NCERT Class 8 Geography Chapter 3 - Mineral and Power Resources

Chapter 3 - Mineral and Power Resources

Question 1: List three minerals that you use every day.
Answer: Graphite, coal and gold are few examples of minerals that are used by us every day.

Question 2: What is an ore? Where are the ores of metallic minerals generally located?
Answer: Rocks from which minerals are mined are known as ores. Minerals occur in different types of rocks. Some are found in igneous rocks, some in metamorphic rocks, while others occur in sedimentary rocks. The ores of metallic minerals are found in igneous and metamorphic rock formations that form large plateaus.

Question 3: Name two regions rich in natural gas resources.
Answer: Russia and Norway are the two regions which are rich in natural gas resources.

Question 4: Which sources of energy would you suggest for
a) rural areas
b) coastal areas
c) Arid regions
Answer:
a) Coal, solar energy, bio-gas and firewood can be used as sources of energy.
b) Wind power, petroleum and tidal power can be used as source of energy.
c) Geothermal powers and solar energy can be used as source of energy.

Question 5: Give five ways in which you can save energy at home.
Answer: Few ways in which we can save energy at home are
• Switching of lights when not in use.
• Close the tap while brushing.
• We should use Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as it causes less pollution than petroleum and diesel.
• We should use bicycle or walk to reach short distances.
• We can use biogas as cooking fuel.

Question 6: Give reasons.
i) Environmental aspects must be carefully looked into before building huge dams.
ii) Most industries are concentrated around coal mines.
iii) Petroleum is referred to as “black gold”.
iv) Quarrying can become a major environmental concern.
Answer:
i) Construction of a huge dam creates large scale destruction of natural vegetation and wildlife in those areas, which mostly gets submerged which is not good for the ecosystem. Therefore, environmental aspects must be carefully looked into, before building huge dams.

ii) Coal is an important source of energy and therefore most of the industries are located around coal mines.

iii) Petroleum and its derivatives are called Black Gold as they are very valuable.

iv) Fine dust particles spread in the air around a quarrying site. Dust particles from quarry can cause respiratory problems. Quarrying also destroys natural vegetation and thus the home of many wild animals. Therefore, quarrying can become a major environmental concern.