Deck 26: Counterfeit Cooling: in the Global Effort to Thwart Climate Change, Some Lessons Are

Question 1

Which of the following is correct regarding the rock cycle?

A) Weathering leads to metamorphic rocks.
B) Cooling and crystallization lead to metamorphic rocks.
C) High heat and pressure lead to metamorphic rocks.
D) Sedimentary rocks result from high heat and pressure.
E) Igneous rocks result from melting and weathering.

Answer 1

High heat and pressure lead to metamorphic rocks.

Question 2

Infographic 26.2

Use Infographic 26.2 to describe how minerals are created.

Answer 2

Heat from the innermost parts of Earth power the movement of tectonic plates along Earth's crust. At plate boundaries, magma pushes up and cools. The extraordinary heat and pressure allow for the formation of new minerals from combining atoms. Rocks of the crust contain mineral deposits.

Question 3

Which of the following terms is best described as a naturally occurring chemical compound that exists as a solid with a predictable, three-dimensional, repeating structure?

A) metal
B) rock
C) element
D) mineral
E) ore

Answer 3

mineral

Question 4

Neodymium is a key ingredient in wind turbines and hybrid car batteries because of its:

A) tendency to occur in concentrated deposits.
B) extreme magnetic ability.
C) ability to produce electric currents with very little material.?
D) A, B, and C
E) B and C

Question 5

Which of the following is a nonmetallic mineral?

A) quartz
B) gold
C) zinc
D) lead
E) none of these answer

Question 6

Which of the following is a rare earth mineral that allowed for color television in the 1960s?

A) indium
B) tantalum
C) neodymium
D) palladium
E) europium

Question 7

What characterizes a metal? List some examples of everyday products that contain metals.

Question 8

Which type of rock forms where magma emerges and cools at a plate boundary?

A) igneous
B) metamorphic
C) sedimentary
D) A, B, and C
E) A and B

Question 9

List five commonly used products that contain mineral resources.

Question 10

Which characteristics of indium make it such a desirable ingredient in touchscreens and liquid crystal displays?

A) hard and flexible
B) high melting and boiling points
C) soft and malleable
D) renewable and plentiful
E) all of these answers

Question 11

A(n) __________ is a pure chemical substance made up of one type of atom.

A) deposit
B) compound
C) element
D) ore
E) rock

Question 12

When an oceanic plate meets a continental plate head-on, which of the following occurs?

A) The plates move apart from one another.
B) The plate edges buckle under the pressure.
C) Mountains form as the two plates collide.
D) A spreading ridge appears.
E) The denser oceanic plate slides beneath the continental plate.

Question 13

Infographic 26.2

Explain why minerals are not distributed evenly throughout the planet's lithosphere.

Question 14

__________ is the study of Earth's structure and the processes that shape it.

A) Biology
B) Chemistry
C) Physics
D) Engineering
E) Geology

Question 15

Rock is constantly made and destroyed in the process known as the:

A) tectonic cycle.
B) mineral cycle.
C) rock cycle.
D) geological cycle.
E) ore cycle.

Question 16

Metals are a critical part of nearly all electronic devices, largely because they are easy to shape and form and because of their ability to:

A) emit radioactivity.
B) reflect light.
C) act as insulators.
D) conduct electricity.
E) None of these answers is correct.

Question 17

Tectonic plates are part of which layer of Earth?

A) asthenosphere
B) lithosphere
C) inner core
D) lower mantle
E) outer core

Question 18

Which of the following leads to the formation of sedimentary rock?

A) high heat and pressure
B) crystallization
C) melting
D) weathering
E) cooling

Question 19

Gold and silver are commonly found in which of the following products?

A) electronics
B) paints
C) jewelry
D) A, B, and C
E) A and C

Question 20

Infographic 26.3

In Infographic 26.3, quartz, mica, and feldspar are which of the following?

A) minerals
B) rocks?
C) metals
D) ores
E) none of these answers

Question 21

Compared with surface mining techniques, subsurface mining:

A) disturbs more land.
B) produces larger amounts of solid waste.
C) targets renewable resources.
D) is more dangerous.
E) targets horizontal seams located near the surface.

