Resources Online Test 7th Social Science Lesson 12 Questions in English

Anything which can be used for satisfying the human needs is called resource. Natural resources are resources that exist without action of humankind. Natural resources are obtained from environment.

Biotic resources are found in the biosphere which are obtained from living and organic materials. It includes forests, crops, birds, animals, fishes, man and materials that can be obtained from them.

Biotic resources are found in the biosphere which are obtained from living and organic materials. Fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum are also included in this category because they are formed from decayed organic matter.

Abiotic resources are the non-living parts of an environment. Examples of abiotic resources include land, water, air, sunlight and heavy metals including ores such as gold, iron, copper, silver etc.

Abiotic resources are the non-living parts of an environment. On the basis of renewability, resources can be divided into two types. They are: 1. Renewable resources 2. Non - renewable resources.

A renewable resource is a resource which can be used repeatedly and replaced naturally. Renewable resources harvested and used rationally will not produce pollution.

A renewable resource is a resource which can be used repeatedly and replaced naturally. Example: solar energy, wind energy, and hydropower.

The sun produces energy in the form of heat and light. Solar energy is not harmful to the environment. Photovoltaic devices or solar cells, directly convert solar energy into electricity.

Individual solar cell in group panel can perform small applications from charging calculator, watch batteries, to large such as to power residential dwellings.

Photovoltaic power plants and concentrating solar power plants are the largest solar applications covering acres. India, China, Japan, Italy and States of America are major utilizers of solar energy in the world.

Kamuthi solar power project is one of the largest solar power projects in the world. It is situated in Ramanathapuram District in Tamil Nadu.

The Kamuthi solar power project was completed on 21st September 2016. Investment of this project is around 4,550 Crores. The installed capacity of this project is 648 MW.

Wind power is clean energy since wind turbines does not produce any emissions. In recent years, wind energy has become one of the most economical and renewable energy technologies.

The Classic Dutch windmill harnessed the wind’s energy hundreds of years ago. Modern wind turbines with three blades dot the landscape today, turning wind into electricity.

Major wind energy producing countries are United States, China, Germany, Spain, India, United Kingdom, Canada and Brazil.

Muppandal – Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu with a wind farm capacity of 1,500MW Dhalgaon – Sangli, Maharashtra with a wind farm capacity of 278MW

Jaisalmer wind farm is located in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan with an installed wind farm capacity of 1,064MW

Hydroelectricity power is the cheapest and most versatile source of energy out of all the known energy.

China is the largest producer of hydro-electricity. Hydroelectricity is generated from moving water with high velocity and great falls with the help of turbines and dynamos.

Hydroelectric power is a renewable resource. China, Canada, Brazil, United States of America, Russia, India, Norway and Japan are some countries producing hydroelectricity.

Tehri Dam is installed with Hydro - electricity project with an Installed Capacity of 2400 MW is located in Uttarakhand.

Koyna Dam is installed with Hydro - electricity project with an Installed Capacity of 1960 MW is located in Maharashtra.

Mettur Dam is installed with Hydro - electricity project with an Installed Capacity of 120 MW is located in Tamil Nadu.

Bhakra Nangal Dam is installed with Hydro - electricity project with an Installed Capacity of 1,325 MW is located in Punjab. Sardar Sarovar Dam is located in Gujarat.

Three Gorges Dam in China is the largest hydroelectricity project in the world with an installed capacity of 22,000MW.

Xiluodu Dam is installed with Hydro - electricity project with an Installed Capacity of 13,860 MW is located in china across Jinsha river.

Three Gorges Dam construction started in 1994 and ended in 2012. The installed capacity of the dam is 22,000MW.

Guri Dam is installed with Hydro - electricity project with an Installed Capacity of 10,235 MW is located in Venezuela across Caroni river.

Itaipu Dam is installed with Hydro - electricity project with an Installed Capacity of 14,000 MW is located in Brazil and Paraguay across Parana river.

Natural resources that once consumed and cannot be replaced is called non-renewable resources. Continuous consumption of non-renewable resources ultimately leads to exhaustion.

Examples of non-renewable resources include fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum, natural gas and mineral resources such as iron, copper, bauxite, gold, silver and others.

Non-renewable resources can be divided into three types. They are:  Metallic resources  Non - Metallic resources  Fossil fuel resources.

Metallic resources are the type of resources that are composed of metals. These are hard substances, which are the good conductors of heat and electricity. Example for metallic resources are iron, copper, gold, bauxite, silver, manganese, etc.

Iron is the fourth most common element in the Earth’s crust and the most widely available metal.

Iron is the fourth most common element in the Earth’s crust and the most widely available metal. Magnetite and hematite are the common ore for iron, which occurs normally in the rocks of the crust.

Iron ore is the key raw material in making steel and 98% of the iron ore extracted is used to make Steel.

Pure iron ore is very soft, but its strength is increased many folds by adding small amount of carbon and manganese.

Iron ore is mined in about 50 countries. It’s low cost and high earth strength makes it usable in engineering applications, such as the construction of machinery and machine tools, automobiles, construction of large ships, structural components of building, bridges etc.

Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Goa account for over 95 per cent of the total reserves of India.

