NCERT Notes Class 10 Social Science Geography Chapter 5 Minerals and Energy Resources
Minerals and Energy Resources Study Notes, Questions and Answers / NCERT CBSE Notes Class 10 Geography Chapter 05 Minerals and Energy Resources
* Introduction:
We use different things in our daily life some of which are made up of metals. From a tiny pin to a towering building or ship, everything is made up of metal. There are various metals each of which is manufactured from a particular mineral called ore. Besides, we also depend on energy resources- both renewable as well as nonrenewable. CBSE Class 10 Social Science Geography Chapter 5 enlightens us about these minerals and energy resources that are the pillars of the growth of our economy.
* Resource: A resource is a thing that is obtained from a source and can be used to satisfy human needs. It has utilitarian values and hence, is of economic significance. Resources may be classified in many ways. Mineral and energy resources are two of them.
* Mineral resources: Earth's crust is made up of minerals. Minerals are the most valuable, homogeneous natural resources which can be used as fuel and a source for ferrous and non-ferrous metals.
* Ore: An ore is a type of rock in which metallic minerals are present in concentrated form. Mineral ores are required to be refined before their use for the extraction of metals.
* Classification of Minerals
Metallic Minerals
Ferrous Minerals
Iron Ore: The main ore from which iron is extracted for the manufacture of steel. It is the backbone of modern civilisation as all the things - from a tiny pin to a gigantic skyscraper, bridges, and railroads, etc. - are made up of iron and steel. Of the four classes of iron ore -
i. Magnetite is the finest quality ore which is black in colour.
ii. Hematite is also a good quality ore. It is reddish in colour. Areas having rich iron ore deposits in India are shown in the below map:
* Distribution of Iron Ore in India
Odisha - Gorumahisani, Badampahar in Mayurbhanj
Jharkhand - Singhbhum, Noamundi
Chhattisgarh - Dalli-Rajhara, Bailadila in Bastar District
Goa - Bicholim, Ratnagiri District
Karnataka - Kudremukh in Chikmagalur, Bellary district
iii. Manganese- When added to iron, manganese acts as a 'cleanser' in the manufacturing of steel to remove glasses. It is also used in the manufacturing of bleaching powder, insecticides and paints.
* Non-Ferrous Minerals:
i. Copper- As copper is a ductile metal and good conductor, it is an ideal metal for making electric wires. It is also used in the electronics and chemical industries.
* State-wise Distribution of Copper Ore in India:
ii. Bauxite: Bauxite is a rock consisting of aluminium oxides. Aluminium is an important metallic mineral as it is light, resistant to corrosion. It combines the strength of the metals such as iron. Odisha is the leading state producing bauxite. Koraput, Sambalpur are some important districts where bauxite is mainly found.
* Non-Metallic Minerals:
i. Mica: It has thin crystal layers and is brittle. It can be easily broken into sheets. As it has a low power loss factor and is resistant to high voltage, it is used in the electric and electronic industries.
State-wise Distribution of Mica in India
* Energy Resources
An energy resource is something that produces heat and light, is needed to cook food and to run vehicles. Energy resources can be classified into two types:
i. Conventional Energy Resources and
ii. NonConventional Energy Resources
i. Conventional Energy Resources: Conventional energy resources are those that have been in common use for a long time on a large commercial scale for generating power. These include the non-renewable fossil resources of coal, petroleum and natural gas on the one hand and running water on the other.
Coal- Coal is formed from the remains of plants that got buried in deep layers of the earth's surface over a million years.
* Types of Coal:
i. Peat (the first stage)
ii. Lignite or Brown Coal (the second stage with 30-40% carbon content)
iii. Bituminous Coal (the third stage with 40-80% carbon content, it is the most popular coal in commercial use)
iv. Anthracite (the fourth stage with 90% carbon content, it is also known as 'hard coal')
* Importance and uses of coal:
● It is an important source of power in India.
● Besides providing heat and raising steam in industrial sectors, it is still a very important domestic fuel.
* Regional Distribution of Coal
● The major source of Gondwana coal is in Damodar Valley.
● Jharia, Bokaro and Giridih in Jharkhand are some important coalfields.
* Petroleum: It is formed from the dead plants and animals which got buried in rocky strata on the ocean floor. It has the widest range of domestic as well as
industrial use. Hence, it is also known as 'liquid gold.
* Regional Distribution of Petroleum:
● About 60-63% of the country's total production is from Bombay High.
● About 18-19% of the production is from Gujarat.
Ankleshwar is the most important oil mining field here.
● About 16% of the production is from Assam. Here, the oldest oil field of India is located in Digboi.
* Natural Gas: It is considered as a clean environmental fuel or energy resource as less amount of carbon dioxide is emitted from its combustion.
