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Non-renewable resource

Non-renewable resource is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Non-renewable resource rather than just read about it. In short: A non-renewable resource (also called a finite resource) is a natural resource that cannot be readily replaced by natural means at a pace quick enough to keep up with consumption. An example is carbon-based fossil fuels.

Non-renewable resource — main illustration
Non-renewable resource — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Non-renewable resource belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Non-renewable resource to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Non-renewable resource from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

A non-renewable resource (also called a finite resource) is a natural resource that cannot be readily replaced by natural means at a pace quick enough to keep up with consumption. An example is carbon-based fossil fuels. The original organic matter, with the aid of heat and pressure, becomes a fuel such as oil or gas. Earth minerals and metal ores, fossil fuels (coal, petroleum, natural gas) and groundwater in certain aquifers are all considered non-renewable resources, though individual elements are always conserved (except in nuclear reactions, nuclear decay or atmospheric escape). Conversely, resources such as timber (when harvested sustainably) and wind (used to power energy conversion systems) are considered renewable resources, largely because their localized replenishment can also occur within our lifespans.

Earth minerals and metal ores

Earth minerals and metal ores are examples of non-renewable resources. The metals themselves are present in vast amounts in Earth's crust, and their extraction by humans only occurs where they are concentrated by natural geological processes (such as heat, pressure, organic activity, weathering and other processes) enough to become economically viable to extract. These processes generally take from tens of thousands to millions of years, through plate tectonics, tectonic subsidence and crustal recycling. The localized deposits of metal ores near the surface which can be extracted economically by humans are non-renewable in human time-frames. There are certain rare earth minerals and elements that are more scarce and exhaustible than others. These are in high demand in manufacturing, particularly for the electronics industry.

Fossil fuels

Natural resources such as coal, petroleum (crude oil) and natural gas take thousands of years to form naturally and cannot be replaced as fast as they are being consumed. It is projected that fossil-based resources will eventually become too costly to harvest and humanity will need to shift its reliance to renewable energy such as solar or wind power. An alternative hypothesis is that carbon-based fuel is virtually inexhaustible in human terms, if one includes all sources of carbon-based energy such as methane hydrates on the sea floor, which are much greater than all other carbon-based fossil fuel resources combined. These sources of carbon are also considered non-renewable, although their rate of formation/replenishment on the sea floor is not known. However, their extraction at economically viable costs and rates has yet to be determined. At present, the main energy source used by humans is non-renewable fossil fuels. Since the dawn of internal combustion engine technologies in the 19th century, petroleum and other fossil fuels have remained in continual demand. As a result, conventional infrastructure and transport systems, which are fitted to combustion engines, remain predominant around the globe. The modern-day fossil fuel economy is widely criticized for its lack of renewability, as well as being a contributor to climate change.

Nuclear fuels

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Non-renewable resource: A coal mine in Wyoming, United States. Coal, produced over millions of years, is a finite and non-renewable resource on a human time scale.
A coal mine in Wyoming, United States. Coal, produced over millions of years, is a finite and non-renewable resource on a human time scale.
Non-renewable resource: Raw gold ore that is eventually smelted down into gold metal
Raw gold ore that is eventually smelted down into gold metal
Non-renewable resource: Rössing uranium mine is the longest-running and one of the largest open pit uranium mines in the world; in 2005 it produced eight percent of global uranium oxide needs (3,711 tons).[4] The most productive mines are the underground McArthur River uranium mine in Canada, which produces 13% of the world's uranium, and the underground poly-metallic Olympic Dam mine in Australia, which is mainly a copper mine, but contains the largest known reserve of uranium ore.
Rössing uranium mine is the longest-running and one of the largest open pit uranium mines in the world; in 2005 it produced eight percent of global uranium oxide needs (3,711 tons).[4] The most productive mines are the underground McArthur River uranium mine in Canada, which produces 13% of the world's uranium, and the underground poly-metallic Olympic Dam mine in Australia, which is mainly a copper mine, but contains the largest known reserve of uranium ore.
Non-renewable resource: Annual release of "technologically enhanced"/concentrated naturally occurring radioactive material, uranium and thorium radioisotopes naturally found in coal and concentrated in heavy/bottom coal ash and airborne fly ash.[5] As predicted by ORNL to cumulatively amount to 2.9 million tons over the 1937–2040 period, from the combustion of an estimated 637 billion tons of coal worldwide.[6] This 2.9 million tons of actinide fuel, a resource derived from coal ash, would be classified as low grade uranium ore if it occurred naturally.
Annual release of "technologically enhanced"/concentrated naturally occurring radioactive material, uranium and thorium radioisotopes naturally found in coal and concentrated in heavy/bottom coal ash and airborne fly ash.[5] As predicted by ORNL to cumulatively amount to 2.9 million tons over the 1937–2040 period, from the combustion of an estimated 637 billion tons of coal worldwide.[6] This 2.9 million tons of actinide fuel, a resource derived from coal ash, would be classified as low grade uranium ore if it occurred naturally.
Non-renewable resource: The Three Gorges Dam, the largest renewable energy generating station in the world.
The Three Gorges Dam, the largest renewable energy generating station in the world.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Non-renewable resource

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Non-renewable resource claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Non-renewable resource before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Non-renewable resource ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Non-renewable resource

In research
Non-renewable resource appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Non-renewable resource in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Non-renewable resource is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Environmental conservation, Natural resources, Non-renewable resources, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Non-renewable resource outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Non-renewable resource in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Non-renewable resource means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Non-renewable resource out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Non-renewable resource in simple terms?

A non-renewable resource (also called a finite resource) is a natural resource that cannot be readily replaced by natural means at a pace quick enough to keep up with consumption. An example is carbon-based fossil fuels.

Why does Non-renewable resource matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Non-renewable resource?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Non-renewable resource.

Tags

  • Environmental conservation
  • Natural resources
  • Non-renewable resources
  • Space

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