Social Science (087) — AI-generated practice question

(a) Biotic non-renewable resource: Coal (formed from ancient plant and animal matter over millions of years, hence biotic in origin, but cannot be replenished in a human timescale, making it non-renewable).

(b) Abiotic non-renewable resource — correction: An abiotic renewable resource is solar energy or wind energy (non-living/abiotic in origin, yet inexhaustible/renewable).

The existence of these combinations shows that the two classification systems — origin and exhaustibility — are independent of each other. Being biotic does not automatically make a resource renewable, nor does being abiotic make it non-renewable. A resource must be evaluated separately on both criteria for complete understanding.

Source: Chapter 1 – Resources and Development, Classification of Resources

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• Examiners expect one correct example for each part with a brief justification — don't just name the resource.
• The key insight for the third part: the two classification bases are mutually independent, meaning all four combinations (biotic-renewable, biotic-non-renewable, abiotic-renewable, abiotic-non-renewable) are possible. This is the conceptual point that earns the third mark.
• Common mistake: students assume abiotic = non-renewable (e.g., minerals), forgetting that air, water, and solar energy are also abiotic but renewable.