Synthetic Materials and Societal Impacts

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Synthetic Material Noun

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[sin-thet-ik muh-teer-ee-uhl]

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Synthetic Material

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A material created by humans through chemical processes that does not occur naturally in its final form.

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Example: Monomers link together to form polymers, which are used to make synthetic materials.

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Natural Resource Noun

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[nach-er-uhl ree-sors]

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Natural Resource

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Materials or substances that occur in nature and can be used by humans for economic gain or survival.

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Example: The image shows Earth as a water source, highlighting water as a natural resource.

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Renewable Resource Noun

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[ri-noo-uh-buhl ree-sors]

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Renewable Resource

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A natural resource that can be replenished by natural processes within a human lifetime.

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Example: Wind turbines and solar panels use renewable resources like wind and sunlight to generate energy.

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Non-renewable Resource Noun

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[non-ri-noo-uh-buhl ree-sors]

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Non-renewable Resource

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A natural resource that exists in a fixed amount and cannot be replaced by natural processes in a human lifetime.

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Example: The image shows how marine organisms transform into oil and gas over millions of years, explaining non-renewable resources.

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Biosphere Noun

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[bahy-oh-sfeer]

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Biosphere

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The global ecological system that includes all living organisms and the environments where they live on Earth.

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Example: The image shows the biosphere as a cube including land, water, and air, illustrating how life exists in these layers.

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Ethanol Noun

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[eth-uh-nawl]

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Ethanol

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A renewable fuel made from the fermentation of plant materials like corn, often blended with gasoline.

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Example: The diagram shows how ethanol is made from crops and used as fuel, highlighting its renewable cycle.

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Pollutant Noun

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[puh-loo-tnt]

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Pollutant

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A substance introduced into the environment that has harmful or poisonous effects on living organisms and ecosystems.

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Example: Factory emissions release pollutants like SO2 and NOx, harming trees and ecosystems.

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Smog Noun

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[smog]

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Smog

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A type of air pollution that reduces visibility and is formed by a mixture of smoke and fog.

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Example: A car releasing dark smoke shows how smog forms from vehicle emissions.

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Acid Rain Noun

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[as-id reyn]

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Acid Rain

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Rainfall that is made acidic by atmospheric pollution, causing harm to the environment, especially forests and lakes.

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Example: The image shows how pollution from factories (SO2, NOx) leads to acid rain, harming trees and soil.

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Extraction Noun

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[ik-strak-shuhn]

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Extraction

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The process of removing natural resources from the Earth, such as through mining, drilling, or harvesting.

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Example: An oil rig extracts oil from beneath the Earth's surface, showing layers like gas and rock.