28.1-Finite and Renewable Resources

Finite resources

Finite resources from the Earth's crust, oceans and atmosphere will one day run out.
They can be processed to provide energy and useful materials. Renewable resources are those which will not run out in the foreseeable future.

One of the most important finite resources in the crust is crude oil.
- Crude oil is processed through fractional distillation and cracking to produce a wide variety of useful chemicals.
- Sea water is a renewable resource because there is such a large amount of it that humans will not use it all up.
Sometimes natural products can be supplemented or replaced by agricultural and synthetic products.
- For example, until 1910 all fertilisers were obtained from natural resources such as manure.
However, the Haber process enabled humans to produce fertilisers from nitrogen in the air, and has allowed synthetic fertilisers to be produced.
Synthetic fertilisers have allowed intensive farming to become widespread, which has meant that we can produce enough food to support the growing world population

Using examples, state the difference between a finite and renewable resources?
- Finite will eventually run out, for example coal
- Renewable will reform faster, or a similar rate to how much we use them, for example geothermal energy
Name the three main finite resources?
- Coal, oil and gas

Metals, glass, building materials, clay ceramics and most plastics are made from limited natural resources.
Some items made from these materials can be reused, and this saves the most energy and reduces the impact on the environment.
- For example, glass bottles only need to be washed and sterilised before they can be filled again. Other products cannot be reused in this way, but they can be recycled.

The advantages of recycling compared to producing materials and objects from natural resources include:
- Fewer quarries and mines are needed to extract finite reserves of metal ores
- Less crude oil needs to be extracted from the crust as a raw material for making plastics
- Less energy is needed for recycling compared with making a new product from natural resources, so the emission of greenhouse gases is reduced
- The amount of waste that is disposed of in landfill is reduced

Disadvantages of recycling arise from the recycling process itself:
- The collection and transport of used items needs organisation, workers, vehicles and fuel
- It can be difficult to sort different metals from one another
- The sorted metal may need to be transported to where it can be turned into ingots

Give three positive effects of recycling?
- Landfill use reduced
- Less energy needed to make new products
- Fewer quarries and mines
Give three negative effects of recycling?
- Collection and transport causes pollution
- Difficult to sort different categories
- Sorted metals may need to be transported to another place to be turned into ingots

Finite resources from the Earth's crust, oceans and atmosphere will one day run out.
They can be processed to provide energy and useful materials. Renewable resources are those which will not run out in the foreseeable future.

One of the most important finite resources in the crust is crude oil.
- Crude oil is processed through fractional distillation and cracking to produce a wide variety of useful chemicals.
- Sea water is a renewable resource because there is such a large amount of it that humans will not use it all up.
Sometimes natural products can be supplemented or replaced by agricultural and synthetic products.
- For example, until 1910 all fertilisers were obtained from natural resources such as manure.
However, the Haber process enabled humans to produce fertilisers from nitrogen in the air, and has allowed synthetic fertilisers to be produced.
Synthetic fertilisers have allowed intensive farming to become widespread, which has meant that we can produce enough food to support the growing world population

Using examples, state the difference between a finite and renewable resources?
- Finite will eventually run out, for example coal
- Renewable will reform faster, or a similar rate to how much we use them, for example geothermal energy
Name the three main finite resources?
- Coal, oil and gas

Metals, glass, building materials, clay ceramics and most plastics are made from limited natural resources.
Some items made from these materials can be reused, and this saves the most energy and reduces the impact on the environment.
- For example, glass bottles only need to be washed and sterilised before they can be filled again. Other products cannot be reused in this way, but they can be recycled.

The advantages of recycling compared to producing materials and objects from natural resources include:
- Fewer quarries and mines are needed to extract finite reserves of metal ores
- Less crude oil needs to be extracted from the crust as a raw material for making plastics
- Less energy is needed for recycling compared with making a new product from natural resources, so the emission of greenhouse gases is reduced
- The amount of waste that is disposed of in landfill is reduced

Disadvantages of recycling arise from the recycling process itself:
- The collection and transport of used items needs organisation, workers, vehicles and fuel
- It can be difficult to sort different metals from one another
- The sorted metal may need to be transported to where it can be turned into ingots

Give three positive effects of recycling?
- Landfill use reduced
- Less energy needed to make new products
- Fewer quarries and mines
Give three negative effects of recycling?
- Collection and transport causes pollution
- Difficult to sort different categories
- Sorted metals may need to be transported to another place to be turned into ingots