NCERT Solutions For Class 10 Geography Chapter 5 Minerals And Energy Resources Long Questions And Answers
Question 1. Name the two varieties of iron ore in India that have a high content of iron. Mention the names of places in India which have the richest iron ore deposits. Explain two effects on our economy due to the export of good quality ores in large quantities.
Answer:
The two varieties of iron ore ofIndia having high iron content are magnetite and haematite.
Magnetite is the finest quality iron ore with a very high iron content of upto 70 percent.
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Haematite has an iron content of 50 to 60 per cent but is the most important industrial iron ore in terms of the quantity used.
Rich iron-ore deposits are found in the following regions of India:
- Odisha-Jharkhnnd bolt with high-grade haematite iron ore in Badampahar mines in the Mayurhhanj and Kooi or her districts of Odisha, and Goa and Noamundi in the Singhbhum district of.Jharkhand.
- Durg-Bastar Chandrapur holt in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra with superhigh grade haematite iron ore, in the famous Bailadila range of hills in the Bastar district of Chhattisgarh.
- Bellary Chitradurga Chikmaglur Tumkur belt in Karnataka has large reserves of iron ore. The Kudremukh mines located in the Western Ghats are known to be one of the largest deposits in the world.
- Maharashtra-Goa belt includes Ratnagiri and Chandrapur in Maharashtra, and Bicholiam and Pali in Goa.
About half of the iron ore produced in the country is exported primarily to Japan, Korea, European countries and Gulf countries.
Paradip, Vishakhapatnam, Mangalore and Marmagao are the main iron exporting ports. The export of good quality ores in large quantities has positive as well as negative effects.
The export of the ore earns huge quantities of foreign exchange which is imperative for development activities.
The export of good quality ores has a negative effect on industrial production within the country which lags in the production of iron and steel in spite of having good reserves of iron ore.
Question 2. What are the differences between hydroelectricity and thermal electricity? What is nuclear electricity?
Or
Write five differences between hydroelectricity and thermal electricity.
Answer:
Hydroelectricity and thermal electricity are two main forms of commercial conventional sources of energy.
The main points of difference between these two types of energy sources are as follows :
Nuclear electricity or atomic energy: It is obtained by altering the structure of atoms of minerals like uranium and thorium.
When such atomic alteration is made, much energy is released in the form of heat and this is used to generate electric power. Hydroelectricity is produced by falling water from a great height on the turbines.
Question 3. Name the ore from which aluminium is obtained. Why is aluminium considered to be an important metal? Name the areas which have rich deposits of the ore of aluminium.
Answer:
Aluminium is obtained mainly from bauxite. Though several ores contain aluminium, it is from bauxite, a reddish-brown, residual clay-like substance, that alumina and later aluminium are obtained.
Bauxite deposits are formed by the decomposition of a wide variety of rocks rich in aluminium silicates. Aluminium is considered to be an important metal because of its properties and a wide variety of uses.
- It combines the strength of metals such as iron with extreme lightness. Soit is used for the manufacturing of aircraft and transport vehicles.
- It has great malleability. It is used for construction purposes to make doors, windows, rods and for making utensils.
- It also has a quality of good conductivity and is used in electrical conductors. Rich deposits of bauxite, the ore of aluminium, are found mainly in the Amarkantak plateau, Maikal hills and the plateau region of Balaspur-Katni in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
Odisha is the leading producer accounting for about 45 per cent of the total bauxite production in the country. Panchpatnali deposits in Koraput are an important bauxite reserve in Odisha.
Question 4. State the facts about coal found in India about the following:
- Its total reserves
- Its importance as a source of energy and as a source of raw material its main varieties
Answer:
Coal is the most abundantly available and important fossil fuel in India.
- Total reserves of coal: India has a coal reserve of about 2,14,000 million tonnes.
- They occur in the rock series of two main geological ages, the Gondwana, a little over 200 million years in age, and in Tertiary deposits which are about 55 million years old.
- It is important as a source of energy and as a source of raw material.
- Coal is the main source of power generation in India. It provides a substantial part of the nation’s energy needs for both industries and domestic purposes.
- It is the prime source of energy in the manufacturing of iron and steel. Coal is also used as a raw material for the chemical industry.
- Its main varieties are:
- Anthracite: Highest quality hard coal with more than 80% carbon content.
- Bituminous: The most popular coal for commercial use with 60 to 80% carbon content.
