1. Nonrenewable Resources: Metals and Nonmetals
Minerals and Ores

2. Minerals and Ores
All metallic elements and many important nonmetallic elements can be obtained from minerals
Some of the elements are attached to other elements, but are easily separated
Usually, the metal or nonmetal is combined with another substance and needs to be chemically separated
If the rock has enough of the element to make the separation profitable, the rock is called an ore Eg. Iron ore, copper ore
The valuable mineral is the ore mineral, the rest of the rock is the gangue
Iron ore
Copper Ore

3. Mineral Availability
It is difficult to make reliable estimates of the availability of a particular resource
Reserves are resources that have been found and can be extracted at a profit with current technology

5. Important Nonmetals
Most nonmetallic minerals resources are used in the form in which they come out of the ground
Examples are: sand, gravel, building stone, rock salt, talc, and graphite
A quarry is a small open-pit mine where sand, gravel, and crushed stone come from
Soil fertilizers are also nonmetals that are mined: phosphate rock, potash, and nitrates
Salt, gypsum, sulfur, and graphite are other important nonmetals that are mined
Sulfur
Graphite
Gypsum