Earth Science topic.

1. HOW ORE MINERALS ARE
FOUND, MINED AND PROCESSED
Quarter 1 Week 3 Earth Science

2. MELC: Describe how ore minerals are found, mined,
and processed for human use(S11ES-Ic-d-8).
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe how ore minerals are mined and processed.

3. Minerals
Minerals are naturally occurring, inorganic solids with a
definite chemical composition and a crystal lattice
structure. Although thousands of minerals on earth
have been identified, just ten minerals make up most of
the volume of the earth’s crust–plagioclase, quartz,
orthoclase, amphibole, pyroxene, olivine, calcite,
biotite, garnet, and clay.

4. • Minerals are components of materials we use, buildings we build, and
assets we keep. That is how important minerals are in our everyday life.
• Salt, a mineral from halite, is one of the essential minerals that we always
use at home.
• Feldspar is a component for ceramics, glassware, and pottery. It is also an
ingredient in making soaps. Fluorite is also used in ceramics and pottery. It
is commonly known as a component of toothpaste in the form of fluoride.
Gold, silver, and platinum are made into pieces of jewelry and other
important articles at home. Quartz is used for the production of glass and
fiberglass usually used at home.
• Copper serves as an important material in electronics and wiring because
of its conductive properties. Silver is utilized in electronics for the same
reason. Silica is a mineral that contains silicon, a metalloid that has some
properties of metals such as the ability to conduct electricity.

5. • Tungsten and molybdenum are used widely for the filament in
incandescent bulbs because of their high melting points. Iron ores are
used for stainless steel production. Barium, chromite, cobalt, copper,
molybdenum, and nickel serve as alloys in the production of other
metals. Bauxite is an ore where aluminum is derived. It is important
for the production of cement for construction. Copper and lead are
also utilized widely in the construction field. Quartz, in the form of
sand, is also valuable in construction and manufacturing. Graphite,
known in your pencil "lead,” can also be used in manufacturing.

6. • Some minerals are used as gemstones. Rubies and sapphires contain
aluminum oxide. Emeralds are from the mineral beryl. Quartz is also
considered as a semi-precious mineral. Diamond, a form of carbon, is
considered as the most precious mineral. It is also the hardest mineral (10
on the Mohs’ scale). Though commonly used for jewelry, some uncut
diamonds are placed as additive for metal cutters because of its hardness.
• In some cases, minerals are used in the medical field. Examples of these
minerals are barium that is a helpful additive to medicine in X-rays of the
digestive system, and iron which is used to treat anemia.

7. • All rocks, except obsidian and coal are made of minerals (obsidian is a
volcanic rock made of glass and coal is made of organic carbon).
Rocks that contain these minerals are called ores.

8. How are these mineral ores processed for human
use?
Step 1: Finding Minerals
• Geologists study geological formations and then test
the physical and chemical properties of soil and rocks
to locate possible ores(minerals containing valuable
metal) and determine their size and concentration.
*A mineral deposit will only be mined if it is profitable.

9. How are these mineral ores processed for human
use?
Step 2: Mining
• Surface Mining - allows extraction of ores that are
close to the earth’s surface. Overlying rock is blasted,
and the rock that contains the valuable minerals is
placed in a truck and taken to a refinery.
• Surface mining includes open-pit mining and
mountain top removal. Other methods of surface
mining include strip mining, placer mining, and
dredging.

10. Mining
• Underground Mining - used to recover ores that are
deeper into the earth’s surface.
• Miners blast and tunnel into rock to gain access to the
ores. How underground mining is approached – from
above, below, or sideways – depends on the
placement of the ore body, its depth, concentration of
ore, and the strength of the surrounding rock.
Underground mining is very expensive and dangerous.
Fresh air and lights must also be brought into the
tunnels for the miners, and accidents are far too
common.

11. Step 3: Mineral processing
• The process of extracting minerals from the ores,
refining them and preparing these minerals for use.
The primary steps involved in processing minerals
include sampling and analysis, comminution,
concentration, and dewatering.

12. Mineral processing
1. Sampling is a removal of a portion which represents a whole
needed for the analysis of this material.
2. Analysis is important to evaluate the valuable components in an
ore. This includes chemical, mineralogical, and particle size analysis.
• Chemical analysis uses electric discharge which excites the elements
in the sample to emit a certain spectra which will reveal the identity
of the elements as well as its concentration.
• Mineralogical analysis uses heavy liquid testing that aims to separate
the less dense, same density, and denser materials.
• Coarsely grounded minerals are classified according to particle size
through sieving.

13. Mineral processing
3. Comminution is the process where the valuable
components of the ore are separated through crushing
and grinding. This process begins by crushing the ores
to a particular size and finishes it by grinding the ores
into a powder form.