* Hydro-electricity: By constructing dams on the river, river water is stored and is made to fall from a height over turbine blades which start moving by the force of falling water. Moving blades of a turbine turn the generator that produces electricity. Eg- the Bhakra- Nangal Project, Damodar Valley Corporation, the Hirakud Project etc are producing hydroelectric power.
* Thermal Electricity: Fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum and natural gas are used to generate thermal power.
* Nuclear Energy: When atoms of one chemical element change into those of another the energy which is released known as Nuclear Energy. In India, many places reserve certain nuclear minerals eg- Uranium deposits are found in Rajasthan and Singhbhum in Jharkhand. High-grade thorium is found in the monazite sands on the coast of Kerala.
ii. Non-Conventional Energy Resources
These are eco-friendly energy resources, reduce our carbon footprint and do not emit greenhouse gases that pollute the environment. Being natural resources they are renewable in nature and are all ‘flow’ resources that are inexhaustible and hence, sustainable as well.
* Solar Energy: Heat energy from the sun is captured by using a solar energy collector or concentrator and used in a wide variety of applications. Solar energy has domestic as well as commercial usage. It is used in solar cookers, solar water heating systems, solar air heating systems, crop dryer, refrigerator, etc.
The largest solar plant of India is located in Madhapur, near Bhuj, Gujarat.
* Wind Energy: As the wind in the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Maharashtra blows steadily, comparatively at a high speed, the wind turbines can operate easily. Hence, wind energy plants/turbines are mostly localized in the coastal areas. The largest wind firm cluster is located in Tamil Nadu - from Nagercoil to Madurai.
* Biogas Energy: Biogas is the gaseous mixture produced by the breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen, primarily consisting of methane and carbon dioxide. It can be synthesized from kitchen waste (green waste), agricultural waste containing manure, plant parts, municipal waste and sewage. Biogas is easily available and hence, acts as a low-cost raw material for electricity generation.
* Tidal Energy: The areas which are situated in the coastal areas of Bay Bengal/ Gulf of Kutch (an inlet of the Arabian sen along the west coast of India), there the energy can be easily extracted from tides rather than the cities which are situated far away from the coastal areas.
* Geo-Thermal Energy: The heat energy present in rocks deep within the earth is called Geothermal energy. Groundwater in such areas absorbs heat from the rock and becomes hot. It is so hot that when it reaches the earth's surface, it turns into steam which is used to drive turbines and electricity. These are clean and safe and easily available.
Many hot springs or geothermal energy locations are there in India. Among them, the Parvati Valley near Manikaran in Himachal Pradesh is very important.
* Important Question and Answers
1. How are minerals formed in the igneous and metamorphic rocks?
Answer: In metamorphic and igneous rocks (or volcanic rocks), minerals tend to seep into small openings - the cracks and the crevices, joints and faults. While the smaller mineral fills are called veins, the larger ones are called lodes. Initially, mineral occurrences exist in the liquid/molten or gaseous forms. When they rise through the cracks towards the earth's surface, they cool down and solidify and get deposited there.
2. Mention some important uses of petroleum.
Answer: Some of the important areas of usage of petroleum are:
● Transport sector as motor fuel.
● At housing complexes for lighting, heating and cooking purposes.
● As raw materials for chemical industries. Hundreds of by-products are made from petroleum such as paint, ethylene, synthetic rubber, fertilisers, pesticides, detergent, and plastic etc.
Therefore, petroleum has the widest range of domestic as well as industrial uses and is often referred to as 'liquid gold.
3. Why are the heavy industries and thermal power stations located near the coalfields? Where are the tertiary coalfields located?
Answer: Coal is a heavy/bulky mineral. It loses weight on use as it is reduced to ash. If the industries are located far away from the coalfields, the transportation cost will be higher. The quality of coal will also differ. That is why the heavy industries and thermal power stations are located near the coalfields.
Tertiary coalfields are located in the north-eastern
states such as Meghalaya, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh
and Nagaland.
4. Why are petroleum refineries together considered a 'nodal industry?’
Answer: Petroleum refineries together comprise a 'nodal industry' for fertilisers, synthetic textiles and chemical industries. Apart from being a crucial fuel itself (petrol, diesel), petroleum also yields many by-products such as naphthalene, synthetic rubber, and fertilisers etc, after refining. Thus, petroleum refineries provide raw materials to the above-mentioned industries and thereby acting as a 'nodal industry'.
5. Why do we need to conserve mineral resources?
Answer: As the population of the country is growing continuously, we should use mineral resources in a planned and sustainable manner. Minerals are nonrenewable energy resources; i.e. they will get exhausted after a certain point of time due to over-exploitation.
