Third Lesson : Earth Resources

On our third week we learned more about the earth's resources. This is very important for us to learn because this are things we need in able to live. So i hope you guys would read this blog entry and learn a lot from it

so these are the things we have learned:

Earth Resources

-Earth resources occur naturally within environments that exist relatively undisturbed by mankind, in a natural form.

-Often characterized by amounts of biodiversity and geodiversity existent in various ecosystems.

-They are derived from the environment. Some of them are essential for our survival while most are used for satisfying our wants. 

CLASSIFICATIONS BASED ON ORIGINS

-Biotic resources are obtained from the biosphere. 

Fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum are also included in this category because they are formed from decayed organic matter.

-Abiotic resources are those that come from non-living, non-organic material. 

Examples of abiotic resources include land, fresh water, air and heavy metals including ores such as gold, iron, copper, silver, etc.

CLASSIFICATIONS BASED ON THE STATE OF DEVELOPMENT

-Potential resources are those that exist in a region and may be used in the future. 

-Actual resources are those that have been surveyed, their quantity and quality determined and are being used in present times.

-The part of an actual resource which can be developed profitably in the future is called a reserve resource.

-Stock resources are those that have been surveyed but cannot be used by organisms due to lack of technology.

RENEWABLE and NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCES

     Renewability is a very popular topic and many natural resources can be categorized as either renewable or non-renewable

-Renewable resources can be naturally replenished over fairly short spans of time.Some of these resources, like sunlight, air, wind, etc., are continuously available and their quantity is not noticeably affected by human consumption.

-Non-renewable resources are resources that form extremely slowly and those that do not naturally form in the environment. Resources are non-renewable when their rate of consumption exceeds the rate of replenishment/recovery.Minerals are the most common resource included in this category.

FOSSIL FUELS

     Fossil fuels are hydrocarbons that may be used as fuel, including coal, oil, and natural gas.They are classified as non-renewable resources, because their rate of formation is extremely slow (potentially millions of years).

Alternate Energy Resources

Solar energy - radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by 
humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies.

Nuclear power - is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. In nuclear fission, the nuclei of heavy atoms such as uranium-235 are bombarded with neutrons.

Wind power - is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy.

Hydroelectric power - is the power generated by falling water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy.

Geothermal energy - is thermal energy generated and stored in the Earth.  It is harnessed by tapping natural underground reservoirs of steam and hot water.

Tidal power - also called tidal energy, is a form of hydropower that converts the energy of tides into useful forms of power - mainly electricity. It is harnessed by constructing a dam across the mouth of a bay or an estuary in coastal area

PS. All the things I've stated here comes from my Natural Science class with my professor Mr. Crisencio M. Paner and you can see the powerpoint that he used here.
*Checked by Prof. Crisencio M. Paner

Second Lesson: Minerals

The last time i've studied Chemistry was when i was on my Third year High school and to be honest I hate that subject. So now that Science is back on my curriculum, i need to study hard and stay focused on the discussions. The reason why I'm telling you guys about Chemistry is that this second lesson is connected to that.


Our second lesson was about Minerals so I've stated here things i've leaned here so that you guys can learn from it or use it for references :)


MATTER
Elements and the Periodic Table
- Elements are the basic building blocks   of minerals.
-  Over 100 elements are known.


 Atoms
- The atom is a basic unit of matter that consists of a dense central nucleus surrounded by a cloud of negatively charged electrons.- The atomic nucleus contains a mix of positively charged protons and electrically neutral neutrons (except in the case of hydrogen-1, which is the only stable nuclide with no neutrons)
keep in mind that:• protons, which have positive electrical charges
• neutrons, which have neutral electrical charges

Isotopes 
- The mass number is the number of neutrons and protons in the nucleus of an atom.
- Many isotopes are radioactive and emit energy and particles.- A compound consists of two or more elements that are chemically combined in specific proportions.
- An ion is an atom that gains or loses electrons.
 - are variants of a particular chemical element. While all isotopes of a given element share the same number of protons, each isotope differs from the others in its number of neutrons- Isotopes of an element have the same number of protons but varying numbers of neutrons.
- Have different mass numbers: the sum of the neutrons plus protons


Why Atoms Bond?
When an atom’s outermost energy level does not contain the maximum number of electrons, the atom is likely to form a chemical bond with one or more atoms.


Types of Chemical Bonds
1. Ionic bonds form between positive and negative ions.
2. Covalent bonds form when atoms share electrons.
3. Metallic bonds form when metal ions share electrons.


