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Uses of our Natural Resources
Rock and mineral resources have a wide variety of uses and play a huge role in our lives The Mineral Information Institute has a poster showing how much of a variety of minerals each person uses in his or her lifetime. Minerals are important to our health. We need small amounts of a wide variety of minerals. Minerals found in Tennessee which people need include: calcium, phosphorus, sulfur, copper, fluoride, iron, and zinc. Coal, oil and natural gas provide us with almost all of the energy we use to light, heat and run our world. Minerals are ingredients in almost all of the products we use from fertilizer to plastics, from toothpaste to kitty litter, from knives to plates. Minerals are common ingredients in pigments. In fact, some of the earliest uses of minerals were as pigments. Minerals also play an important role in the processing of materials. Bentonite is important in well drilling, Barite is important in oil drilling. Fluorite is important in making steel
Resource How are our resources used? (characteristics exploited) Barite Used in oil drilling to weigh down the oil and prevent gushers (high specific gravity), filler in paint, glass, toothpaste. Chert Used to make stone tools. (hardness, fracture patterns). Used as fill to provide a stable base for roads (insolubility) Clay Used to make pottery and bricks. Used for pet litter (ability to absorb water) Chalcopyrite (copper) Copper is used to make electrical wiring (electrical conductivity). Used in alloys - bronze and brass (low melting point, beauty, resistance to oxidation) Used as an ingredient in pigments (blue and green) Coal Used as a fuel (flammable). The oils and tars produced processing coal are processed into a variety of organic solvents and compounds such as plastics, motor fuel, photo developer, perfume, medicine, and sugar substitute. Fluorite Used as a flux - i.e. used as an intermediate chemical to separate metals from waste material. Another important product made from fluorite is hydrofluoric acid, which is used in the pottery, optics, and plastics industry. Fluorite is also used in making opalescent glass and in enameling cookware. Galena (lead) The largest use of lead is in automotive batteries. It is also used as weights (high specific gravity). Used as an ingredient in solder (soft, low melting point.). Until recently it was also used as an ingredient in paint and as an additive in gasoline to make engines run more smoothly. Gypsum Gypsum is primarily used to make wallboard. It is also an ingredient in cement. Ilmenite (titanium) Titanium is used in alloys to make strong light-weight materials - space ships, bicycles Used to make white paint - non-toxic replacement for lead, which used to be used for this purpose. (low reactivity) Iron Iron is used for tools, for appliances, for building supports. It is also used as a pigment (red and ochre) Limestone Limestone is used as building stone, for ornamental stone for surfaces and sculpture, to make cement and mortar, as crushed stone for fill Mussel Shells Mussel shells were used as ceremonial objects. European Americans have used shells as ornaments - buttons and pearls for jewelry. Oil/Natural Gas Oil and natural gas are used as fuels and ingredients in the chemical industry to produce petroleum based products notably plastics. Phosphate Phosphate is used as a fertilizer and to make phosphoric acid which is a major ingredient in food products such as cola drinks. Saltpeter Saltpeter was used as a fertilizer (source of nitrogen) and as an ingredient in gunpowder. It has now been replaced by the related compound ammonium nitrate which can be manufactured in the laboratory. Sand & Gravel Sand and gravel are used as fill to provide a stable foundation for buildings and roads. Sandstone Sandstone is used as a building material. Sphalerite (zinc) Zinc is used as an ingredient in brass (with copper). It is used to coat (galvanize) iron implements to protect them from rusting. It is used as a pigment (white)
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What are some common mineral questions that people often have?

Some common mineral questions that people often have include: What are minerals and how are they formed? What are the different types of minerals and their uses? How can minerals be identified and distinguished from each other? How are minerals mined and processed for commercial use?


What information can be found in the minerals table?

The minerals table provides information about the chemical composition, physical properties, and uses of different minerals.


How can magnetism be used to identify minerals?

Magnetism can be used to identify minerals by observing their response to a magnetic field. Some minerals are attracted to a magnet, some are repelled, and some show no response at all. By studying these behaviors, geologists can help to identify certain minerals based on their magnetic properties.


What are some examples of minerals and their uses in everyday life?

Some examples of minerals and their uses in everyday life include: Quartz - used in watches and electronics for its ability to conduct electricity. Talc - used in cosmetics and baby powder for its softness and absorbent properties. Copper - used in wiring and plumbing for its conductivity and durability. Salt - used in cooking and food preservation for flavor and preservation. Iron - used in construction and manufacturing for its strength and ability to be magnetized.


What are the properties and uses of hard minerals in the field of geology?

Hard minerals in geology have properties like durability and resistance to scratching, making them useful for tools and construction materials. They are also important for identifying rocks and minerals in the field.

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What are 2 uses for minerals?

The two uses for metallic minerals are - spacecrafts and automobiles


What are some common mineral questions that people often have?

Some common mineral questions that people often have include: What are minerals and how are they formed? What are the different types of minerals and their uses? How can minerals be identified and distinguished from each other? How are minerals mined and processed for commercial use?


What are the uses of minerals for human beings?

Minerals give your body certain vitamins and minerals are also used in make up


What are 3 common uses of minerals?

Three common uses of minerals are in construction (such as granite and limestone used for building materials), in electronics (minerals like copper and gold used in circuitry), and in agriculture (minerals like phosphorus and potassium used in fertilizers).


What are the non commercial uses of minerals?

Minerals are highly collectible and can be a source of great enjoyment to the hobbyist.


What are uses of the minerals?

-For medical uses -For beauty (jewelry, etc.) -For creating artificial things


What information can be found in the minerals table?

The minerals table provides information about the chemical composition, physical properties, and uses of different minerals.


What are the uses of oceans?

The oceans are used for many things. Food, traveling, recreation, mining for various fuel or minerals, and storing carbon dioxide emissions in specialized tanks.there are a lots of uses of the ocean some are:transportationjewellery (pearls)medicineswaterresources (crude oil)minerals (salt)


What are uses of ocean?

The oceans are used for many things. Food, traveling, recreation, mining for various fuel or minerals, and storing carbon dioxide emissions in specialized tanks.there are a lots of uses of the ocean some are:transportationjewellery (pearls)medicineswaterresources (crude oil)minerals (salt)


What are uses are oceans?

The oceans are used for many things. Food, traveling, recreation, mining for various fuel or minerals, and storing carbon dioxide emissions in specialized tanks.there are a lots of uses of the ocean some are:transportationjewellery (pearls)medicineswaterresources (crude oil)minerals (salt)


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The body uses proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates for energy. It uses minerals and vitamins to build substances in the body that the body uses to function. Such as iron for hemoglobin or vitamins as anti-oxidants.


Non metallic minerals and their uses?

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