How Materials are Obtained.

Very few of the materials that we use in everyday life are found as we need them. We need to obtain and process these materials in order to be able to use them. Many materials, such as coal, oil, and gas come from the ground. However most of the materials we use are made up from a combination of different materials. For example, paper is made from trees which are mashed up to a pulp and then rolled into thin sheets and left to dry. Iron comes from iron ore, and it is iron that is used to make steel. Many other metals come from the ground. Aluminium is produced from a material called bauxite. Slate is found in Wales, where it is cut from the side of mountains, in a process called open cast mining.Other materials that are mined from the ground include tin, lead, diamonds and gold.

A good example of a place where many different materials are used is a house. The bricks are made from clay which is obtained from the ground. The glass for the windows is made mainly from sand and limestone which are heated and rolled out into sheets. The pipes for the water are made from copper because it is a good conductor. This is obtained by mining. The carpets are made from wool which comes from sheep and the curtains are made of cotton which comes from plants. The door and window frames on old houses are made from wood which comes from trees. On newer houses, however, they are made from plastic which is made from oil.

Well done Jimmy, you've got all the answers right          A+

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