Introduction to Engineering and Technology Concepts Unit Two Chapter Five – Materials

Instructions for Success: Each chapter of every unit will begin with a “Mindjog.” This is a warm up question that you should answer in your workbook in the proper chapter. Please take notes as you move through the presentations in the notebook that has been provided. Sections will come up in each presentation with an assignment notice. Turn to the section detailed on the slide in your workbook and complete the assignment before proceeding. Good luck!

Objective Students will define and compare the resources used in the development of technology.

Mindjog! On your worksheet, please respond to the following question: “In the last chapter, we discussed manufacturing. In what way are material resources important to the production of artifacts?”

Material Resources Materials form the foundation for all production activities. Without material resources, production is not possible (Wright, 2004). There are three types of natural resources that can become the inputs to a production. These materials are: Genetic Materials Fossil Fuel Materials Minerals (Wright, 2004).

Genetic Materials Many resources come from living things, dead and alive. These materials are called genetic materials. We obtain genetic material through three activities: farming, fishing, and forestry. The origin of all genetic material is in birth or germination. As young plants and animals slow their growth cycle as they age, it is termed maturity (Wright, 2004).

Fossil Fuels Fossil Fuels are mixtures of carbon and hydrogen. Formally, they are called hydrocarbons and include a vast number of products in use today – from fuels to medicine. They are derived from three fossil fuel resources: Petroleum – an oily, flammable mixture of hydrocarbons that has no specific composition. Natural Gas – a combustible gas that occurs in porous rock. It is composed of light hydrocarbons. Typically it is 85% methane. Coal – A combustible solid that is composed mostly of carbon, starting as plant matter and ending up as pressurized peat (Wright, 2004).

Minerals Minerals are any substance with a specific chemical composition that occurs naturally. The following is a list of minerals grouped by economic values: Ores – minerals that have a metal chemically combined with other elements. Nonmetallic minerals- substances that do not have metallic qualities, such as sulfur. Ceramic minerals – fine-grained minerals that are formable when wet and become hard when dried or fired. Gems – Stones that are cut and polished and prized for their beauty or hardness (Wright, 2004).

Obtaining Genetic Materials Most genetic materials are easy to find. The real issue is harvesting the plant or animal at the proper stage of growth. Imagine harvesting trees for timber…three logging methods exist: Clear cutting – all trees are removed from a plot of land. This then allows for replanting the area with trees that cannot grow in competition with mature trees. The number of tree species can be controlled. Seed-Tree Cutting – all trees are removed from a large area, except three or four per acre. These trees are used to reseed the area, which will then control the number of species in the area. Selective cutting – Mature trees of a desired species are selected and cut from the land (Wright, 2004).

Obtaining Fossil Fuel Resources Most fossil fuel resources are buried under the surface of the earth. Obtaining Petroleum and Natural Gas does not have people directly looking for it. They look for rock formations that might contain deposits of oil and gas. Coal is the most abundant fossil fuel and is found on every continent. These reserves are generally recovered through mining (Wright, 2004).

Obtaining Minerals Minerals can be extracted from the earth and oceans in a variety of ways: Evaporation – using solar energy to cause the water to evaporate, leaving the minerals behind. Fluid Mining – uses two wells that extend into the mineral deposit. Hot water is pumped down one of the wells and as it dissolves, the mineral is forced up the other well (Wright, 2004).

Assignment #1 Please turn to the section in your workbook entitled, “Unit Two, Chapter Five – Materials.” Complete the extension questions under the “Assignment #1” header before moving onto the next section of slides.

BEFORE MOVING ON: Did you complete the “Assignment #1” Section under the “Unit Two, Chapter Five – Materials” section of your workbook? If you have, please proceed to the next slide.

Chapter Five Completed! Please close this presentation and launch the file entitled, “Chapter 6 – Types of Materials.”

References Wright, R. (2004) “Technology” The Goodheart-Willcox Company, Inc.