Renewable and Nonrenewable Earth Science

What characteristic do all renewable resources share?

• Produced by waste products of animals
• Form underground from dead organisms
• Allow energy to pass through them easily
• Replaced in a reasonably short time period

Fossil fuels include coal, oil and natural gas. Fossil fuels are classified as nonrenewable because they —

• take millions of years to be replaced
• require expensive equipment
• can be found all over Earth’s surface
• provide much of the energy we use

It is important to conserve nonrenewable resources because these resources–

• Form from the remains of plants or animals.
• May be used up in the near future.
• Have less stored energy than renewable resources.
• Are easier to find than other resources.

Which of the following is a nonrenewable resource?

• Water
• Oxygen
• Wood
• Oil

A resource is considered renewable if it -

• can be created only over millions of years
• is made of Earths’ materials like rocks and minerals
• can be replaced in a relatively short amount of time
• is useful to humans in making energy and materials

Which of the following is a non-renewable resource?

• Paper
• Coal
• Milk
• Water

Using public transportation, like trains and buses, rather than cars helps conserve nonrenewable resources because public transportation -

• requires the removal of trees to make roads and tracks
• needs more water to maintain than the same number of cars
• uses less fossil fuels to move people from place to place
• involves using much more paper for printed materials

Why is water classified as a renewable rather than a nonrenewable resource? Water is classified as renewable because it -

• is constantly replaced
• is important to all life
• can be frozen into ice
• evaporates into the air

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

Which of these is classified as a renewable resource?

• Natural gas
• Minerals
• Plants
• Crude oil

Fossil fuels form when organic matter is buried and then exposed to heat and pressure for millions of years. Fossil fuels are classified as nonrenewable resources because they –

• take a long time to form
• are used to produce heat
• form from organic matter
• can be found underground