With the CBSE Class 10th board exams 2026 starting from 17 February, students must revise Geography chapters thoroughly. Minerals and Energy Resources Class 10 Notes are essential for understanding the role of minerals and energy in India’s industrial growth, infrastructure, and daily life.
These notes cover the formation, types, distribution, and sustainable use of minerals and energy resources. They also include exam-oriented tips, common mistakes to avoid, important formulas, repeated questions, and numerical examples, making them highly useful for effective preparation for the CBSE 10th Social Science board exam.
What are Minerals and Energy Resources?
This chapter gives information about the minerals and energy resources, which are fundamental to human development. Minerals are naturally occurring substances crucial for industries and daily life. Energy resources power our homes and industries. These notes cover the entire chapter included in the latest CBSE Class 10 Geography syllabus .
Minerals And Energy Resources Class 10 Notes
Mineral And Energy Resources Class 10 Notes are given here. It explains key concepts in a simplified and structured manner to help students understand mineral formation, energy sources, and their distribution in India.
What are Minerals?
A mineral is a naturally occurring, homogeneous substance. It has a definite internal structure. Rocks are combinations of various minerals. Minerals vary greatly, from very hard diamonds to soft talc.
Mode of Mineral Occurrence
Minerals are typically found in 'ores'. An ore describes a mineral accumulation mixed with other elements.
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Igneous and Metamorphic Rocks: Minerals appear in cracks, crevices, faults, or joints.
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Sedimentary Rocks: Many minerals form in beds or layers.
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Surface Rock Decomposition: Soluble parts are removed, leaving minerals behind.
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Alluvial Deposits: Found in valley floors and hill bases, carried by water.
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Ocean Waters: Contain vast quantities of various minerals.
Classification of Minerals
Minerals are broadly classified based on their composition.
|
Category |
Examples |
Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
|
Metallic |
Ferrous, Non-Ferrous |
Contain metals; hard, shiny, good conductors. |
|
Non-Metallic |
Mica, Limestone, Salt, Potash |
Do not contain metals; often brittle, poor conductors. |
Ferrous Minerals
Ferrous minerals make up about three-fourths of metallic mineral production value.
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Iron Ore: India has abundant iron ore.
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Magnetite: Fine quality, up to 70% iron, magnetic properties.
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Hematite: Important industrial ore, 50-60% iron.
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Major Belts: Odisha-Jharkhand, Durg-Bastar-Chandrapur, Ballari-Chitradurga-Chikkamagaluru-Tumakuru, Maharashtra-Goa.
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Manganese: Used in steel manufacturing (ferro-manganese alloy). About 10 kg of manganese is needed for one tonne of steel. Also used in bleaching powder, insecticides, and paints.
Non-Ferrous Minerals
These minerals are vital for metallurgical, engineering, and electrical industries. They include copper, bauxite, lead, zinc, and gold.
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Copper: Malleable, ductile, good heat and electricity conductor. Used in electrical cables, electronics, and chemical industries. Producers include Balaghat (Madhya Pradesh), Khetri (Rajasthan), and Singhbhum (Jharkhand).
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Bauxite: Formed from aluminum silicates decomposition. Aluminum, extracted from bauxite, has good conductivity and malleability. Deposits are in Amarkantak plateau, Maikal hills, and Bilaspur-Katni regions.
Non-Metallic Minerals
These minerals do not contain metal.
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Mica: Made of plates or leaves. Can be clear, black, green, red, yellow, or brown. Indispensable in electric and electronic industries due to di-electric strength, low power loss, insulation, and high voltage resistance. Deposits are on the northern edge of the Chota Nagpur plateau.
Rock Minerals
These are minerals found in rocks.
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Limestone: Found in rocks of calcium carbonates. Basic raw material for the cement industry. Essential for smelting iron ore in blast furnaces.
Conservation of Minerals
Minerals are non-renewable resources. Their formation takes thousands of years. Continuous extraction depletes reserves. Therefore, planned and sustainable use is crucial for conservation.
Energy Resources
Energy resources are classified based on their renewability.
Conventional Energy Sources
These sources have been in common use for a long time.
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Coal: Most abundant fossil fuel. Used for power generation, industrial energy, and domestic needs.
