A factory makes rubber pads and needs 60 000 kg60\,000\ \text{kg}60000 kg of rubber each year. The factory is considering changing from rubber P to rubber Q. Pads made from either rubber have the same useful lifetime.
| Rubber | Production | Energy used to produce 1 kg |
|---|---|---|
| P | Obtained by tapping trees in a managed plantation | 4 MJ4\ \text{MJ}4 MJ |
| Q | Manufactured by chemical processes using a raw material that is not naturally replaced | 12 MJ12\ \text{MJ}12 MJ |
| Information about rubber P | Mass in kg per year\text{kg per year}kg per year |
|---|---|
| Total harvested by all users, including the factory | 90 00090\,00090000 |
| Amount replaced by regrowth | 75 00075\,00075000 |
Which rubber is a synthetic product?
Evaluate the factory's proposal to use rubber Q instead of rubber P. Use the information in the tables.
87 exam-style questions on AQA GCSE Chemistry 10.1 Using the Earth's resources and obtaining potable water, covering 10.1.1 Using the Earth's resources and sustainable development, 10.1.2 Potable water, 10.1.3 Waste water treatment, and 10.1.4 Alternative methods of extracting metals. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.