5.10.1.1Using the Earth's resources and sustainable development
AQA GCSE Combined Science (8464), Higher tier · Chemistry › Using resources › Using the Earth's resources and obtaining potable water
Practise Using the Earth's resources and sustainable development. 12 exam-style questions on this subtopic, at up to four difficulty levels, with full mark schemes and a progress tracker. Free, no account needed.
How humans use the Earth's natural and finite resources, the difference between finite and renewable resources, and what sustainable development means. On Paper 2 this comes up as short recall questions and as data questions where you interpret information about resources from a table, chart or graph, sometimes using orders of magnitude.
Grade by grade
What you need to be able to do, from the first marks up to the top grade.
3
State what humans use Earth's resources forTo provide warmth, shelter, food and transport.
4
Define finite and renewable resourcesA finite resource is used faster than it forms, so it will run out; a renewable resource is replaced as fast as it is used.
4
Give natural products replaced by synthetic onesFor example, wool and cotton supplemented by synthetic fibres such as polyester, or natural rubber by synthetic rubber.
5
Define sustainable developmentDevelopment that meets the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
6
Classify a resource as finite or renewableUse the information given: compare how quickly the resource forms or regrows with how quickly it is used.
7
Interpret resource data from charts and tablesRead values, describe trends and calculate, for example how many years a reserve will last.
8
Use orders of magnitude to judge dataCompare powers of ten (109 is a thousand times 106) to decide whether a difference is significant.
Notes
Why we use the Earth's resources
Humans use the Earth's resources to provide warmth, shelter, food and transport.
Natural resources, supplemented by agriculture, provide food, timber, clothing and fuels.
Finite resources from the Earth, the oceans and the atmosphere (e.g. crude oil, natural gas, metal ores) are processed to provide energy and materials.
Chemistry improves agricultural and industrial processes, provides new products (e.g. fertilisers, synthetic fibres) and helps with sustainable development.
Finite and renewable resources
A finite resource is not replaced, or forms far more slowly than we use it, so it will run out. Examples: crude oil, coal, natural gas, metal ores.
A renewable resource is replaced at least as fast as we use it. Examples: timber from forests that are replanted, cotton, wool, crops.
To decide from information, compare the time it takes to form or regrow with how fast it is used: crude oil takes millions of years to form; a cotton crop regrows every year.
Natural, agricultural and synthetic products
Many natural products are supplemented (added to) or replaced by agricultural or synthetic products.
Examples: wool and cotton by synthetic fibres such as polyester and nylon; natural rubber by synthetic rubber; timber by plastics (e.g. uPVC window frames); wild fish by farmed fish.
Many synthetic products are made from crude oil, a finite resource, so replacing a natural product is not automatically more sustainable.
Sustainable development and using data
Sustainable development meets the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Chemists help by developing processes that use less energy, fewer finite resources and produce less waste (e.g. better catalysts, recycling, renewable raw materials).
Years a reserve will last = reserve ÷ amount used each year (assuming the rate of use stays the same). grade 6+
An order of magnitude is a power of ten. 3 × 109 tonnes is about 1000 times (three orders of magnitude) more than 3 × 106 tonnes. Use this to judge whether a difference in data is significant. grade 8+
Cheatsheet
Earth's resources provide warmth, shelter, food and transport
Finite resource: used faster than it forms, so it will run out (e.g. crude oil, metal ores)
Renewable resource: replaced as fast as it is used (e.g. timber from replanted forests)
Sustainable development: meets the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Natural products can be supplemented or replaced by agricultural and synthetic products
Years a reserve lasts = reserve ÷ use per year
Order of magnitude = a power of ten; 106 to 109 is 1000 times bigger
How to answer each type of question
Define sustainable development
1 to 2 marks5
Give the first part: meeting the needs of people now (current generations).
Give the second part: without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Example. What is meant by sustainable development? (2 marks)
Show the model answer
Development that meets the needs of current generations (1) without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (1).
Finite or renewable? Give a reason
2 to 4 marks5
Use the information: does the resource form or regrow quickly compared with how fast it is used?
Name the category: finite or renewable.
Give the reason, using the facts or figures in the question.
Example. Natural rubber is collected from rubber trees. New trees can be planted and are ready to use after about 7 years. Synthetic rubber is made from crude oil. (a) Is natural rubber a finite or a renewable resource? Give a reason. (2 marks) (b) Explain why replacing natural rubber with synthetic rubber may not be sustainable. (2 marks)
Show the model answer
(a) Renewable (1); new trees can be planted and grow in a few years, so it is replaced as fast as it is used (1). (b) Synthetic rubber is made from crude oil, which is a finite resource (1). Crude oil is being used much faster than it forms, so it will run out and future generations may not be able to meet their needs (1).
