NCERT Solutions for Class 8

Social Science (Geography)

Chapter 3 - Mineral and Power Resources

1. Answer the following questions.

i. Name any three common minerals used by you every day.
Ans: Gold, Silver and Copper are three common minerals used by us every day.

ii. What is an ore? Where are the ores of metallic minerals generally located?
Ans: Ores are nothing but rocks which are high in mineral content. A particular
type of ore is called as such only if the mineral from it can be extracted profitably.

iii. Name two regions rich in natural gas resources.

Ans: Russia and Norway are the two regions rich in natural gas resources.

iv. Which sources of energy would you suggest for

(a) rural areas (b) coastal areas (c) Arid regions.
Ans: We would suggest Biogas energy for Rural areas, Hydel and Tidal energy
for coastal areas and Wind and Solar energy for arid regions

iv. Give five ways in which you can save energy at home.
Ans: Five ways in which we can save energy at home are:
1. By Switching off the lights, fans and other electrical appliances when not in
use.
2. By making sure that the devices are operating efficiently.
3. By using energy-efficient devices such as fluorescent bulbs and LEDs.
4. By using energy efficiently while cooking.
5. By unplugging electrical devices when not in use to prevent the leakage of
energy.

2. Tick the correct answer.

i. Which one of the following is NOT a characteristic of minerals?
(a) They are created by natural processes.
(b) They have a definite chemical composition.
(c) They are inexhaustible.
(d) Their distribution is uneven.
Ans: (c) They are inexhaustible.

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ii. Which one of the following is NOT a producer of mica?
(a) Jharkhand
(b) Karnataka
(c) Rajasthan
(d) Andhra Pradesh
Ans: (b) Karnataka

iii. Which one of the following is a leading producer of copper in the world?
(a) Bolivia
(b) Ghana
(c) Chile
(d) Zimbabwe
Ans: (c) Chile

iv. Which one of the following practices will NOT conserve LPG in your
kitchen?
(a) Soaking the dal for some time before cooking it.
(b) Cooking food in a pressure cooker.
(c) Keeping the vegetables chopped before lighting the gas for cooking.
(d) Cooking food in an open pan kept on low flame.
Ans: (d) Cooking food in an open pan kept on low flame.

2. Give reasons.
i. Environmental aspects must be carefully looked into before building huge
dams.
Ans: Environmental aspects must be carefully looked into before building huge
dams due to the following reasons:
● Dams can create imbalance in the earth’s equilibrium if they are quite large.
● Deforestation may lead to environmental pollution.
● People have been displaced to build dams.
● Settlements require shifting causing loss of jobs and livelihood for the people.
● Flood threats are always there near the dams.
● Earthquake threats also remain there around dams.
● Silting of lakes affects the fertility of soil.

i. Most industries are concentrated around coal mines.

Ans: Coal can be used as a source of energy and power and also as a raw material
in most of the industries. Hence most industries are concentrated around coal
mines to save the cost of transportation of coal from the mines to the industries.

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ii. Petroleum is referred to as “black gold”.
Ans: Petroleum is referred to as “black gold” because it is black in colour in the
crude form and its derivatives are extremely valuable as petroleum itself. We use
petroleum products in our day to day life such as nail paint, petrol, candle, latex,
etc.

iii. Quarrying can become a major environmental concern.

Ans: Quarrying can become a major environmental concern due to the following
reasons:
● It can destroy the humus of soil which is needed for the growth of plants and
crops.
● It can produce a lot of noise pollution due to the use of explosives in order to
break the huge chunks of rocks.
● In the process of quarrying, a lot of dust is generated which causes air pollution
and also certain occupational hazards.
● Blasts done in the process of quarrying generate large vibrations which damage
nearby buildings, dams or any other similar structure.

2. Distinguish between the following.

i. Conventional and Non-conventional sources of energy
Ans: The difference between the conventional and non-conventional sources of
energy are:

Conventional Sources of Non-Conventional Sources of

S. No.
Energy Energy

They are non-renewable sources They are renewable sources of

1.
of energy. energy.

They cause pollution to a large They cause no pollution at all.

2.
extent.

They are wind power,

3. They are coal, petroleum, etc.
hydroelectric power, etc.

ii. Biogas and natural gas

Ans: The difference between biogas and natural gas are:

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 S. No. Biogas Natural Gas

It is formed below the earth’s

It is formed due to decay of
1. surface and comes out with
organic matter in biogas plants.
crude oil.
It causes pollution to a large
2. It causes lesser pollution.
extent.
3. It is cheaper. It is relatively expensive.

4. It is used for domestic purposes. It is used for all purposes.

iii. Ferrous and Non-ferrous minerals

Ans: The difference between ferrous and non-ferrous minerals are:

S. No. Ferrous Minerals Non-Ferrous Minerals

1. They contain iron. They do not contain iron.

2. They are cheaper to extract. They are expensive to extract.

3. They have a large industrial use. They have lesser industrial use.

iv. Metallic and Non-metallic minerals

Ans: The difference between metallic and non-metallic minerals are:

S. No. Metallic Minerals Non-Metallic Minerals

It contains compounds of metals
1. It contains metals.
which are hard to extract
It gives iron, aluminium, copper,
2. It gives gypsum, limestone, etc.
etc.

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