Minerals

The mineral resources are finite and non-renewable. It takes millions of years for the formation of minerals. Compared to the present rate of consumption, the replenishment rate of minerals is very slow. That is why, there is a need to conserve the mineral resources.

Some uses of Bauxite are:

1. It is the raw material for extraction of Aluminium.
2. It is used for making aircrafts, ship and utensils.
3. It is used in electrical industries.
4. It is used in cement industry, soda cans, dishwashers.

Main uses of iron ore are the following:

1. Iron ore is used for extraction of iron which is further used for making pig iron, sponge iron and steel.
2. Iron is used for construction of roads, railways, appliances, buildings, machines, tools and automobiles.
3. Steel is used in a variety of other construction materials such as bolts, nails and screws.
4. Other applications include ship building, pipeline transport, mining, furniture and armour like personal armour and vehicle armour.

Jamaica is the largest producer of bauxite in the world.

Copper is in great demand in the industrial field because of its high ductility, and high thermal and electrical conductivity. Following are the important uses of copper:

1. It is mainly used in electrical machinery, automobile industry, stainless steel and telephones.
2. Copper is also used in railway equipment industry and other engineering works.
3. The nickel-copper alloy (morel metal) is very tough and resists corrosion and is largely used as a material for construction in the chemical industry.

Three uses of uranium are:

1. Nuclear defence system and nuclear generation of electricity.
2. Nuclear medicine and x-ray machines
3. Atomic dating and electronic instrument

Hard rock mining refers to underground mining techniques that are used for extraction of hard minerals like metal ores. These are ores containing iron, copper, gold, silver etc.

Open pit mines are big pits made on the ground to extract minerals. It is used when deposits of commercially useful ore or rocks are found near the surface.

A mineral is an aggregate of two or more than two elements. A mineral has a definite chemical composition and is formed by inorganic process. Minerals may be metallic, Non-metallic or energy providing.

Fossil Fuels or Mineral Oils or mineral fuel are the hydrocarbon fuel that we extract from the earth's crust. They are formed over millions of years from the fossils or remains of dead animals and plants that were buried under dirt and rocks. Heat from inside the earth and pressure from rocks changed these fossils into coal, oil and natural gas.

Ores are minerals that have a high concentration of a certain element typically a metal, e.g. bauxite is the ore of aluminum.

A mineral is naturally occurring chemical compound of crystalline form.

The largest producer of copper is chile .

Minerals may be Metallic or Non-metallic .

Gold is a precious metal.

Natural gas occurs in association with petroleum .

magnetite

Odisha

manganese

South Africa

Uranium

uranium

Silver

copper

Sub-surface mining

strip mining