earth's resources

the tendency of a substance to undergo a chemical reaction

a more reactive substance takes the place of a less reactive metal from its compound

a chemical reaction where a substance reacts quickly with oxygen and gives out light and heat - AKA burning

using electricity to split a compound into elements

separation of a metal from a metal compound

a fuel made from the remains of plants and animals that died millions of years ago e.g coal, oil, and natural gas

a molecule made by joining up thousands of smaller molecules in a repeating pattern which can be synthetic (e.g plastic) or natural (e.g starch)

a polymer made by plants or animals e.g wool, cotton, and rubber

a polymer made by people - often in a factory - e.g polyethane and polypropene

a compound that is hard, strong, and has a high melting point

composites are nade from two or more different materials and have improved properties for a particular use

naturally occurring metals and their compounds

a naturally occurring rock from which a mineral/metal can be extracted

collecting and processing a material so that it can be used again

• resources will last longer • reduces waste & pollution • uses less energy than using newer materials

• separating rubbish is extra work • lorries that collect recycling will create pollution • companies that recycle plastic have to separate different plastics by hand which takes a long time