<p> Using Mineral Resources</p><p>The Uses of Minerals </p><p>Minerals are the source of gemstones, metals and a variety of materials used to make many products. </p><p>Gemstones- a hard colorful mineral that has a brilliant or glassy luster. Only called gems after being polished/cut</p><p>-Valued for color, luster, durability, rareness</p><p>-Uses: jewelry, decoration, mechanical parts, grinding and polishing </p><p>Metals- aluminum, copper, iron, silver</p><p>-Valued for flexibility (stretched into wire, flattened in to sheets, hammered or molded with out breaking) </p><p>-Uses: machinery, tools, light bulbs, aluminum foil</p><p>Other </p><p>-Uses: food, medicine, fertilizers, building materials</p><p>- Quartz- glass and electronic equipment, gypsum- wallboard, cement & stucco </p><p>Producing Metals from Minerals</p><p>To produce metal from a mineral, a rock containing the mineral must be located through prospecting and mined, or removed from the ground. Then the rock must be processed to extract he metal. </p><p>Ore- a rock that contains a metal or other useful mineral that can be mined and sold for profit</p><p>Prospecting </p><p>-WHO- geologists -WHY- to identify rocks that contain minerals </p><p>-how: observing rocks at surface, studying maps of rocks below surface, set off explosions to create seismic waves</p><p>Mining- removing ore from the ground. 3 Types: strip mining, open pit mining, and shaft mining</p><p>-Who- Miners -Why- to collect ore from the ground for sale </p><p>-How-strip mining: earth moved away to expose ore, open pit mines- dig huge holes and remove ore deposits , shaft mines- ore deposits deep in ground- dig a network of tunnels to extend into the ground to remove ore Smelting- the process of mixing ores with other substances and melting them to separate the useful metal from the other elements the ore contains</p><p>Diagram & 5steps: </p><p>1) iron ore is crushed and mixed with limestone and coke (baked coal) </p><p>2) mixture is placed in a furnace and hot air is blown through making the coke burn easily </p><p>3) coke burns and chemical change happens- mixture produces carbon dioxide gas and molten iron </p><p>4) Molten iron sinks to the bottom of the furnace. Impurities left in the ore combine with limestone create slag </p><p>5) slag and molten iron are poured off through taps</p><p>Further Processing</p><p>-why- to create harder and stonger metals</p><p>- how- add carbon to iron (some times add manganese for even more strength; chrominum and nickel to make it rust resistant)</p><p>-alloy- a solid mixture of two or more elements- one must be a metal</p>