14. Mineral processing
4. Concentration involves the separation of the valuable minerals from
the raw materials.
• Optical separation is a process used in the concentration of minerals
with distinct contrasting colors (black and white) seen with the naked
eye.
• Gravity separation is a process that uses the density of minerals as
the concentrating agent and performs a sink and float separation of
water and the grounded minerals.
• Flotation separation is the most widely used method that makes use
of the mineral’s wettability to water or chemicals.
• Magnetic separation is a process that involves different degrees of
attraction of minerals to magnets.
• Electrostatic separation is a process that separates the mineral
particles based on their electric charges.

15. Mineral processing
5. Dewatering uses the concentrates to convert it to
usable minerals. This involves filtration and
sedimentation of the suspension, and drying of the
solid material harvested from this suspension.
• Extracting metal from rock is so energy intensive that
if you recycle just 40 aluminum cans, you will save the
energy equivalent of one gallon of gasoline.

16. Step 4: Distribution of Valuable Minerals
• Some minerals are valuable because they are
beautiful. Minerals like jade, turquoise, diamonds, and
emeralds are gemstones which are cut and polished
for jewelry. Other minerals like coppers, nickel, cobalt,
and iron are produced in large masses for industrial
purposes.

17. After processing, only the mineral is used, and the
remaining of the ore is disposed as waste. This waste, if
not handled and managed properly, can cause serious
environmental problems

18. Mining generates a lot of wastes. For example, a mine
obtains 1lb of copper. In the process of obtaining the
1lb, 99 lbs. of wastes are removed. Simply put, ore will
be one percent (1%) useful mineral and ninety-nine
percent (99%) waste. Can you imagine how much
waste is produced in mining?

19. Mining Waste Products and Their Management
• Heavy metal wastes can seep through soil making it poisonous for
plants to grow. Water sources can be contaminated by the acid used
in the mining process. Tailings, a by-product of milling ores, can travel
from the dump ponds into the water source of nearby communities.
In the Philippines, some of these wastes damaged mangroves, reefs,
and impaired agriculture.

20. Coal mines blast off rocks to get an ore, thus, dust is
released through dust explosion ignited with air. This
kind of mining releases methane that contributes more
to greenhouse effect. If you were given one day to stay
in a community near coal mines, what will you do to
help in giving awareness to the people living in that
community?

21. Objective Check:
Describe how ore minerals are mined and processed.

22. Post-Test

23. 1. These are specialized rocks on the ground that
people mine and gather to extract valuable minerals.
a. minerals b. ores c. gemstones d. coal

24. 2. How do you separate ore minerals from unwanted
rocks near the surface of the earth?
a. magnetic separation c. surface mining
b. flotation d. underground mining

25. 3. What method of mining involves digging of tunnels
to extract the ore deposits?
a. magnetic separation c. surface mining
b. flotation d. underground mining

26. 4. The by-product of milling ores that are usually
dumped in a pond or a water reservoir are _________.
a. acid b. wastes c. pollutants d. tailings

27. 5. It is a type of analysis that uses heavy - liquid testing
which aims to know the less dense, same density, and
denser material from the given samples.
a. comminution c. mineralogical analysis
b. concentration d. chemical analysis

28. LESSON 2
MELC: Describe how fossil fuels are formed. (S11ES-ld-
10).
1. Differentiate the three types of fossil fuels.
2. Discuss how fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) are
formed.

29. FORMATION OF FOSSIL FUELS

30. Fossil fuels
• formed millions of years ago.
• form when the remains of organisms are buried under layers of
sediments immediately after they perished.
• deposits of organisms (biomass) that are primarily used for energy
generation.
• natural sources of fuel that formed through geological processes.
They have been used as sources of heat and medicine by early
civilizations. They remain as primary sources of energy until today.

31. Fossil fuels
• able to form because the remains of the different organisms
experienced only little to partial decomposition. As these sediments
build up, heat and pressure increase prompting changes in the
biomass. Finally, the remains convert to the final form of fossil fuels.
• Coal, crude oil, and natural gas are different types of fossil fuels.

34. Questions:
1. What are the pictures all about?
2. Differentiate the formation of coal from that of petroleum and
natural gas.

35. Coal is a rock-like material made from plant matter that
lived in swampy areas and is widely used as a fuel.
Crude oil is unrefined petroleum extracted from the
underground reservoirs. It can be treated to form other
products such as gasoline, plastics, and tar.

36. Natural gas is a naturally-occurring hydrocarbon gas
made up of methane and other alkanes such as butane
and propane. Natural gas can be used as fuel for
cooking and generating electricity.
Crude oil and natural gas are from marine organisms.

37. Types and Formation of Coal

38. • Peat is an accumulation of plant organic materials that
only partially decomposed due to exposure to water
and carbon dioxide.
• It is recognizable due to the evidence of plant
remains and water. Peat is quite unconventional to
use because it needs to be dried out and it produces
large amounts of smoke.
• Lignite is formed when increased pressure from
sediments transforms peat. It still has traces of plant
remains. It is abundant but used only when more
efficient fuels are unavailable.