Question 22

Which mining technique is commonly used in developing countries when sediments contain heavy metals like gold?

A) placer mining
B) subsurface mining
C) strip mining
D) open-pit mining
E) mountaintop removal

Question 23

Describe how geologists help determine the location of mineral deposits.

Question 24

Use of mercury to extract metals like gold and silver is a problem because:

A) mercury can pollute areas around and downstream of mines.
B) mercury acidifies water in drainage areas.
C) mercury produces long-lasting radioactive waste.
D) mercury itself is nonrenewable.
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 25

Which of the following describes an "artisanal" mine?

A) is highly mechanized
B) uses crude tools and simpler strategies
C) is larger scale
D) avoids harmful chemicals
E) is extraction-free

Question 26

Which step(s) in rare earth mining generate(s) waste?

A) digging out ore
B) purification using chemical and physical separation techniques
C) smelting
D) crushing and grinding rock to a fine powder
E) all of these answers

Question 27

Infographic 26.3

illustrates how rocks constantly form and are transformed in the rock cycle. Since minerals are the building blocks of rocks, why are minerals considered nonrenewable resources?

Question 28

Which of the following is viewed as a human-rights violation associated with mining?

A) displacement of farmers and entire communities
B) violence to discourage protest among local residents
C) child labor in mines
D) A, B, and C
E) B and C

Question 29

"Blood diamonds" refer to which of the following?

A) children forced to work in mines
B) sulfur-containing rocks that acidify water
C) diamonds extracted with the use of mercury
D) diamonds taken from warlord-controlled areas
E) microscopic dust particles emitted by smelters

Question 30

Which of the following statements is FALSE regarding rare earth minerals?

A) They are tightly bound to one another.
B) They are scattered diffusely through the ores that contain them.
C) They are always rare.
D) They tend to be attached to lots of radioactive substrate.
E) They do not occur in concentrated deposits.

Question 31

Which mining technique is best used when the top of a fairly deep ore deposit is found close to the surface?

A) placer mining
B) subsurface mining
C) strip mining
D) open-pit mining
E) mountaintop removal

Question 32

Which of the following correctly characterizes indium?

A) It is considered a renewable resource.?
B) Its radioactivity provides a constant supply of electric power.
C) It is environmentally hazardous to mine.
D) It has been replaced in most electronic devices by carbon nanotubes.
E) It is common in nature.

Question 33

Infographic 26.4.



Name four mining techniques discussed in the chapter. Describe the nature of a mineral deposit appropriate for each technique.

Question 34

List the main steps generally involved in the extraction of rare earth minerals from ore.

Question 35

Which of the following correctly lists the layers of Earth, starting with the core?

A) lithosphere - mantle - asthenosphere
B) asthenosphere - mantle - lithosphere
C) mantle - lithosphere - asthenosphere
D) mantle - asthenosphere - lithosphere
E) lithosphere - asthenosphere - mantle

Question 36

Which of the following is a characteristic of surface mining?

A) It causes considerable habitat damage over the surface area mined.
B) There is a risk of chronic respiratory disease such as black lung.
C) Acid mine drainage as water is pumped out of underground mines.
D) Topsoil is left mostly intact.
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 37

Subsurface mining is used for which of the following?

A) the top of a fairly deep ore deposit found close to the surface
B) deposit deep underground or in a mountainous area
C) sediment containing heavy metals
D) a deposit seam close to the surface and fairly horizontal
E) both A and D

Question 38

The true cost of minerals takes into account:

A) human health and human rights.
B) fuel, machinery, and labor.
C) environmental impacts.
D) A, B, and C
E) B and C

Question 39

A(n) ______ is a rock deposit that contains economically valuable amounts of a particular mineral, often a metal.

A) ore
B) formation?
C) element
D) smelt
E) stone

Question 40

Which of the following best describes the process known as smelting?