- Lignite: Low-grade brown coal with high moisture content and lesser combustible matter with about 60% content.
- Peat: Produced from decaying plants in swamps with low carbon content of less than 50%, high moisture content and low heating capacity
Question 5. How is jyctrolcum an important source of both energy and raw material? Mention the ofthe areas which have rich petroleum deposits.
Answer:
Petroleum or mineral oil is a major energy source in India. It provides fuel for heating and lighting. It is used as a fuel for running automobiles, trains, aeroplanes and ships.
Petroleum is used for the generation of thermal electricity which is a major source of power for commercial purposes.
A number of products are obtained from fractional distillation of petroleum which are used as raw materials for various industries.
Chemical fertilisers, insecticides, and chemicals and plastics are manufactured from petrochemicals. It also provides raw materials for synthetic textile and synthetic rubber industries.
About 63% of India’s petroleum production comes from the drilling areas of Mumbai High and Bassien in the Arabian Sea.
Aliabet is another oilfield off-shore on the coast of Gujarat. 18% of petroleum production comes from Gujarat.
Ankaleshwar and Kalol are important oilfields in this region. 16% ofthe production comes from Assam. Assam is the oldest oil-producing state.
Oil was first discovered in Makum in Assam in 1867 and the first oilfield was drilled at Digboi. Digboi, Naharkatiya, Moran-Hugrijan, and Sibsagar are important oilfields of Assam.
Oil has also been discovered in the Kaveri, Krishna and Godavari basins and at Jwalamukhi in Himachal Pradesh.
Question 6. What is the difference between an open-pit mine, a quarry and an underground mine with shafts?
Or
How is open-pit mining different from a quarry?
Answer:
Open-pit mining refers to a method of extracting rocks or minerals from the earth by their removal from an open pit.
Open-pit mines are used when deposits of commercially useful minerals or rocks are found near the surface, that is, where the overburden (surface material covering the valuable deposit) is relatively thin.
The layer above the seam is removed and the exposed deposit is extracted using earth.- moving machinery.
A quarry is generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone.
A quarry is usually shallower than open-pit mines. When minerals occur deep below the surface, where the overburden is thick, or the mineral occurs as veins in hard rock, the underground shaft mining method is used to extract the valued material.
Shaft mines have vertical access to the seam via elevators that carry workers and equipment into the mines. It is the deepest form of underground mining.
Question 7. Why do we need to conserve our mineral resources? Explain any three methods of conservation of minerals.
Answer:
Minerals are required in all spheres of our life – for agriculture, industries and domestic purposes. We are rapidly consuming the mineral resources that require millions of years to be created and concentrated.
The geological processes of mineral formation are so slow that the rates of replenishment are infinitely small in comparison to the present rates of consumption.
They are finite resources that are non-renewable, yet are getting exhausted due to rapid exploitation. Continued extraction brings down their quality as well as increases the costs of extraction.
To save these valuable resources from exhaustion and to preserve thorns for future generations as well, we should conserve our mineral resources
- Causing minimum wastage of minerals during the process of mining and processing of minerals.
- Improving technologies to utilise low-grade ores at low cost.
- Using minerals in a planned manner by adopting the policy of recycling and reuse. Recycling of metals, using scrap metals and other substitutes to reduce exploitation of present deposits.
Question 8. In recent years, the use of which fuel for transport vehicles is gaining popularity? What development has provided impetus to India’s gas production?
Answer:
- In recent years, the use of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) for transport vehicles is gaining popularity. It is replacing liquid fuels like petrol and diesel.
- The liquid fuels obtained from petroleum are exhausting rapidly and are costlier. They cause enormous pollution.
- Hence, the use of Compressed Natural Gas is encouraged to control pollution, protect the environment and conserve petroleum which is exhausting rapidly.
- In Delhi, CNG has already gained wide popularity. CNG is being encouraged with the motto of a cleaner city, with government initiative.
- The 1700 km long Hazira-Bijapur-Jagdishpur cross-country gas pipeline links Mumbai High and Bassein with the fertiliser, power and industrial complexes in western and northern India.
- This artery has provided impetus to India’s gas production by linking gas-producing areas to their market.
- As gas can easily be transported via pipelines, the natural gas can be taken from source areas directly to their demand areas.
Question 9. Which is the most abundantly available fossil fuel in India? What are its three major forms? Write the main features of each form.
