Separating materials from rocks
This Topic is About...
- I will find out where materials come from.
- I will ask scientific questions and work out which type of scientific enquiry can be used to find the answers.
- I will research answers to questions using books, videos, or the internet.
You’re going to be a science explorer!
Key Words
- aluminium
- carbon
- diesel
- flow chart
- fuels
- global warming
- iron
- natural gas
- oil
- ore
- petrol
- smelting
Tap to Learn the Meanings!
- aluminium: A lightweight, strong metal used for cans, planes, and many products.
- carbon: An element found in all living things and in fuels like coal.
- diesel: A type of fuel used in trucks, buses, and some cars.
- flow chart: A diagram that shows steps in a process.
- fuels: Materials like coal, oil, or gas that burn to release energy.
- global warming: The gradual increase in Earth’s temperature caused by greenhouse gases.
- iron: A strong metal used to make buildings, tools, and machines.
- natural gas: A fuel found underground that is burned for heating and cooking.
- oil: A thick liquid from underground used to make fuels and plastics.
- ore: Rock that contains enough metal to be mined.
- petrol: A fuel used in many cars.
- smelting: Heating ore to extract the metal from it.
Great job! You're learning key vocabulary about metals, fuels, and environmental science.
Materials from the Earth
Planet Earth is the source of all the materials that we use.
All materials that have to be made, like plastic and metal, are made from materials that are natural.
Most plastic is made from oil which is found in the ground.
Metals are made from rocks in the ground called ores.
Metals and ores
This is an ore called bauxite. It is used to make a metal called aluminium.
This is an ore called hematite. It is used to make a metal called iron.
The metal has to be separated from other material in the ore to make pure metal. The metal ore is heated and melted to separate the metal. This is called smelting.
Let’s Investigate!
Asking questions about metals
You will need
- access to the internet
- books about metals
- videos about metals
There are many different metals. How many of these have you heard of?
Steel, silver, zinc, gold, lead, chrome and copper.
There are many questions you could ask about metals. For example:
- What ore is zinc made from?
- What is copper used for?
- Where is gold found?
Choose one metal and write questions about it. Use a book, a video or the internet to find out the answers and record them.
Which of the five types of scientific enquiry will you use to find the answers?
Research, fair testing, observing over time, identifying and classifying, or pattern seeking?
Make a poster about your chosen metal to show what you find out.
How am I doing?
Did you ask clear questions about your metal?
Did you find reliable information from books or videos?
Can you explain which type of scientific enquiry you used?
Does your poster clearly show your findings?
Show answers
Possible answers
Most of the questions in this activity use the enquiry type research, because you are searching for information from reliable sources.
- What ore is zinc made from? Zinc mainly comes from the ore sphalerite.
- What is copper used for? Copper is used for electrical wires, pipes, coins and cookware because it is a good conductor of heat and electricity.
- Where is gold found? Gold is found in underground rock deposits, in rivers, and in mines around the world.
When making your poster, include pictures, facts, and your own questions and answers.
Oil and natural gas
Natural gas is a gas found underground. We burn it to cook, heat our homes and to make electricity. Oil is a liquid found underground. The oil is heated to make useful liquids and gases. The petrol and diesel we burn in cars and lorries come from this oil.
Fuels and global warming
Materials that we burn are called fuels. Fuels like natural gas, crude oil, petrol and diesel all contain a material called carbon. When we burn these materials the carbon dioxide gas is made. Too much carbon dioxide in the air is making the Earth get warmer. This is called global warming.
This oil rig has drilled a hole into the rocks under the sea and is pumping out oil.
Let’s Investigate!
Researching plastic
You will need
- access to the internet
- books about plastic
- videos about plastic
Most plastic is strong and flexible, which means it can last a very long time. Most plastics are made from oil, but plastic can be made from any material that contains lots of carbon. Many materials from plants and animals can be used to make a type of plastic called bioplastic.
Your task
Ask a question about plastic. Use a book, a video or the internet to research the answer. Record your questions and answers, then talk about what you find out with your class.
- What is … ?
- How might … ?
- Where can … ?
- Who invented … ?
How am I doing?
Did you ask a clear research question?
Did you find your information from reliable sources?
Can you explain what you learned about plastic?
Can you share your findings clearly with your class?
Show answers
Possible answers
This activity uses the enquiry type research because you are using books, videos and the internet to find information.
- What is plastic?
Plastic is a material made of long chains of molecules called polymers. - How might plastic harm the environment?
Plastic can take hundreds of years to break down and can harm animals if it enters oceans or habitats. - Where can bioplastic be made?
Bioplastic can be made from corn, sugarcane, potatoes, and other plant materials. - Who invented the first plastic?
The first fully synthetic plastic, Bakelite, was invented by Leo Baekeland in 1907.
When recording your findings, use full sentences and include sources if possible.
FUN QUESTIONS
1. What is an ore?
Show answer
2. Name three materials that are made from oil.
Show answer
3. Why can burning fuels cause a problem?