Natural Resources and Their Depletion

What is a natural resource?

• A man-made material used in construction

• A material or substance found in nature that is used by humans

• A type of energy produced by machines

• A chemical compound created in a laboratory

Which of the following is an example of a renewable natural resource?

• Coal

• Natural gas

• Solar energy

• Petroleum

Which of the following best defines a nonrenewable resource?

• A resource that can be replaced within a human lifetime

• A resource that is always available in unlimited quantities

• A resource that takes millions of years to form and cannot be quickly replaced

• A resource that is only found in the ocean

Which is an example of a mineral being used in everyday life?

• Coal is used for heating.

• Mica is used in the manufacturing of cosmetics

• All of the above

• Lumber is used to build shelters.

Which of the following is an example of a fossil fuel?

• Wind energy

• Hydropower

• Coal

• Geothermal energy

Which of the following is an example of a nonrenewable resource being depleted?

• A river flowing continuously through a valley

• Trees being replanted after logging

• Oil reserves shrinking as more petroleum is extracted

• Solar panels generating electricity during the day

Geothermal energy is nonrenewable.

• True

• False

A student notices that a forest near their town has been completely cut down for lumber. Which of the following consequences is most likely to occur as a result?

• The soil in the area will become more fertile

• Rainfall in the area will increase significantly

• Soil erosion in the area will increase

• The local water table will rise immediately

How does burning fossil fuels contribute to the depletion of natural resources?

• It creates new fossil fuels underground

• It uses up nonrenewable resources that cannot be replaced quickly

• It increases the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere

• It helps plants grow faster by releasing nutrients

A community relies on a river for drinking water, but upstream factories are dumping waste into it. Which of the following best explains how this affects natural resource availability?

• The waste will purify the water, making it safer to drink

• The pollution will reduce the availability of clean freshwater as a usable resource

• The river will produce more water to compensate for the pollution

• The factories will create new water sources to replace the polluted river