Weekend Homework Questions

Homework Questions Section C: 1-10 pg. 112

By Kelly Moran

1.) The Atmosphere, the top layer of the earth, provides us with nitrogen and oxygen. 

     The Hydrosphere, ocean and water approximately, provides us with water and some dissolved minerals.

     Lastly the lithosphere, the crust of the earth, provides us with petroleum and metal-bearing ores. 

2.) a.) Three major parts of the lithosphere include the crust (which is the outside of the mantle and includes compounds of metal as well as Oxides, Carbonates, Coal, Oil, and Natural Gases), mantle (outside the crust and is the outside of the core of the earth), and lastly the core (Earth's center that contains Iron and Nickel metals). 

     b.) The main layer that serves as the storehouse for chemical resources is the lithosphere layer. 

3.) a.) Peru produces the most silver.

     b.) Chile produces the most copper.

     c.) China produces the most tin.

4.) China produces the largest mass out of the other countries of the listed resources. 

5.) Minerals differ from ores because ores are natural rocks/solid substances while minerals are the components that make up the ores. 

6.) What determines the feasibility of a metallic ore is the quantity of useful ore found at the site, percent of metal in the ore, type of mining and processing needed to extract the metal from it's ore, and much more.

7.) The factors that may have caused this very old mine to reopen for further mining is the fact that new technology has come out to separate little percents metal from the ores easily. 

8.) This means an ore that is useful for the purpose. For example, a copper ore is only useful if you're looking for copper. Each mine is looking for a different substance in the ores.

9.) Active metals are more difficult to process and refine because the more reactive a metal the greater tendency it has to form positive ions in a chemical reaction. Also it is much more difficult and expensive to extract active metals from it's ore and metal is also more susceptible to corrosion and rust.

10.) Since we haven't done the experiment yet but my prediction is that the non active metals will be the easiest to process since it is known that active metals are very difficult to process.