Chapter 5 - Minerals and Energy Resources

They studied that the Earth's crust is composed of various minerals embedded in rocks. Refining these minerals yields a variety of metals. At all stages of development, humans use minerals for subsistence, decoration, festivals, and religious and ceremonial ceremonies. In this chapter, we will discuss minerals, their classification, methods of preserving minerals, and different types of energy. Learn about resources, and how to conserve these energy resources. All these important topics are summarized in Vidyakul CBSE Notes Class 10 Geography Chapter 5 – Minerals and Energy Resources. 

Read them to get a better understanding of this chapter.

What are minerals?

Minerals are defined as "uniform, naturally occurring substances with a definable internal structure". Minerals occur in nature in many forms, from the hardest diamond to the softest talc. Rocks are homogeneous combinations of substances called minerals.

How Minerals Are Formed

Minerals are commonly found in "ores".
The term ore is used to describe a collection of minerals mixed with other elements. Minerals commonly occur in the following forms:
In igneous and metamorphic rocks, minerals can occur in cracks, fissures, faults, or fissures. Many minerals are present in strata or formations of sedimentary rocks. The decomposition of surface rocks and the removal of soluble components also form minerals. The mineral also occurs as sediments in valley bottom sands and at the foot of hills. Seawater contains many minerals.

Classification of Minerals

Ferrous Minerals
Ferrous minerals accounts for about three-fourths of the total value of the production of metallic minerals.

Iron Ore

1. India is endowed with fairly abundant resources of iron ore.
2. Magnetite is the finest iron ore with a very high content of iron, up to 70%. It has excellent magnetic qualities.
3. Hematite ore is the most important industrial iron ore. It contains 50 to 60% iron.

The major iron ore belts in India are:

• Odisha-Jharkhand belt
• Durg-Bastar-Chandrapur belt
• Ballari-Chitradurga-Chikkamagaluru-Tumakuru belt
• Maharashtra-Goa belt

Manganese

1. It is mainly used in the manufacturing of steel and ferromanganese alloys.
2. Nearly 10 kg of manganese is required to manufacture 1 tonne of steel.
3. It is also used in manufacturing bleaching powder, insecticides, and paints.

Non-Ferrous Minerals

Non-ferrous minerals include copper, bauxite, lead, zinc, and gold. These minerals play a vital role in a number of metallurgical, engineering, and electrical industries.

Copper

1. Malleable, ductile, and a good conductor of heat and electricity.
2. Mainly used in electrical cables, electronics, and chemical industries.
3. The Balaghat mines in Madhya Pradesh, the Khetri mines in Rajasthan, and the Singhbhum district of Jharkhand are leading producers of copper.

Bauxite

• Bauxite deposits are formed by the decomposition of a wide variety of rocks rich in aluminum silicates.
• Aluminium is obtained from bauxite. Aluminium has good conductivity and great malleability.
• Deposits are mainly found in the Amarkantak plateau, Maikal hills, and the plateau region of Bilaspur-Katni.

Non-Metallic Minerals

1. Mica is a mineral made up of a series of plates or leaves. It can be clear, black, green, red, yellow, or brown.
2. Mica is the most indispensable mineral used in the electric and electronic industries.
3. It has excellent di-electric strength, low power loss factor, insulating properties, and resistance to high voltage.
4. Mica deposits are found on the northern edge of the Chota Nagpur plateau.

Rock Minerals

Limestone occurs in rocks composed of calcium carbonate or calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate. Basic raw material for the cement industry and essential for the smelting of iron ore in blast furnaces.

Mineral Conservation

Minerals are non-renewable resources. It takes thousands of years for minerals to form and concentrate. Continuous mining of ores leads to mineral depletion. It is therefore important to take the necessary steps to enable the planned and sustainable use of natural resources.

Energy Resources
Energy Resources can be classified as

Conventional Resources: These include firewood, cow dung cake, coal, oil, natural gas, and electricity.
Unconventional Energy Sources: This includes solar, wind, tidal, geothermal, biogas, and nuclear energy.

Conventional Fuels

Coal:

The most abundant of available fossil fuels. Used to generate electricity, power industry, and domestic use. Lignite is a low-grade lignite that is soft and has a high moisture content. Coal that is deeply buried and exposed to high temperatures is bituminous coal. Anthracite is the highest quality hard coal. Jharia, Raniganj, and Bokaro are important coal-producing areas.

Petroleum

Provides fuels for heating and lighting, lubricants for machinery, and raw materials for a variety of manufacturing industries. Oil refineries serve as "node industries" for synthetic fibers, fertilizers, and many chemical industries. Mumbai Highlands, Gujarat, and Assam are India's major oil producers.

Natural Gas

Natural gas is an important clean energy source. It is considered an environmentally friendly fuel. The main users of natural gas are the energy and fertilizer industries. Compressed natural gas (CNG) is used in vehicles to replace liquid fuels. Krishna A large amount of natural gas has been found in the Godavari basin.

Electricity

Electricity is produced primarily in two ways. Renewable energy source. India has a number of multi-purpose projects such as Bhakra Nangal, Damodar Valley Corporation, and Kopili Hydel Project. Burns other fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas to drive turbines and produce thermal energy. Generate electricity using non-renewable fossil fuels.

Unconventional Energy Sources
Renewable energy sources such as solar energy, wind power, tidal power, biomass, and energy from waste are referred to as unconventional energy sources. Let's discuss them one by one.

Nuclear or Atomic Energy
Nuclear energy is obtained by changing the structure of atoms. Uranium and thorium are used to generate atomic or nuclear energy.

Solar Energy
Solar energy is produced by the sun's rays. Photovoltaic technology converts sunlight directly into electricity.

Wind
Wind or electricity is the use of the wind to generate electricity. A wind turbine is used for this. The largest wind farm clusters are in Tamil Nadu from Nagarkoil to Madurai.

Biogas
is a type of biofuel obtained naturally from the decomposition of organic waste. Biogas is the most efficient use of cow dung. Improves fertilizer quality.

Tidal Power

Tidal power is a type of hydroelectric power that converts energy from the tide into a useful form of energy, primarily electricity. In India, the Gulf of Kambat, the Gulf of Kutch in Gujarat on the west coast, and the Ganges delta in the Sunderban region of West Bengal provide ideal conditions for harnessing tidal energy.

Geothermal energy

Geothermal energy is the production of heat and electricity from the heat inside the earth. In India, geothermal energy is extracted from the Parvati Valley near Manikan in Himachal Pradesh and the Puga Valley in Ladakh.

Conservation of Energy Resources

Every sector of the economy, including agriculture, industry, transportation, commerce, and households, requires a supply of energy. There is an urgent need to develop sustainable pathways for energy development.

Use public transportation instead of individual cars-

• Turn off lights when not in use
• Use energy-saving devices
• Use non-traditional energy sources

Frequently asked Questions on CBSE Class 10 

What are the advantages of ‘mineral resources’?

Minerals are non–renewable natural resources that are vital for the construction, manufacturing, and energy industries.

What are the major minerals found in India?

India’s major mineral resources include Coal, Iron ore, Manganese ore, Mica, and Bauxite.

What are the uses of ‘Tidal energy’?

1. Consistency 2. Long-term economy 3. Intermittence 4. Startup costs 5. Permanence