Science test - Earth's resources and climate

Renewable resource

A natural supply that replenishes naturally at a rate equal to or faster than the rate at which it is consumed, such as solar, wind, or hydroelectric energy.

Non-renewable resource

A natural supply that exists in finite quantities and takes millions of years to form, meaning it is depleted by ongoing extraction and use.

Fossil fuels

Energy sources formed over millions of years from the buried remains of ancient plants and marine organisms subjected to heat and pressure, such as coal, oil, and natural gas.

Greenhouse effect

The natural process where specific atmospheric gases absorb and re-emit infrared radiation radiating from the surface, keeping the planet warm enough to sustain life.

Main greenhouse gases

Carbon dioxide ($CO<em>2$), methane ($CH</em>4$), water vapour ($H<em>2O$), and nitrous oxide ($N</em>2O$).

Enhanced greenhouse effect

The disruption of natural thermal balance caused by human activities that release excess heat-trapping gases, leading to global warming and climate change.

Mineral ore

A naturally occurring rock or sediment that contains a high enough concentration of a metal or mineral to make extraction economically worthwhile.

Major gases in dry air

Nitrogen ($78\%$), oxygen ($21\%$), argon ($0.9\%$), and trace amounts of other gases including $CO_2$.

Carbon footprint

The total volume of greenhouse gas emissions generated directly and indirectly by an individual, organization, event, or product.

Combustion of hydrocarbons

A chemical reaction in which a fuel reacts with oxygen to release thermal energy, producing $CO<em>2$ and $H</em>2O$ as products.