Quarrying - GCSE Chemistry Definition

Reviewed by: Richard Boole

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Quarrying is the process of removing rocks, minerals, or sand from the ground, usually by cutting, digging, or blasting. These materials are often used to make building materials such as cement, glass, and bricks.

In GCSE Chemistry, quarrying is important because it provides raw materials like limestone, which can be used in neutralisation reactions or to make products like cement.

However, quarrying can have environmental impacts, including:

  • Habitat destruction

  • Dust and noise pollution

  • Visual impact on the landscape

Understanding quarrying helps students learn where materials come from and how industrial processes can be managed to reduce environmental harm.

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Richard Boole

Reviewer: Richard Boole

Expertise: Chemistry Content Creator

Richard has taught Chemistry for over 15 years as well as working as a science tutor, examiner, content creator and author. He wasn’t the greatest at exams and only discovered how to revise in his final year at university. That knowledge made him want to help students learn how to revise, challenge them to think about what they actually know and hopefully succeed; so here he is, happily, at SME.

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