MINERALS

1. Naturally occurring

2. Solid substance

3. Orderly crystalline structure

4. Definite chemical composition

5. Generally considered inorganic

How Minerals Form

1. Crystallization from magma

2. Precipitation

3. Pressure and temperature

4. Hydrothermal solutions

Mineral Groups

Can be classified based on their composition

1. Silicates

- Silicon and oxygen combine to form a structure called the silicon-oxygen tetrahedron. This silicon-oxygen tetrahedron provides the framework of every silicate mineral.

2. Carbonates

-Minerals that contain the elements carbon, oxygen, and one or more other metallic elements

3. Oxides

-Minerals that contain oxygen and one or more other elements, which are usually metals

4. Sulfates and Sulfides

-Minerals that contain the element sulfur

5. Halides

-Minerals that contain a halogen ion plus one or more other elements

6. Native elements

-Minerals that exist in relatively pure form

Properties of Mineral

Color

- Small amounts of different elements can give the same mineral different colors.

Streak 

- is the color of a mineral in its powdered form.

Luster

- Luster is used to describe how light is reflected from the surface of a mineral.

Crystal Form

- Crystal form is the visible expression of a mineral’s internal arrangement of atoms.

Hardness

- Hardness is a measure of the resistance of a mineral to being scratched.

          Cleavage

- Cleavage is the tendency of a mineral to cleave, or break, along flat, even surfaces.

          Fracture

- Minerals that do not show cleavage when broken are said to fracture.

- Fracture—the uneven breakage of a mineral

Density

- Density is a property of all matter that is the ratio of an object’s mass to its volume.

Distinctive Properties of Minerals

- Some minerals can be recognized by other distinctive properties.

PS. All the things I've stated here comes from my Natural Science class with my professor Mr. Crisencio M. Paner and you can see the powerpoint that he used here. 

*Checked by Prof. Crisencio M. Paner*

KEYWORDS: Matter, Elements of the Periodic Table, Atoms, Isotopes, Atoms Bond, Types of Chemical Bonds, Minerals, How Minerals Form, Mineral Groups, Silicate, Carbonate, Oxide, Sulfate and Sulfides, Halide, Native elements, Properties of Mineral, Color, Streak, Luster, Crystal Form, Hardness, Cleavage, Fracture, Density, Distinctive Properties of Minerals

First Lesson: Introduction of Earth Science

Its been 2 years i last studied science and as expected i already forgot a lot of things! Yesterday was the start of a whole new experience for me and i came prepared with my pen, paper and my mind that is ready to learn.  Our first lesson was about the introduction of Earth science. Our professor discussed briefly all the topics for this whole semester, and I want to share with you guys what I've learned.

Earth Science encompasses all sciences that seek to understand earth and all of its neighbors. Earth science includes, Geology- the study of the earth, Oceanography- the study of the ocean, Meteorology- the study of the atmosphere and the processes that produce weather, and Astronomy- the study of the universe. Most researcher conclude that the earth and the other planets are formed at the same time. As Earth formed, the decay of radioactive elements and heat from high velocity impacts caused temperature to increase.

The Earth has four major spheres and these are the Hydrosphere, Atmosphere, Biosphere and the Geosphere.The Hydrosphere is nearly 71% Earth surface and holds about 97% of Earth's water. The most prominent feature of the Hydrosphere is the ocean. The Atmosphere is the thin tenuous blanket of air, one half lies below 5.6 kilometers (3.5 miles). The Biosphere includes all life. And lastly is the Geosphere which consists of the Crust- thin, rocky outer layer, Mantle- thick layer of the earth located below the crust, and the Core- the innermost layer of the earth, located beneath the mantle. The earth's crust, mountains, volcanoes and earth quakes were consists of individual plates that interact with each other and the theory that proposes that was called Plate Tectonics.

In determining the location, Latitude is the distance of north of south of the equator, and Longitude distance is the east and west of the equator. Environment is the term that surrounds and influences organisms. Physical environment is the water, air, soil and rock. When it comes to our resources, it has two categories. The Renewable are the plants, energy water and the wind, and the Non- renewable that cannot be replenished in the future like the metals and fuels.

So that's the summary of our first lesson, i hope you could understand it clearly so that i can help you with your questions about earth science.

PS. All the things I've stated here comes from my Natural Science class with my professor Mr. Crisencio M. Paner and you can see the powerpoint that he used here. 

Keywords: Earth Science, Branches of Earth Science, Geology, Oceanography, Meteorology, Astronomy, Four major spheres, Hydrosphere, Atmosphere, Biosphere, Geosphere, Crust, Mantle, Core, Plate Tectonics, Latitude, Longitude, Environment, Physical environment, Resources, Renewable, Non-renewable