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Lignite: Low-grade brown coal, soft, high moisture.
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Bituminous Coal: Deeply buried, high temperature, good quality.
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Anthracite: Highest quality hard coal.
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Important Coalfields: Jharia, Raniganj, Bokaro.
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Petroleum: Provides fuel for heat, light, lubrication, and raw materials for industries. Refineries are "nodal industries" for textiles, fertilizers, and chemicals. Major production areas include Mumbai High, Gujarat, and Assam.
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Natural Gas: Clean, environment-friendly fuel. Key users are power and fertilizer industries. Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) replaces liquid fuels in vehicles. Large reserves are in the Krishna-Godavari basin.
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Electricity: Generated in two main ways.
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Hydro Electricity: From running water driving turbines. Renewable. Examples: Bhakra Nangal, Damodar Valley.
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Thermal Power: By burning fossil fuels (coal, petroleum, natural gas) to drive turbines. Uses non-renewable resources.
Non-Conventional Energy Sources
These are renewable energy sources.
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Nuclear or Atomic Energy: Obtained by altering atom structure. Uranium and Thorium are fuels for nuclear power generation.
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Solar Energy: Uses sunlight. Photovoltaic technology converts sunlight directly into electricity.
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Wind Power: Uses wind to generate electricity via wind turbines. The largest cluster is in Tamil Nadu (Nagercoil to Madurai).
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Biogas: Produced from organic waste decomposition. Efficiently uses cattle dung and improves manure quality.
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Tidal Energy: Converts energy from tides into power. India's ideal locations: Gulf of Khambhat, Gulf of Kachchh, and Gangetic Delta (Sunderbans).
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Geothermal Energy: Heat and electricity produced from Earth's interior heat. In India, harnessed in Parvati Valley (Manikarn, Himachal Pradesh) and Puga Valley (Ladakh).
Conservation of Energy Resources
All economic sectors need energy. Developing sustainable energy paths is urgent.
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Use public transport.
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Switch off unused electricity.
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Use power-saving devices.
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Use non-conventional energy sources.
Minerals and Energy Resources: Important Points for Exam
Minerals and Energy Resources chapter is very important for the CBSE Class 10 Social Science board exam, as questions are frequently asked from minerals, their distribution, and energy resources.
1. Minerals
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Minerals are naturally occurring, homogeneous substances with definite internal structures.
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Found mainly in ores; can occur in igneous, metamorphic, sedimentary rocks, alluvial deposits, or ocean waters.
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Classification:
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Metallic Minerals: Contain metals (Ferrous & Non-Ferrous), hard, shiny, good conductors.
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Non-Metallic Minerals: Mica, Limestone, Salt, Potash; brittle, poor conductors.
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Common Mistakes: Don’t confuse ferrous and non-ferrous minerals or ignore their industrial uses.
2. Ferrous Minerals
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Iron Ore (Magnetite, Hematite) – Main steel industry raw material.
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Manganese – Used in steel, bleaching powder, insecticides.
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Tips: Memorize major belts (Odisha-Jharkhand, Durg-Bastar-Chandrapur, etc.) for quick map-based questions.
3. Non-Ferrous Minerals
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Copper – Electrical wires, electronics. Deposits: Balaghat, Khetri, Singhbhum.
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Bauxite – Aluminum extraction. Deposits: Amarkantak, Maikal hills, Bilaspur-Katni.
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Value Addition: Always link mineral to its industrial use in board exams.
4. Non-Metallic Minerals
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Mica – Electrical insulator, electronic devices.
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Limestone – Cement and iron smelting.
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Common Mistake: Students often forget the specific industrial use for non-metallic minerals.
5. Energy Resources
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Conventional Sources: Coal (Jharia, Raniganj, Bokaro), Petroleum (Mumbai High, Gujarat, Assam), Natural Gas (Krishna-Godavari Basin), Hydro & Thermal Power.
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Non-Conventional Sources: Nuclear (Uranium, Thorium), Solar, Wind (Tamil Nadu), Biogas, Tidal (Gulf of Khambhat, Kachchh, Sunderbans), Geothermal (Parvati, Puga Valley).
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