Final answer:
Natural resources can be classified as renewable, like water, wood, sunlight, and wind, which are replenished naturally at a rate that can keep up with consumption, or nonrenewable, such as oil, natural gas, uranium, coal, and metal ores, which exist in fixed amounts and take millions of years to form.
Step-by-step explanation:
Classification of Natural Resources
Natural resources are materials supplied by nature that are essential for human survival and economic activity. They can be classified as either renewable or nonrenewable resources. The key difference between them lies in their availability and the rate at which they can be replenished.
Renewable Resources
- Water: Renewable, as it is part of the Earth's water cycle.
- Wood: Renewable if harvested sustainably.
- Sunlight: Renewable, an endless energy source.
- Wind: Renewable, as it is continuously produced by atmospheric processes.
Nonrenewable Resources
- Oil: Nonrenewable, as it takes millions of years to form.
- Natural Gas: Nonrenewable, with limited reserves.
- Uranium: Nonrenewable, as it is finite and used for nuclear power.
- Coal: Nonrenewable, with reserves that will eventually run out.
- Metal Ores: Nonrenewable as they are finite materials.
Factors determining whether a resource is renewable or nonrenewable include the rate of regeneration versus the rate of consumption. For example, renewable resources such as sunlight and wind are naturally replenished and cannot be exhausted. In contrast, oil and coal are considered nonrenewable because they take millions of years to form and are being depleted faster than they can be naturally restored.