Calculate from resource data
2 to 3 marks6
Pick out the values you need, with their units.
Years a reserve lasts = reserve ÷ use per year.
Enter standard form with the ×10x key, or use brackets, so the calculator divides correctly.
Give the unit and a sensible number of significant figures.
Example. The known reserves of a metal ore are 6.0 × 108 tonnes. Each year, 1.5 × 107 tonnes of the ore are mined. (a) Calculate how many years the reserves will last if the rate of mining stays the same. (2 marks) (b) Suggest one reason why the reserves may last longer than your answer. (1 mark)
Show the model answer
(a) 6.0 × 108 ÷ 1.5 × 107 (1) = 40 years (1) (b) Any one: new reserves may be discovered / more of the metal may be recycled / less of the metal may be needed in future / new methods may allow lower-grade ores to be used (1)
Use orders of magnitude to evaluate data
2 to 3 marks8
Write each value in standard form.
Compare the powers of ten: each power is a factor of 10.
Say whether the difference is significant and support this with the numbers.
Example. A country uses 4 × 107 tonnes of crude oil each year. A new scheme will replace 5 × 104 tonnes of this crude oil each year with fuel made from crops. A student says the scheme will make a big difference to the country's use of crude oil. Use orders of magnitude to evaluate the student's statement. (2 marks)
Show the model answer
The fuel replaces about 104 tonnes compared with about 107 tonnes used, which is three orders of magnitude (about 1000 times) smaller (1). So it replaces only about 0.1% of the crude oil used: the student is wrong, the scheme makes very little difference (1).
Shortcuts and memory tricks
Finite = 'finished one day'; renewable = 'renews itself'.
Sustainable = now AND later: meet today's needs without harming tomorrow's.
Standard form division: divide the numbers and subtract the powers. 6 × 108 ÷ 2 × 106 = 3 × 102.
One order of magnitude = ×10, two = ×100, three = ×1000.
Where marks are lost
Defining sustainable development as just 'not using up resources'. You need both parts: the needs of current and of future generations.
Calling timber finite. Timber from forests that are replanted is renewable.
Assuming a synthetic product is always better for the environment. Many are made from crude oil, a finite resource.
Typing 6.0 × 108 ÷ 1.5 × 107 into a calculator without brackets or the ×10x key, which gives a wildly wrong answer.
Saying 'it will run out' without a reason. Say it forms much more slowly than it is used.
Exam technique
When the question says 'use the information' or 'use the table', quote figures from it. General answers score little.
Always give a reason with 'finite' or 'renewable': the mark is usually for the reason (how fast it forms or is replaced).
For 'suggest' questions about reserves, any sensible reason that fits the context scores, e.g. new reserves found, more recycling, less demand.
Sample questions
Written for this site in the style of AQA exam questions. They are not taken from real past papers.
Question 1Easy4 marks
(a) What is meant by sustainable development?[1]
(b) Which two are finite resources? Tick (✓) two boxes.[2]
Crude oil
Timber from managed forests
Metal ores
Wool
Cotton
(c) Give one example of a natural product that has been supplemented or replaced by a synthetic product.[1]
Show the answer and mark scheme
(a)
development that meets the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
(b)Answer: Crude oil; Metal ores
(c)
wool / cotton / silk replaced by synthetic fibres (e.g. polyester, nylon) / natural rubber replaced by synthetic rubber / wood replaced by plastics / manure supplemented by synthetic fertilisers
Question 2Medium2 marks
Explain why 'reducing' the amount of a resource used is generally considered better for sustainability than 'recycling' it after use.[2]
Show the answer and mark scheme
reducing use means less raw material needs to be extracted, and less energy is used in the first place
recycling still uses some energy and resources to collect and reprocess the material, even though usually less than making it from raw materials
Question 3Hard3 marks
A company is considering switching from a plastic made from crude oil to a 'bioplastic' made from corn starch, a renewable resource.
Evaluate whether switching to the bioplastic would necessarily make the company's product more sustainable overall.[3]
Show the answer and mark scheme
using a renewable resource (corn) instead of a finite one (crude oil) is a genuine sustainability benefit for that raw material
however, growing corn uses farmland (which could otherwise grow food), water and fertiliser, and processing it into bioplastic also uses energy
a full assessment, such as a life cycle assessment considering energy, water, land use and disposal, would be needed before concluding it is more sustainable overall