Download Earths Resources

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A resource is anything
supplied by the earth to
satisfy a particular need of
humans or other living
things
Resources can be
renewable (replaced by
natural processes) or nonrenewable (takes too long
to be replaced)
List the resources you can see in
this picture
Birds, animals, rocks, soil, water,
air & sunlight
 Air
 Soil
 Temperature
 Rocks
 Living
things
 Sunlight
 Water
The resources listed to the left
are natural resources.
They
Are used to make things with
Provide us with energy
•Almost all life depends
on these resources
•Many need to be
protected by humans to
assist our survival
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Renewable
A renewable resources is
one which is replaced by
natural processes
The replacement occurs on
a timescale shorter than a
human life
Air, water, wind, sunlight
and living things fit this
category
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Non- Renewable
A non-renewable resource
is one may not be replaced
naturally
If the replaced, this
happens on a timescale
much longer than a human
life eg thousands to
millions of years
Rocks, soil, oil, coal &
petrol fit this category
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Renewable!
 Living
things are
considered renewable
because they
reproduce and are
replaced in our lifetime
 Therefore, as long as
conditions allow for
reproduction, new
living organisms will
grow and develop
 All
living things provide
a resource for other
living things
 Eg they may provide
food, a habitat or fuel
 Farming is a good
example of where
humans use other
living things as a
resource
Air is a mixture of gases
and suspended particles
such as dust, smoke, and
water droplets.
 There are many gases in
air...
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Renewable!
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About 21% of air is oxygen
o We use oxygen in to breathe (respire),
but it is replaced by plants in a
process called photosynthesis
So the oxygen level in the
atmosphere stays about the same
Only about 0.03% of air is carbon
dioxide
o Plants use carbon dioxide
during photosynthesis, animals
breathe out carbon dioxide so
it is replaced

So gases are constantly being recycled through the
atmosphere and so are renewable resources
 Equations
 Equation
for photosynthesis
for respiration
glucose+ oxygen
carbon dioxide + water + energy
Renewable!
Sunlight has an essential role in
supporting life on earth
 Plants use sunlight to produce
food
 Sunlight warms the earths
atmosphere, keeping conditions
ideal for living things to survive
 The sun is a star and has been
burning for billions of years, and
will do into the future
 Sunlight is a renewable resource
and will be for as long as the
sun keeps shining. It is
constantly being made
 Water
covers most of the Earth’s surface and
all living things need water
 It is the earth’s most important
resource
Renewable!!
 Water
is earth’s most important resource
 Only a tiny fraction of the earth’s water is
made new everyday. Most is recycled.
 Water can be made when
o Living things burn
o Fossil fuels burn
o Living things release energy
o During chemical reactions
Renewable!
 Water
is recycled on earth, as it moves from place
to place, as shown by the water cycle.
 Water
is essential for
life on earth. All living
things require it.
 The total amount of
water on planet earth
has remained largely
unchanged for billions
of years
Answer these questions in your workbooks
1. Name 3 natural resources
2. What is the difference between renewable and
non renewable?
3. Name 2 renewable resources.
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 Non-renewable
resources are used up at a
greater rate than they can be replaced
Non Renewable!
 Rocks
provide 2 types of resources:
o The rocks themselves
o The materials found in the rocks eg water and
minerals
What materials from rock do the following pictures show?
Marble
Diamond
and gold
Bricks
.
•As the rocks gradually break down, they release minerals which end up in
the water of oceans and lakes, and in the soil.
•From the water and soil, the minerals are taken up by plants and animals,
providing them with necessary trace elements
 The
fossil fuels oil, natural gas and coal are
energy sources that are found in or
between layers of rock deep below the ground.
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Rocks themselves can be used eg:
Limestone, slate and are used for
building.
Marble (shown on the previous
page) is used in kitchens and
bathrooms around the world.
It was previously used to create
sculptures and many ancient
buildings in Europe are made of
marble
Rocks on earth were
formed millions of years
ago
 There are 3 types of
Rock:

o Igneous
o Metamorphic
o Sedimentary
Use your netbook to find out
how these 3 types of rock
are formed! (record your
findings in your workbook)
Igneous
forms when hot liquid from
inside the earth cools. It can
take millions of years to form.
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Sedimentary rock is formed when
other types of rocks stick together
and harden. It takes millions of
years to form.
Metamorphic rocks
Are rocks that once one form of rock and has changed to other
due to heat or pressure
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Only a tiny fraction of the earth’s rocks are being
replaced each year and so are not considered
renewable
Therefore the minerals in rocks are not a renewable
resource
Oil and gas therefore are not renewable
Non renewable!
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Soil is created by the weathering and erosion of rock
o Weathering- is the process of rock breaking into smaller
and smaller pieces
o Erosion- when broken down rock or sediments are
moved from where they are formed by water, wind or air.
Factors affecting weathering are:
o 1. Temperature
o 2. Water setting in cracks and freezing
o 3. Waves
o 4. Running water
o 5. Natural chemicals
Weathering: breaking down rock
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Rapid changes in
temperature can split rocks
Water freezing can split rocks
Water and waves can break
down rock
Particles in wind can wear
down rock
Chemicals (acid rain) can
dissolve rock
Erosion: carrying broken down
rock away
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Water, wind and ice can
wash away soil, sand and
rocks.
Erosion can happen
quickly as it does in a dust
storm, tornado or
hurricane
Or slowly as with a river,
ocean waves against the
shore
1
Resource
How it is used
Renewable or
non-renewable in
a lifetime
Air
Sunlight
Soil
Water
Rocks
Living things
Answers p 433