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Minerals and Energy Resources – Class 10 Social Science notes, important questions and MCQs

NCERT Class 10 Social Science, chapter 10. Notes, key terms, important questions with answers and MCQs.

Chapter overview

Minerals are naturally occurring substances with a definite internal structure. India has rich deposits of iron ore, manganese, bauxite, mica and coal, unevenly spread across regions. Energy comes from conventional sources such as coal and petroleum and from non-conventional sources such as solar, wind, tidal and geothermal energy.

Metallic and non-metallic minerals

Iron ore: magnetite (finest, up to 70 per cent iron) and haematite (most important industrial ore, 50–60 per cent iron).
Major iron ore belts: Odisha–Jharkhand (Badampahar, Gua, Noamundi), Durg–Bastar–Chandrapur (Bailadila), Ballari–Chitradurga–Chikkamagaluru–Tumakuru (Kudremukh) and Maharashtra–Goa.
Bauxite is the ore of aluminium; Odisha is the largest producer, with the Panchpatmali deposits in Koraput; manganese is used in steel making.
Copper comes from the Balaghat mines (Madhya Pradesh), Khetri (Rajasthan) and Singhbhum (Jharkhand); mica from the Koderma–Gaya–Hazaribagh belt.

Conventional energy

Coal: most Indian coal is Gondwana coal in the Damodar valley (Jharia, Raniganj, Bokaro); lignite is mined at Neyveli in Tamil Nadu.
Petroleum: Mumbai High, Gujarat (Ankleshwar) and Assam (Digboi, the oldest oil producing area).
Natural gas: Krishna–Godavari basin and Mumbai High; the Hazira–Vijaipur–Jagdishpur pipeline links Mumbai High and Bassein with fertiliser and power plants.

Non-conventional energy and conservation

Nuclear energy uses uranium and thorium; monazite sands of Kerala are rich in thorium.
Solar energy has great potential; wind farms run from Nagercoil to Madurai in Tamil Nadu and are also found in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.
Geothermal energy projects are in the Parvati valley near Manikaran (Himachal Pradesh) and the Puga valley (Ladakh); tidal energy potential exists in the Gulf of Khambhat and Gulf of Kachchh.
Biogas from cattle dung and farm waste gives fuel and manure; using public transport and energy-saving devices conserves energy.

Key terms

Mineral: a homogeneous, naturally occurring substance with a definable internal structure
Ore: an accumulation of a mineral mixed with other elements, from which metal can be extracted profitably
Lignite: low-grade brown coal with high moisture content
Non-conventional energy: energy from renewable sources such as sun, wind, tides and biogas

Important questions with answers

Why is conservation of minerals important?2 marks

Minerals are finite and non-renewable, and they take millions of years to form. As we use them, they get exhausted, and continued extraction raises costs as deposits become deeper and lower in quality, so they must be used carefully, recycled and replaced with substitutes.

Distinguish between conventional and non-conventional sources of energy.3 marks

Conventional sources such as coal, petroleum, natural gas, firewood and cattle dung cakes have been in use for a long time; most of them are exhaustible and cause pollution. Non-conventional sources such as solar, wind, tidal, geothermal, biogas and nuclear energy have come into wider use recently; most of them are renewable and cleaner. Conventional sources are limited, while non-conventional sources offer long-term energy security.

Explain the distribution of coal and petroleum in India.5 marks

Coal is found in a variety of forms. Gondwana coal, about 200 million years old, is found mainly in the Damodar valley (West Bengal and Jharkhand), where Jharia, Raniganj and Bokaro are important coal fields; the Godavari, Mahanadi, Son and Wardha valleys also have coal. Tertiary coal, about 55 million years old, occurs in Meghalaya, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland. Lignite is found at Neyveli in Tamil Nadu. About 63 per cent of India's petroleum production comes from Mumbai High, 18 per cent from Gujarat and 16 per cent from Assam. Ankleshwar is the most important field of Gujarat, and Digboi, Naharkatiya and Moran–Hugrijan are important fields in Assam; Digboi is the oldest oil producing area of India.

Quick revision

Magnetite is finest; haematite is most used.
Damodar valley = Gondwana coal.
HVJ gas pipeline: Hazira–Vijaipur–Jagdishpur.
Manikaran and Puga = geothermal energy.

Exam tips

Draw an outline map and mark the iron ore belts, coal fields and oil fields.
Remember 'firsts': Digboi = oldest oil field; Neyveli = lignite; Odisha = largest bauxite producer.

Practice MCQs

Bauxite is the ore of
1. aluminium
2. iron
3. copper
4. manganese
Show answer
Answer: (a) aluminium. Aluminium is extracted from bauxite.
Which is the finest iron ore with up to 70 per cent iron
1. magnetite
2. haematite
3. limonite
4. siderite
Show answer
Answer: (a) magnetite. It also has excellent magnetic qualities.
Lignite is mined at
1. Jharia
2. Kudremukh
3. Digboi
4. Neyveli
Show answer
Answer: (d) Neyveli. Neyveli in Tamil Nadu has lignite reserves.
Kudremukh is known for
1. iron ore
2. coal
3. petroleum
4. mica
Show answer
Answer: (a) iron ore. It is a 100 per cent export unit for iron ore in Karnataka.
The largest producer of bauxite in India is
1. Jharkhand
2. Odisha
3. Gujarat
4. Kerala
Show answer
Answer: (b) Odisha. Panchpatmali in Koraput has major deposits.
Geothermal energy is being tapped in
1. Gulf of Kachchh
2. Parvati valley and Puga valley
3. Damodar valley
4. Mumbai High
Show answer
Answer: (b) Parvati valley and Puga valley. Hot springs in Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh are used.
The Hazira–Vijaipur–Jagdishpur pipeline carries
1. crude oil
2. water
3. natural gas
4. iron slurry
Show answer
Answer: (c) natural gas. It links western offshore gas fields with fertiliser and power plants.
Monazite sands of Kerala are rich in
1. thorium
2. uranium
3. copper
4. gold
Show answer
Answer: (a) thorium. Thorium is used for nuclear energy.

All chapters of Class 10 Social Science

Written by Kundali IQ from standard, well-established facts to help with revision. This is not an official NCERT publication; always read your textbook too.