Set in a village on the edge of a forest, this chapter explores the natural resources that nature provides and the need to use them wisely. It begins with air, a mixture of gases — about 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 1% argon, carbon dioxide, and other gases — whose oxygen is essential for the survival of most living beings. Moving air is wind, which can turn a firki and a windmill, and windmill farms in India use wind to generate electricity. Water is precious: although it covers about two-thirds of the Earth, most is salty seawater unfit for use, and only a small fraction of freshwater in ponds, rivers, lakes, and wells is easily accessible, so it must be conserved and protected from pollution, including through age-old rainwater-harvesting practices like the bawadi and vav. Energy from the Sun is the main source of energy on Earth: it drives plant growth, climate, seasons, weather, and the water cycle, and is captured by solar panels, cookers, and water heaters. Forests are dense growths of plants that provide food, shelter, and many products, and protect the soil; their cover is shrinking due to human activity, so they must be preserved, as movements like Chipko remind us. Soil forms over thousands of years from the breaking apart of rocks, supports biodiversity, and varies from place to place. Rocks are made of minerals, from which important metals such as aluminium, gold, copper, and iron are extracted. Fossil fuels — coal, petroleum, and natural gas — form over millions of years from buried remains and are burned for transport and electricity, but pollute the air and exist in limited quantities. The chapter classifies all these into renewable resources, which nature replenishes within a reasonable time (air, water, forests), and non-renewable resources, which do not (minerals, soil, rocks, fossil fuels), urging us to use every resource responsibly.
Air and windWater and its conservationEnergy from the SunForests, soil, rocks, and mineralsFossil fuels and renewable vs non-renewable resources
Key terms
Natural resources
Resources we get from nature, such as air, water, sunlight, forests, soil, rocks, minerals, and fossil fuels.
Composition of air
Air is a mixture of about 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 1% argon, carbon dioxide, and other gases.
Rainwater harvesting
The collection and storage of rainwater for later use, an age-old Indian practice seen in structures like the bawadi and vav.
Fossil fuels
Coal, petroleum, and natural gas, formed over millions of years from buried remains of organisms and plants, and used as fuels.
Renewable resources
Resources that get renewed or replenished by natural processes within a reasonable period, such as air, water, and forests.
Non-renewable resources
Resources present in limited amounts that are not replenished within a reasonable period, such as minerals, soil, rocks, and fossil fuels.
Extra questions & answers
Let us enhance our learning
Explore interactively
Key-term flashcards
Flip cards · mark known · keyboard ← → and Space
6 cards
Term1 / 6
Natural resources
Tap to reveal
Meaning1 / 6
Resources we get from nature, such as air, water, sunlight, forests, soil, rocks, minerals, and fossil fuels.
Tap to flip back
Tap card to flip
Keyboard: ← → to move · Space to flip
Practice quiz · Nature's Treasures
Score on this chapter, climb the leaderboard, and get an AI diagnosis of your mistakes.
Dual AI-verified questions Real exam pattern 1 free quiz, then ₹9 per quiz — or all at once for up to 30% less
#1
Nature's Treasures
Start here
Science 10 Qs · ~10 min
Instant score, answer review and weak-topic diagnosis
