NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Geography - Mineral and Power Resources

Exercises

Q1. Answer the following questions.
(i) Name any three common minerals used by you every day.
Ans: Salt, Gold and Copper are three common minerals used every day.

Copper Coins.

(ii) What is an ore? Where are the ores of metallic minerals generally located?
Ans: Rocks from which minerals are mined are known as ores. For any material to be called ore of any mineral, it must contain minimum adequate quantity of that mineral so that it can be extracted profitably.

Examples of ores.

(iii) Name two regions rich in natural gas resources.
Ans: Russia and Norway are the two regions rich in natural gas resources.

(iv) Which sources of energy would you suggest for
(a) Rural areas
(b) Coastal areas
(c) Arid regions
Ans:
(a) Biogas energy for rural areas
(b) Hydel and tidal energy for coastal areas

Hydel power.(c) Wind and solar energy for arid regions

(v) Give five ways in which you can save energy at home.
Ans: Five ways in which energy can be saved at home:

• Switching off lights, fans and other electrical appliances when not in use
• By seeing to it that electrical devices are operating efficiently; for example, defrosting refrigerator regularly and not keeping the refrigerator door open for longer than necessary
• Using energy-efficient devices such as fluorescent bulbs and tubes
• Using energy efficiently while cooking; for example, keeping the lids of pans on while cooking
• Unplugging electrical devices when not in use prevents leakage of electricity; thus saving energy.

Q2. Tick the correct answer.
(i) Which one of the following is not a characteristic of minerals?
(a) They are created by natural processes.
(b) They have a definite chemical composition.
(c) They are inexhaustible.
(d) Their distribution is uneven.

Correct Answer is Option (c)

(ii) Which one of the following is not a producer of mica?
(a) Jharkhand
(b) Karnataka
(c) Rajasthan
(d) Andhra Pradesh

Correct Answer is Option (b)

(iii) Which one of the following is a leading producer of copper in the world?
(a) Bolivia
(b) Ghana
(c) Chile
(d) Zimbabwe

Correct Answer is Option (c)

(iv) Which one of the following practices will not conserve LPG in your kitchen?
(a) Soaking the dal for some time before cooking it.
(b) Cooking food in a pressure cooker.
(c) Keeping the vegetables chopped before lighting the gas for cooking. 

(d) Cooking food in an open pan kept on low flame.

Correct Answer is Option (d)

Q3. Give reasons.
(i) Environmental aspects must be carefully looked into before building huge dams.
Ans:
Environmental aspects must be carefully looked into before building huge dams because of the following reasons -

• Dams create imbalance in the earth’s equilibrium.
• Deforestation leads to environmental pollution.
• People become displaced.
• Cities/villages/ towns may require shifting causing a lot of hardships for the people.
• Flood threats loom large.
• Earthquake threats
• Silting of lakes is a problem.

(ii) Most industries are concentrated around coal mines.
Ans: Coal is used as a source of energy and power and also as a raw material in most of the industries. Hence most industries are concentrated around coal mines of the purpose of saving cost of transportation of coal (cost-effectiveness).

(iii) Petroleum is referred to as “black gold”.
Ans: Petroleum is referred to as “black gold” because it is black in colour in the crude form and its derivatives are extremely valuable as petroleum itself. Today it is almost inevitable in our day-to-day life. A variety of products like – kerosene, diesel, petrol, wax, plastics, lubricants etc. are produced from these mineral resources.

Petroleum: Black gold.

(iv) Quarrying can become a major environmental concern.
Ans: Quarrying can become a major environmental concern because of the following reasons:

• It may destroy the humus of soil which is much required for the growth of plants and crops.
• It produces a lot of noise pollution due to use of explosives at times in order to break the huge chunks of rocks.
• In the process of quarrying lot of dust is generated which causes air pollution and occupational hazards.
• Blasting done in the process of quarrying generate vibration which damage in the nearby buildings, dams or any other similar structure.

Q4. Distinguish between the following.

(i) Conventional and non-conventional sources of energy

(ii) Biogas and natural gas

(iii) Ferrous and non-ferrous minerals

(iv) Metallic and non-metallic minerals