Question

Which of the following resources is going to be exhausted by the end of this century?
A) Lead
B) Gold
C) Tin
D) All of the above

Answer 1

Hint: Resource depletion occurs when a resource is depleted faster than it can be restored. Renewable and non-renewable resources are the two types of natural resources that are regularly used. Resource depletion occurs when either of these types of resources is used beyond their replacement rate. The value of a resource is directly proportional to its availability in nature and the expense of collecting it; the more a resource is depleted, the higher its value becomes.

Complete answer:
Mining is used to extract minerals from the ores. The minerals found in the Earth's crust have limited resources. Lead is utilised in the manufacture of electrical device batteries. Gold is well-known for its commercial worth in the jewellery industry. Tin has been utilised for a variety of applications since antiquity. Tin was utilised to make coins, utensils, alloys, and other items. Tin is currently widely employed in the manufacture of jars. As a result of the mining of these metals, there are fewer resources available, and the metal resources will be depleted first.

Mineral exploitation on a large scale began in England around 1760 during the Industrial Revolution and has developed quickly since then. Over time, technological advancements have enabled humanity to dig deeper and reach lower-grade and diverse forms of ore.

Thus the correct answer is option ‘D’.

Note: Because supply requires huge upfront investments and is thus sluggish to respond to quick spikes in demand, virtually all fundamental industrial metals (copper, iron, bauxite, and so on), as well as rare earth minerals, suffer production output restrictions from time to time.