Iron ores found at Kanjamalai in Tamil Nadu. Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Goa account for over 95 per cent of the total reserves of India.

Copper is one of the first metals known and used by man. About three quarters of copper is used to make electrical wires, telecommunication cables and electronics.

Copper ranks as the third most consumed industrial metal in the world after Iron and Aluminium.

Copper is good conductor of heat and electricity. About three quarters of copper is used to make electrical wires, telecommunication cables and electronics.

Chile is the world’s number one country in the production of copper. Other copper producing countries are Peru, China, United States, Congo and Australia.

Gold was used for minting coins, but now it is used for making ornaments and in dentistry. It is regarded as a symbol of prosperity and a form of wealth.

China is the world’s largest producer of gold. Also, Australia, Russia, United States, South Africa and Canada are the major producers of gold.

Among other countries, Australia has 9500 tons reserves of gold ore and it is world’s leading country in gold ore reserves.

Aluminium is produced from bauxite ore. There are several ores that contain aluminium but bauxite contains more aluminium.

Aluminium has wide range of uses compared to other metals. Aluminium is light in weight, tough and cheaper, which makes it popular metal for constructional purpose. It is mainly used in the construction of aircrafts, ship, automobiles, railway coaches and etc.

Karnataka is the largest producer of gold in India. Kolar Gold Field is one of the deepest mines of the world.

By the addition of small quantities of other metals to aluminium, it creates superior alloy than pure aluminium. E.g: Duralumin

Australia is the world’s leading bauxite producer. Apart from that, China, Brazil, India, Guinea, Jamaica and Russia also play an important role in bauxite production.

One fourth of the bauxite mineral deposits found in Guinea alone. Odisha, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh are the main bauxite producing states in India.

The bauxite deposits are mainly found in the Shervaroy hills of Salem district, Tamil Nadu.

Silver is also a precious metal like gold. It has a wider variety of uses than gold. About two-third of silver is used for monetary purposes. Like gold, silver also resists corrosion.

Mexico is the world’s leading silver producer. Following Mexico, Peru, China, Russia, Australia and Chile produce more silver. More than 50% of silver is found only in South American countries.

Manganese is a steel-greyed, hard, shiny and brittle metal. The common ores of manganese are Pyrolusite Manganese, Psilomelane and Rhodochrosite.

Manganese is used in making electrical batteries. It is also used as colouring material in bricks, pottery, floor tiles. Manganese compounds are used in making disinfecting liquids, bleaching powder, fertilizers etc.

South Africa is the world’s leading producer of manganese. The significant producers of manganese in the world are China, Australia, Gabon, Brazil and India. All these producers have large reserves of manganese and are significant exporters in the world.

Non-metallic resources can be described as the resources that do not comprise of metals. These are not hard substances, and are not good conductors of heat and electricity. Example for non-metallic resources are mica, limestone, gypsum, dolomite, phosphate, etc

Muscovite and Biotite are the common ores of Mica. It is one of the indispensable minerals used in electrical and electronics industry.

China is the world’s top producer of mica. Russia, Finland, United States, Turkey and Republic of Korea also play a major role in the production of mica.

About 95 per cent of India’s mica is found in just three states of Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Jharkhand. It is used as an insulating material in electrical industry. In powder form, it is used for making lubricating oils and decorative wallpapers.

Limestone is a sedimentary rock, composed mainly by skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral, foraminifera and molluscs. About 10% of sedimentary rocks are limestones. Mostly limestone is made into crushed stone and used as a construction material.

Crushed limestone is used in smelting and other metal refining process. Portland cement is made from limestone.

China produces more than half of limestone production in the world. Beside this, United States, India, Russia, Brazil and Japan also produce more Limestone.

Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Tamil Nadu Produce over three-fourths of the total limestone of India. In Tamil Nadu, Large scale limestone reserve found in Ramanathapuram, Tirunelveli, Ariyalur, Salem, Coimbatore and Madurai districts.

Coal is classified into four types based on carbon content. They are: 1. Anthracite 2. Bituminous 3. Lignite 4. Peat

Coal is the most abundantly found fossil fuel that forms when dead plant matter is converted into peat. It is used as a domestic fuel, in industries such as iron and steel, steam engines to generate electricity. Electricity produced from coal is called Thermal Power.

The leading coal producers of the world is China. Beside this, India, USA, Australia, Indonesia and Russia also produce more coal.

The coal producing areas of India are Raniganj in West Bengal, Neyveli in Tamil Nadu, Jharia, Dhanbad, and Bokaro in Jharkhand.

Petroleum is found between the layers of rocks and is drilled from oil fields located in Offshore and coastal areas. This is sent to refineries which process crude oil and produce 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 Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and Qatar. The other major producers are USA, Russia, Venezuela, Kuwait, UAE and Algeria. The leading producers in India are Digboi in Assam, Bombay High in Mumbai and the deltas of Krishna and Godavari rivers.

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.

More than 50% of the global natural gas reserves are found in United States of America, Russia, Iran and Qatar. In India, Krishna and Godavari Delta, Assam, Gujarat and some areas of offshore in Mumbai have natural gas resources.