Question

Compared to the process of extracting lithium from mineral deposits, the process of extracting lithium from evaporation ponds requires ______ water, ______ money, and ___________ time.

Options: more, less, the same amount of

Answer 1

The process of extracting lithium from evaporation ponds requires less water, less money, and more time compared to extracting lithium from mineral deposits.

Step-by-step explanation:

The process of extracting lithium from evaporation ponds requires less water, less money, and more time compared to the process of extracting lithium from mineral deposits.

This is because in the process of evaporation, brine or saltwater containing dissolved lithium is pumped into large ponds and left to evaporate, resulting in the concentration of lithium. Once the concentration reaches a certain level, the water is removed, leaving behind lithium-rich brine. The brine is then further processed to extract lithium. This method requires less water and less money because it relies on natural evaporation rather than energy-intensive mining and chemical processes.

However, the process of extracting lithium from mineral deposits involves mining the ore, crushing it, and treating it with chemicals to separate lithium from other elements. This process requires more water and money due to the energy-intensive nature of mining and chemical processing.

Answer 2

Step-by-step explanation:

Compared to the process of extracting lithium from mineral deposits, the process of extracting lithium from evaporation ponds requires __less____ water, __less____ money, and ___less________ time.

Lithium extraction from salar brines are more economical to extract compared to extraction from their natural ore deposits. Salar brines occurs as liquid underground brine reservoirs. Once pumped to the surface in ponds, they are left to evaporate and the lithium is concentrated from them. Extraction from brines in ponds do not require water that much, less cost and if the evaporation rate is fast, a lot of time can be saved.

Extraction from mineral deposits require a lot of energy and time to achieve.