21.1: Materials Humans Use
- Page ID
- 6101
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What resources are in those electronics?
When you pick up your personal electronics device or your mobile phone do you ever think about what's in it? A tremendous variety of elements are needed to make a single electronic device. Some are rare, some are common. All must somehow come from Earth or its environment.
Natural Resources
A natural resource is anything in nature that humans need. Metals and fossil fuels are natural resources. So are water, sunlight, soil, and wind. Even living things are natural resources.
Using Natural Resources
We need natural resources for just about everything we do. We need them for food and clothing, for building materials, and energy. We even need them to have fun. Listed below are examples of how we use natural resources (Table below). Can you think of other ways we use natural resources?
| Use | Resources | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Vehicles |
Rubber for tires from rubber trees Steel frames and other metal parts from minerals such as iron |
Iron ore |
|
Electronics |
Plastic cases from petroleum products Glass screens from minerals such as lead |
Lead ore |
|
Homes |
Nails from minerals such as iron Timber from trees |
Spruce timber |
|
Jewelry |
Gemstones such as diamonds Minerals such as silver |
Silver ore |
|
Food |
Sunlight, water, and soil Minerals such as phosphorus |
Corn seeds in soil |
|
Clothing |
Wool from sheep Cotton from cotton plants |
Cotton plants |
|
Recreation |
Water for boating and swimming Forests for hiking and camping |
Pine forest |
Some natural resources are renewable. Others are non-renewable. It depends on what they are and how we use them.
Summary
- Many objects, such as a car, contain many types of resources.
- Resources may be renewable or non-renewable, and an object may contain some of each.
- Rare earth elements and other unusual materials are used in some electronic devices.
Review
- What are natural resources?
- Is clean air a natural resource? Why or why not?
- What natural resources are important to you?