This document contains an assignment on mineral and power resources from a social science geography class. It includes short answer and long answer questions testing knowledge of topics like the definition of a mineral, properties used to identify minerals, locations of mineral deposits worldwide, major mineral producers, and types of energy resources including fossil fuels, renewable resources, and their importance for development. It concludes with a long answer question explaining the global distribution of important minerals and map skills questions locating nuclear power plants in India.

1. SOCIAL SCIENCE (GEOGRAPHY)
ASSIGNMENT
CH- 3: MINERAL AND POWER RESOURCES
Very short answer type questions:
1.What do you mean by mineral?
Answer:- A mineral is a natural substance with
distinctive chemical and physical properties,
composition, and atomic structure.
2.‘Minerals are identified on the basis of their physical
properties’. Name those properties.
Answer:- Most minerals can be characterized and
classified by their unique physical properties:
hardness, lustre, colour, streak, specific gravity,
cleavage, fracture, and tenacity.
3.Sedimentary rock formations of plains and young fold
mountains contain non-metallic minerals. (True/False)
Answer:- True
4.Name the minerals deposit regions of North America.
Answer:- The mineral deposits in North America are
located in three zones: the Canadian region north of
the Great Lakes, the Appalachian region and the

2. mountain ranges of the west.
5.Which country is the largest producer of high-grade
iron ore in the world?
Answer:- Australia is the largest producer of high-
grade iron ore in the world.
6.Define the following terms:
a) Rock: - The solid mineral material forming part of
the surface of the earth and other similar planets,
exposed on the surface or underlying the soil is
known as Rock.
b) Ores: - Ore is natural rock or sediment that
contains one or more valuable minerals, typically
metals, that can be mined, treated and sold at a
profit.
c)Geothermal Energy: - Geothermal energy is the
thermal energy generated and stored in the Earth.
Thermal energy is the energy that determines the
temperature of matter. The geothermal energy of
the Earth's crust originates from the original
formation of the planet and from radioactive decay
of materials.
d) Tidal Energy: - Tidal power or tidal energy
converts energy obtained from tides into useful
forms of power, mainly electricity. Although not

3. yet widely used, tidal energy has the potential for
future electricity generation. Tides are more
predictable than the wind and the sun.
e)CNG: - Compressed natural gas is a fuel that can
be used in place of gasoline, diesel fuel and
liquefied petroleum gas. CNG combustion
produces fewer undesirable gases than the
aforementioned fuels.
7.Name the first country to develop hydroelectricity.
Answer. Norway is the first country to develop
hydroelectricity.
8.Which gas is found with petroleum deposits?
Answer. Petroleum includes not only crude oil, but all
liquid, gaseous and solid hydrocarbons. Under surface
pressure and temperature conditions, lighter
hydrocarbons methane, ethane, propane and butane
exist as gases, while pentane and heavier hydrocarbons
are in the form of liquids or solids.
9.In which types of rocks are metallic minerals found?
Answer. Minerals occur in different types of rocks.
Some are found in igneous rocks, some
in metamorphic rocks while others occur
in sedimentary rocks. Generally, metallic

4. minerals are found in igneous and metamorphic
rock formations that form large plateaus.
10. Identify the fuel which undergo nuclear fission in
nuclear reactors and emit power.
Answer. The energy released from nuclear fission can
be harnessed to make electricity with a nuclear reactor.
A nuclear reactor is a piece of equipment
where nuclear chain reactions can be controlled and
sustained. The reactors use nuclear fuel, most
commonly uranium-235 and plutonium-239.
Short answer type questions:
11. Classify the minerals the minerals on the basis of
composition.
Answer. Minerals are classified on the basis of their
chemical composition, which is expressed in their
physical properties. This module, the second in a series
on minerals, describes the physical properties that are
commonly used to identify minerals. These include
colour, crystal form, hardness, density, lustre, and
cleavage.
12. How are minerals extracted? Explain.
Answer. Once a mineral deposit has been found it
has to be extracted from the ground to access the

5. valuable minerals it contains. This can be done by
opencast quarrying or underground mining.
Certain minerals can also be extracted by
pumping. There are Three types of extraction of
minerals, 1-Mining, 2-Drlling, and 3-Quarrying.
13. List the uses of minerals.
Answer.
14. Differentiate between the following:
a)Biogas and natural gas- Bio Gas is a non-
renewable source of energy. It is a renewable
source of energy. It is a

6. naturally occurring gas that is formed from
fossil fuel. It is a naturally occurring gas that is
formed from the break-down of organic matter
in the presence of anaerobic bacteria.
b) Hydel power and nuclear power-
Hydroelectric energy, also called hydroelectric
power or hydroelectricity, is a form of energy that
harnesses the power of water in motion—such as
water flowing over a waterfall—to
generate electricity. Nuclear power is the use of
nuclear reactions that release nuclear energy to
generate heat, which most frequently is then used
in steam turbines to produce electricity in a nuclear
power plant.
c)Wind energy and tidal energy- water is much
denser than air, thus tidal energy is more powerful
than wind energy. Unlike wind, tides are
predictable and stable; therefore, tidal generators
are steady and produce a reliable stream of
electricity.
15. Give reasons for your answers
a)Energy saved is energy generated- 'Energy saved is
energy produced. ... Conservation of energy is
essential because it protects our environment from
greenhouse gas emission and also saves valuable
resources from getting depleted. If we save

7. energy, then only more energy can be produced. It
is essential to use non- conventional sources
of energy.
b) Petroleum is referred to as “black gold”-
Petroleum is usually found in geological
formations underneath the earth's crust. When
the petroleum is drilled from the ground in the
liquid form, it is referred to as crude oil. This
name black gold itself is an indication that it is
very vital to humans. Because of its oil and worth,
people refer to it gold.
c)The increasing use of fossil fuels is leading to its
shortage- yes because Fossil fuels is a non-
renewable source of energy, and Nowadays, Fossil
fuels are one of the leading minerals in the world,
they took so several years to get renewed.
d) Coal is referred to as “buried sunshine”- Coal
is called “buried sunshine” because it is found
buried under the earth, and is as important a source
of energy as sunshine.
16. Why is the conservation of minerals necessary in
the modern world? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer. Conservation of mineral resources
is essential because they are a country's valuable
possession. Some methods by which we can conserve

8. minerals are: Minerals should be used in a planned and
sustainable manner. Technology should be upgraded to
allow the use of low-grade ore at low costs.
Long answer type question:
17. Explain the distribution of minerals in the world.
(make a table in the following format)
CONTINENTS
Central Asia
Australia
South Africa
South America
South America
Asia
COUNTRIES
Kazakhstan
Australia
RSA
Brazil
Chile and Peru
India and China
MINERALS
Uranium
Bauxite
Platinum
High grade- Iron ore
Copper
Iron ore
18.‘Power or energy plays a vital role in our lives’.
Explain the following statement with suitable
examples
Answer.
19.Map skills:
On the outline political map of India, locate the
following nuclear power stations:
a. Kalpakkam b. Tarapur c. Narora
d. kaiga e. Ranapratap Sagar

9. Ranapratap Sagar
Narora
Tarapur
Kaiga
Kalpakkam