Lesson Topics

1 | Earth’s Non-Renewable Resources

2 | Soil as a Resource

3 | Rocks, Minerals and Metals as Resources

4 | Fossil Fuels as Resources

5 | Summary

Lesson Summary

• Non-renewable resources are resources that are replenished over long periods of time or not at all.

• Earth’s main non-renewable resources are soil, rocks, minerals, metals and fossil fuels.

• Soil is composed of mineral sediments, water, air and organic matter.

• It plays a critical role in ecosystems and agriculture, providing a growing medium for plants, from which they can extract water and minerals, and providing a habitat for soil organisms.

• Mineral sediments found in soils are the result of weathering, erosion and deposition.

• Weathering is the physical and chemical breakdown of rocks into sediments.

• Erosion is the movement of sediments by wind, water or ice.

• Deposition is the settling of sediments in a new location.

• The formation of mineral sediments occurs over thousands of years. Therefore, soil is a non-renewable resource.

• Rocks are utilised for their structural properties and for the materials they contain.

• They are commonly used in construction and for extracting minerals and metals.

• Rocks are formed over thousands or millions of years through the rock cycle. Therefore, rocks, minerals and metals are non-renewable resources.

• Fossil fuels are formed from the remains of ancient plants and animals that have been subjected to high temperature and pressure over millions of years.

• Fossil fuels store large amounts of chemical energy in the form of hydrocarbons.

• The combustion of fossil fuels converts this energy into heat. It also produces carbon dioxide and water.

• Fossil fuels include coal, oil and natural gas.

• Coal is a sedimentary rock formed from ancient plant matter.

• It is mostly used for generating electricity, producing steel and cement, and for heating.

• Oil (also known as crude oil or petroleum) is a mixture of substances formed from ancient marine plants and animals.

• It can be separated into substances including petrol (gasoline), kerosene and diesel fuel.

• Oil is mostly used as a fuel for transportation, but also for heating, lighting and the manufacture of materials such as plastics.

• Natural gas is a mixture of gases, primarily methane, formed from ancient marine plants and animals.

• It is mostly used for heating and cooking.

• Fossil fuels are non-renewable resources as they are formed over millions of years.

• The burning of fossil fuels has increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, resulting in global warming and climate change.

(Image: Nicola, Adobe Stock)

(Header image: evgenii_v, Adobe Stock)