A) chemical testing to evaluate rock samples
B) the extraction of natural resources from the ground
C) the separation of metal from ore
D) the grinding of rock into a fine powder
E) smaller-scale mining

Question 41

Which of the following will help make mineral resource usage become more sustainable?

A) recycling valuable metals
B) finding substitutes for scarce mineral resources
C) increasing government subsidies and tax breaks for mining companies
D) A, B, and C
E) only A and B

Question 42

More than half of all of the minerals used in the twentieth century were used between:

A) 1995-2000.
B) 1900-1945.
C) 1945-1975.
D) 1985-1995.
E) 1975-2000.

Question 43

Despite the development of safer techniques to process ores containing gold and silver, many areas of Africa, South America, and Asia still use toxic chemicals in their smelting process. Describe why this situation exists in those countries.

Question 44

Describe how Mark Hersam's work at Northwestern University helps address both resource scarcity and environmental pollution.

Question 45

_________________ refer to methods in mining and processing understood to be the most efficient and safest available at the current time.

A) Standard operating procedures
B) Best practices
C) Environmental redesigns
D) Conservation plans
E) Eco-mining

Question 46

Infographic 26.5

In addition to the waste produced by each of the steps outlined in Infographic 26.5 for mining rare earth minerals, what other environmental problems are often caused by large industrial mines?

Question 47

On a recent trip to the mall, a friend announces her need for the latest cell phone being released that day. This comes as a surprise since her phone is less than a year old and is in working order. As a student of environmental science, describe how you could counsel this friend regarding the impact of acquiring and processing mineral resources.

Question 48

Infographic 26.8

Which of the following statements best describes what is depicted in Infographic 26.8?

A) More aluminum cans are produced today from a pound of aluminum than in the past because today's cans are thinner.
B) The cost of manufacturing products using recycled aluminum is nearly twice what it costs using aluminum from dug-out bauxite ore.
C) Although aluminum can be recycled, it is not as pure as aluminum obtained directly from ore.
D) Recycling aluminum for reuse reduces the need to obtain it from mined ores and thus decreases impacts associated with mining and processing the ore.
E) Recycling of aluminum requires more energy and transportation than production from raw material.

Question 49

__________ refers to unwanted electronic devices, such as televisions, computers, and cell phones, that contain recoverable metals but also toxic chemicals.

A) Electric pollution
B) Manufactured waste
C) E-waste
D) Nanotube waste
E) None of these answers

Question 50

Which of the following best describes the current status of the Mountain Pass mining operation?

A) The mine remains open despite continued leakage of toxic waste into the surrounding environment.
B) The mine is closed since all europium deposits have been fully mined.
C) The once-leaking pipes that transport wastewater from the mining pits to waste ponds have been reengineered to be leak-proof using carbon nanotubes.
D) A makeover of $1 billion will allow for recycling of wastewater and most chemicals used in mining.
E) The mine is closed after being outcompeted by competition from China.

Question 51

Describe the environmental disaster that occurred at Mountain Pass between 1984 and 1994.

Question 52

What are some problems with the current system in place for recycling e-waste? How could the system be improved?

Question 53

Why is global demand for all types of minerals rising, and why is it critical to develop alternatives to minerals that are currently used in so many everyday products?

Question 54

Which of the following was developed by Mark Hersam at Northwestern University in Chicago?

A) a technique using cyanide instead of mercury to process gold ores
B) thinner aluminum cans that require less raw material
C) carbon nanotubes to replace indium
D) fiber-optic cables to replace copper wiring
E) e-waste recycling

Question 55

A mining operation extracts copper ore from the ground. Without access to modern smelters, they dig pits and use them as open-air smelters. They harvest nearby trees for fuel in order to produce the high temperatures required for separating the copper metal from other components of the ore, such as sulfur. Describe some environmental consequences of such an operation.

Question 56

Infographic 26.4

From Infographic 26.4, list and explain which mining technique would be considered most dangerous to the miner.

Question 57

Replacement of copper wiring with fiber-optic cables is an example of:

A) redesign.
B) recycling.
C) reusing.
D) refusing.
E) reducing.