Resources for Technology Chapter 2: Resources for Technology

Every technological process involves the use of these 7 resources! What are resources? Things we need to get a job done. McDonald’s have sold over a billion hamburgers. Think about the resources needed in order for that to happen: People Information Materials Tools Energy Capital Time Every technological process involves the use of these 7 resources!

#1. People Technology comes from the needs of people. People create technology and people consume its products and services. People use what they know, try to learn more, and develop technologies. Of course, many people provide the labor on which technology depends. Many workers are needed to provide the products and services we use every day. People are also the consumers of technology – we eat the hamburgers, drive the cars, watch the t.v., and travel the roads and airways.

#2. Information Technology requires information. We need to know what to do and how to do it. Information begins as data, raw facts and figures. Data is then collected, recorded, classified, calculated, stored and retrieved. It becomes information. Data processing is the act of turning data into information.

#3. Materials Natural resources are materials that are found in nature. (Air, water, land, timber, minerals, plants, and animals) Natural resources that will be used to make finished products are called raw materials. Countries that are rich in natural resources have lots of raw materials. The U.S. is rich in some natural resources but must import others.

Raw Materials There are two kinds of raw materials: Renewable Raw Materials: those that can be grown and therefore can be replaced. (Wood, rubber, plants, animals) Nonrenewable Raw Materials: cannot be grown or replaced. (Oil, gas, coal and minerals)

Synthetic Materials People have long used technology to make substitutes for some resources. These are called synthetic materials. Many everyday materials are synthetics. Plastics like acrylic, nylon and Teflon are made from chemicals. Synthetics are not as costly as natural materials. Synthetics can be used in place of scarce materials, helping to save our natural resources.

#4. Tools and Machines People have been using tools for more than a million years. Tools include hand tools and machines. Tools extend human capabilities. Some of them let us do jobs faster and better. Others let us do jobs we couldn’t do at all without them.

Hand Tools Hand tools are the simplest tools. Human muscle power makes them work. They extend the power of human muscle.

Machines Machines change the amount, speed, or direction of a force. Early machines were mechanical devices. They used six simple machines: lever, wheel and axle, pulley, screw, wedge, and inclined plane. Early machines used human, animal, or water power. Mandy modern machines have moving mechanical parts. Some, such as t.v.’s, use electrical energy. (Called electromechanical machines)

Electronic Tools and Machines p. 33 Some electronic tools are used for testing electrical circuits. The computer is an electric tool Computers are used to process information. They are also used to run factory machinery. Computers are use in many machines, saving greatly on energy and labor.

Optical Tools Some optical tools extend the power of the human eye. Lenses magnify objects, making them easy to see and study. Microscopes and telescopes are optical tools. Another optical tool is the laser. Lasers send very strong bursts of light energy. The light energy can be used to measure, cut, and weld materials. Lasers are accurate tools. They can be used to cut through pieces of metal, or repair damage in a human eye.

#5. Energy The U.S. uses a huge amount of energy. Energy is used to make products, to move goods and people, and to heat and cool, and light the places where people work and live. The U.S. has only about 6% of the world’s population, but it uses about 35% of the energy used in the world. Some energy resources are in great supply. Others are in limited supply and can get used up.

Energy Resources Renewable: Those that can be replaced. Human and animal muscle power and wood. Limited Energy Sources: Those that cannot be replaced once we use them up. Coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear fusion (atomic energy) Unlimited Energy Sources: Those that we have more of than we can ever use, at least in a practical way. Solar, wind, gravitational, tidal, geothermal, and nuclear fusion

Energy Resources Mandy forms of energy start with the sun. People and animals get their energy from the foods they eat. The source of all food is plants, which use sunlight and carbon dioxide for growth. Coal, oil, and gas come from decayed plant and animal matter. The heating of air masses by the sun causes winds.

Six different kinds of energy sources: 1. Human and animal muscle power 2. Solar energy – provides wind energy, heat, and light energy 3. Chemical energy – comes from sources such as wood and fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas. 4. Gravitational energy – comes form tides and falling water. 5. Geothermal energy – Heat deep inside the Earth provides this. 6. Nuclear energy – comes from the conversion of radioactive matter into energy.

#6. Capital Capital is one of the seven technological resources. To build homes or factories, to make toasters or cars, to move people or goods, capital is needed. Any form of wealth is capital. Cash, stock, buildings, machinery, and land are all capital. A company needs capital to operate. To raise capital, a company may sell stock. Each share of stock has a certain value. When people buy the stock, this money goes to operate or expand the business.

#7. Time Early man measured time by the rising and setting of the sun and the change of seasons. It was much later that clocks were used to measure time periods less than a day. When most people lived by farming, time was measured in days. In the industrial era, time became more important. In today’s information age, things are done in fractions of seconds.

Our Age The age we live in is a complex one. If we understand how technological resources are used and develop the ability to use them wisely, we will be better able to function as creators and consumers of technology.

Activity – 25 minutes Within your group, research on the computer about specific types of time devices such as water, mechanical, quartz movement, and atomic clocks. Write down important information about the device: who invented it and when and why, how it works, etc. Be prepared to share with the class.