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Difficulty: EasyRenewable and Non-Renewable Natural Resources

In West Africa, energy is generated from various natural resources. Which of the following resources used for power production is classified as a non-renewable natural resource?

  1. CoalAnswer
  2. B
    Running water
  3. C
    Solar radiation
  4. D
    Wind power

Answer

Coal is a non-renewable resource because it exists in finite amounts and takes millions of years to form.
Coal is a solid fossil fuel formed from buried plant matter under extreme pressure and heat over geological time. Because human usage far outpaces its multi-million-year formation process, it is classified as non-renewable.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Define renewable and non-renewable natural resources
Renewable resources naturally regenerate within human timeframes, whereas non-renewable resources exist in fixed quantities that exhaust with consumption.
Classification depends on rate of natural replenishment relative to consumption.
2
Evaluate each resource in the options
Running water, solar energy, and wind are naturally renewed by natural earth cycles, whereas coal deposits were accumulated over geological eras.
Coal cannot be naturally replaced once extracted and combusted.

Key Concept

Classification of Renewable and Non-Renewable Energy Resources
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Topics

Renewable and Non-Renewable Natural Resources

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