Since they are crucial for our economy and not too many
viable alternatives are available yet, we need to
conserve them properly.
6: What are the differences between conventional and non-conventional energy?
Answer: The differences between conventional and non-conventional energy resources are as follows:
* Conventional Sources of Energy
i. They have been in use for a long time. Hence, it isoften called the 'traditional source of energy.
ii. Conventional sources of energy are non-renewable sources of energy. Excessive use of coal, petroleum etc for a decade will exhaust their stocks.
iii. Most of the energy sources (eg-coal) cause pollution when used.
Examples- coal, petroleum, natural gas etc.
* Non-Conventional Sources of Energy
i. These sources of energy have recently been developed and are still developing.
ii. These are renewable sources of energy which are also known as 'flow resources and hence can provide a sustainable source of energy for all time.
iii. These are eco-friendly.
Examples- solar energy, wind energy, tidal energy etc
7: Why is solar energy distributed largely in the tropical temperature zone like Rajasthan/ Gujarat/ Maharashtra?
Answer: As Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra are located in the tropical temperate Zone of India, it receives adequate solar radiation which is the most favourable consideration for solar energy generation. Hence, solar energy is distributed largely in these areas. Moreover, in these areas, there is a great demand for solar energy for lighting and water pumping, irrigation, water purification for drinking.
* TextBook Exercises Page No. – 63
1. Multiple choice questions.
(i) Which one of the following minerals are formed by the decomposition of rocks, leaving a residual mass of weathered material?
(a) Coal (b) Bauxite (c) Gold (d) Zinc
Answer: (b) Bauxite
(ii) Koderma, in Jharkhand, is the leading producer of which one of the following minerals?
(a) Bauxite (b) Mica (c) Iron Ore (d) Copper
Answer: (b) Mica
(iii) Minerals are deposited and accumulated in the strata of which of the following rocks?
(a) Sedimentary Rocks (b) Metamorphic Rocks
(c) Igneous Rocks (d) None of the above
Answer: (a) Sedimentary Rocks
(iv) Which one of the following minerals is contained in the Monazite sand?
(a) Oil (b) Uranium (c) Thorium (d) Coal
Answer: (c) Thorium
2. Answer the following questions in about 30 words.
(i) Distinguish between the following in not more than 30 words.
a. Ferrous and non-ferrous minerals
b. Conventional and non-conventional sources of energy
Answer:
a. Ferrous minerals are metallic minerals containing iron. For e.g.- Iron ore, Manganese, Nickel, Cobalt etc.
While non-ferrous minerals are also metallic, but they do not contain iron. For e.g.- Manganese, Nickel, Cobalt etc.
b. Conventional sources of energy include firewood, cattle dung cake, coal, petroleum, natural gas and electricity (both hydel and thermal).
While non-conventional sources of energy are solar, wind, tidal, geothermal, biogas and atomic energy.
(ii) What is a mineral?
Answer:
Minerals can be defined as homogenous, naturally occurring substances with a definable internal structure. Minerals are found in varied forms in nature, ranging from the hardest diamond to the softest talc.
(iii) How are minerals formed in igneous and metamorphic rocks?
Answer:
In igneous and metamorphic rocks, minerals can occur in the cracks, crevices, faults or joints. The smaller deposits are called veins, and the larger ones are called lodes.
(iv) Why do we need to conserve mineral resources?
Answer:
Mineral deposits form only one per cent of the earth’s crust. We need to conserve mineral resources because the geological processes of mineral formation are so slow that the rates of replenishment are very small in comparison to the current rate of consumption.
3. Answer the following questions in about 120 words.
(i) Describe the distribution of coal in India
Answer:
• In India, coal can be found in rock series of two main geological ages:
• Gondwana (200 million years old)
• Tertiary deposits (55 million years old)
• The major resources of Gondwana coal are located in:
• Damodar Valley (West Bengal – Jharkhand) – Jharia, Raniganj and Bokaro are • important coalfields.
• Godavari valley
• Mahanadi valley
• Son valley
• Wardha valley
• Tertiary coal occurs in the northeastern states of Meghalaya, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.
(ii) Why do you think that solar energy has a bright future in India?
Answer:
Solar Energy has a bright future in India because we are a tropical country with enormous possibilities of tapping solar energy. Solar energy is fast becoming popular in rural and remote areas. India’s largest solar power plant is located at Madhapur, near Bhuj, where solar energy is used to sterilise milk cans. It is expected that the use of solar energy will be able to minimise the dependence of rural households on firewood and dung cakes, which in turn will contribute to environmental conservation and an adequate supply of manure in agriculture.
Solar energy is a non-conventional source of energy that is also renewable. Use of solar energy will not only be good for the environment, but it will also reduce our dependence on oil and gas
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