Answer:
Coal is the most abundantly available fossil fuel in India. It provides a substantial part of the nation’s energy requirement. India has vast and rich reserves of coal, distributed in different regions of India.
The Peninsular Plateau region, especially the Damodar Valley Region of Jharkhand and West Bengal, the Son, Mahanadi, Godavari and Wardha Valleys of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh have rich deposits of Gondwana coal.
In the northeastern states of Meghalaya, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, tertiary coal is found. In Tamil Nadu, lignite deposits are found. The three major forms of coal are anthracite, bituminous and lignite.
- Anthracite is the highest quality coal with more than 80% carbon content and very low moisture content. It is hard, compact and deep-black in colour. It is found in the Jharia coalfields of Jharkhand in small quantities.
- Bituminous is the most widely used coal. High-grade bituminous coal is used in metallurgical industries, especially for melting iron in blast furnaces.
- So it is also known as metallurgical coal. Bituminous coal contains 60% to 80% carbon, low moisture, and has high heating capacity.
- It is formed when coal is buried deep and subjected to increased temperatures. It is found in large quantities in the Jharia coalfield of Jharkhand and the Raniganj coalfield of West Bengal.
- Lignite contains about 60% carbon and has a high moisture content. It is a low-grade brown coal which is soft and has low heating capacity. It is used in
thermal power stations. Principal reserves are found in Neyveli in Tamil Nadu.
Question 10. State any four differences between conventional and non-conventional sources of energy.
Answer:
Question 11. Why is Chota Nagpur a storehouse of minerals?
Answer:
Chota Nagpur is a storehouse of minerals because It is made up of igneous and sedimentary rocks Copper, zinc and lead are obtained from igneous rocks. Coal and iron ore are obtained from sedimentary rocks.
Question 12. Distinguish between ferrous and non-ferrous minerals. State examples.
Answer:
Metallic minerals can be classified into ferrous and non-ferrous minerals.
Question 13. What factors make the production of solar energy convenient in India? What are its uses? Name the largest solar plant ofIndia.
Or
Why do you think that solar energy has a bright future in western parts ofIndia?
Answer:
The western parts ofIndia, especially the Thar deserts region receive undisturbed sunshine for most parts of the year.
This area has great potential for the development of energy and can be utilised as the largest solar power house ofIndia. Solar energy is becoming fast popular in different parts of the country, especially in rural and remote areas.
It can be used for cooking, heating water, pumping, refrigeration, street lighting and room heating in cold areas.
The largest solar plant ofIndia is located at Madhapur near Bhuj in Gujarat. The solar energy is used to sterilise milk cans.
Question 14. State the facts about coal found in India with reference to its distribution.
Answer:
The major resources of metallurgical coal belong to the Gondwana age and are located mainly in the northeastern part of the peninsula.
Rich reserves of coal are found in the Damodar Valley region in the states of West Bengal and Jharkhand. Raniganj in West Bengal, and Jharia and Bokaro in Jharkhand are important coalfields.
One-third of the total production comes from here. Coal is also found in the Godavari, Mahanadi, Son and Wardha valleys, Korba in Chhattisgarh.
Singrauli and Penah-kanban valley in Madhya Pradesh, Talcher in Odisha, Kamptee and Chandrapur in Maharashtra and Singareni in Andhra Pradesh are important coal mines.
Tertiary coal occurs in the northeastern states of Meghalaya, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland. Principal lignite reserves are found in Neyveliin Tamil Nadu.
Question 15. Differentiate between conventional and non-conventional sources of energy.
Or
Explain four points of distinction between conventional and non-conventional sources of energy.
Answer:
Question 16. What values does the use of biofuel promote?
Answer:
Values promoted by the use of bio-fuel are:
- Environmental concern
- Self-reliance of rural households
- Management of natural resources
Question 17. The conventional sources of energy are fast getting depleted. Little do we realise that if we are not careful, there will be an acute shortage. Name two conventional energy sources. How can citizens play an important role in conserving energy resources?
Answer:
Conventional sources of energy are depleting at a very fast rate. If we are not going to develop a non-conventional source of energy, our future is going to be bleak and stagnant.
- Coal, petroleum.
- We as a citizen can play an important role in the conservation of energy resources in the following ways:
- We should ensure careful and judicious use of resources.
- We should stress on economical extraction of resources.