Social Science (087) — CBSE Class 10 board question

Minerals must be conserved because they are finite and non-renewable resources. The following arguments support planned and sustainable use:

1. Insignificant availability: Workable mineral deposits form only about 1% of the earth's crust, making them extremely limited.

1. Slow formation: Geological processes that create minerals take millions of years, so rates of replenishment are infinitely small compared to current rates of consumption.

1. Rising extraction costs: Continued extraction leads to increasing costs as minerals must be obtained from greater depths, and ore quality also decreases.

1. Valuable but short-lived: Rich mineral deposits are extremely valuable but short-lived possessions that must be protected for future generations.

1. Steps needed: Improved technologies should be developed to use low-grade ores economically. Recycling of metals, using scrap metals, and finding substitutes are essential conservation measures.

Source: Conservation of Minerals, Chapter 5

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• The question asks you to support a statement, so frame each point as a reason/argument — examiners look for 5 distinct, substantive points for 5 marks.
• All arguments must come directly from the passage: finite nature, slow replenishment, rising costs, short-lived deposits, and conservation measures (technology, recycling, substitutes).
• Avoid copying sentences verbatim; paraphrase slightly to show understanding.
• The closing point on conservation steps (technology, recycling, substitutes) is important — it completes the argument by showing how to conserve, not just why.