39. • Bituminous forms when even more pressure is
applied to lignite. No trace of plant materials can be
observed in this stage. It is the most abundant form of
coal and a major source of heat energy.
• Anthracite is the last stage of coal formation. It has
the hardest consistency among the stages of coal. This
form resulted from extreme pressure and high
temperature on the layers of sediments. Anthracite
burns with a short flame and only produces a little
smoke.

40. Crude Oil Formation

41. Crude Oil Formation
1. First Stage
• Marine plants and animals gather energy from the sun
and their food to increase the organic materials in
their bodies.
• When they perish, their bodies sink under the ocean.

42. Crude Oil Formation
2. Second Stage
• The remains of the marine organisms are buried
under sediments as time passes.

43. Crude Oil Formation
3. Third Stage
• More sediments bury the remains of marine plants
and animals.
• These sediments turn into sedimentary rock after
millions of years.

44. Crude Oil Formation
4. Fourth Stage
• The heat and pressure from the sedimentary rock
slowly turn the plant and animal matter into crude oil.
• Some of the crude oil migrate in porous rocks while
others remain trapped in impermeable rock
reservoirs.

45. After crude oil is extracted, it undergoes different
processes of refining. The most widely used method to
process crude oil is fractional distillation. Crude oil
produces different oil-based products by being heated
and vaporized at different temperatures. Gas, gasoline,
kerosene, diesel oil, fuel oil, tar, and paraffin wax are
all produced when crude oil undergoes fractional
distillation.

46. Processing of crude oil also yields by-products such as
petroleum jelly, fertilizers, vitamin capsules, and
others. Crude oil is the most commonly used source of
energy in the world.

47. Natural Gas Formation

48. Stage 1
• Microscopic plants and animals from the ocean die
and sink to the bottom of the ocean. Sediments, plants,
and bacteria form layers above these organisms.

49. Stage 2
• Heat and pressure increase as the remains of these
organisms are buried deeper by sediments. A biomass
made from plant materials and exposed to greater heat
produces natural gas.

50. Stage 3
• The natural gas migrates through the pores in the
rocks. Some escape to the Earth’s surface while others
are caught in impermeable rocks and clays and become
trapped deposits of natural gas.

51. Problems with Fossil Fuels
Oil producing and exporting countries are aware that the fossil fuel
supply may not last long. Fossil fuels are non-renewable and finite
resources because of the extensive process of their formation. Several
problems are faced due to the usage of fossil fuels.
• Dependence on fossil fuels may cause problems in the long run if the
supply is inadequate.
• Extraction of fossil fuels has also caused different environmental
problems like damaged land.

52. • Coal mining disturbs the ecosystem of terrestrial lands.
• The extraction of crude oil and natural gas requires structures that
usually affect the marine locations.
• Workers in coal mines and crude oil refineries experience health
problems such as lung diseases.
• The use of fossil fuels as a source of energy has produced great
amounts of gaseous waste, such as carbon dioxide, methane, and
nitrous oxide, that have contributed to global warming.
• Transportation of crude oil can lead to oil spills that negatively affect
marine life.
• Fossil fuels are continually used because of their low cost.

53. Activity 1: The Advantages and Disadvantages of
Fossil Fuels
Fill in the table below.
Fossil Fuels Advantages Disadvantages
Coal
crude oil

54. Reflection:
Answer the questions below..
1. Why do you think some places have abundance of
fossil fuel supply while others have less or almost no
supply of fossil fuel? What does this imply about the
areas with a large supply of fossil fuels? How about
for areas with no fossil fuel reserve?
2. Fossil fuels will face a shortage of supply in the next
50 years. How can this affect the industries that
depend on fossil fuels? How can we respond to this
crisis?

55. ASSESSMENT

56. 1. These are specialized rocks on the ground that
people mine and gather to extract valuable minerals.
A. minerals b. ores
c. gemstones d. coal

57. 2. How do you separate ore minerals from unwanted
rocks near the surface of the earth?
A. magnetic separation c. surface mining
B. flotation d. underground mining

58. 3. What method of mining involves digging of tunnels
to extract the ore deposits?
a. magnetic separation b. surface mining
c. flotation d. underground mining

59. 4. It is a type of analysis that uses heavy - liquid testing
which aims to know the less dense, same density, and
denser material from the given samples.
A. comminution b. mineralogical analysis
c. concentration d. chemical analysis

60. 5. The by-product of milling ores that are usually
dumped in a pond or a water reservoir are _________.
a. acid b. wastes
c. pollutants d. tailings

61. 6. Which of the following is a fossil fuel?
a. Natural gas b. Hydrogen
c. Nuclear d. All of the above

62. 7. Where was coal formed from?
a. Marine animals b. Water
c. Plants d. Rocks

63. 8. To which of the ff. does oil formed from?
a. Marine animals b. Petrol
c. Sedimentary rocks d. Rock

64. 9. Which is a renewable fuel?
a. Natural gas b. Wood
c. Gasoline d. Coal

65. 10. How is crude oil extracted from the earth’s crust?
By ____
a. drilling b. mining
c. fracking d. digging