biogas. The organic waste is
decomposed by bacteria in biogas digesters to emit biogas
which is essentially a mixture of methane and carbon
dioxide. Biogas is an excellent fuel for cooking and lighting
and produces huge amount of organic manure each year.
• Energy is everywhere but we can see that harnessing this
energy is both difficult as well as costly. Each one of us can
make a difference by not wasting energy. Energy saved is
energy generated. Act now and make brighter energy
future.

Conservation of Energy
• Conservation of Energy Resources Energy is a basic requirement for
economic development. Every sector of the national economy – agriculture,
industry, transport, commercial and domestic – needs inputs of energy. The
economic development plans implemented since Independence necessarily
required increasing amounts of energy to remain operational. As a result,
consumption of energy in all forms has been steadily rising all over the
country. In this background, there is an urgent need to develop a
sustainable path of energy development.
• Promotion of energy conservation and increased use of renewable energy
sources are the twin planks of sustainable energy. India is presently one of
the least energy efficient countries in the world. We have to adopt a
cautious approach for the judicious use of our limited energy resources. For
example, as concerned citizens we can do our bit by using public transport
systems instead of individual vehicles; switching off electricity when not in
use, using power-saving devices and using non-conventional sources of
energy. After all, “energy saved is energy produced”

Chapter 3 - mineral and power resources - Class 8

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Chapter 3 - mineral and power resources - Class 8