Social Sciences: Glossary unit 8

Mechanisation: the use of machinery in the production process.
Mining:  the process of extracting minerals from the ground.
Mineral: a naturally occurring solid chemical substance.
Fossil fuels: a tradicional energy source like coal or oil.
Industry: any economic activity that produces a service or transforms raw materials into consumer goods.
Irrigated farming: farming in which the water from groundwater, reservoirs or rivers is brought to fields.
Energy: power that comes from the utilization of physical or chemical resourcesto provide light and heat.
Biomass: organic material used as a fuel that releases energy when burn.
Managment: the people that run a company and ensure that goods and services of a high enough quality are produced and sold at competitive prices.
Worforce: the employees required to produce goods and services.
Wind turbine: a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy to drive machinery (windmill/wind pump) or generate electricity (wind generator)
Solar panel: a set of solar photovotaic modules electrically connected made from a special material that converts solar energy into electricity.
Renewable energy: inexhaustible energy
Non-renewable energy: energy with limited supplies.
Traditional energy: energy sources most commonly used.
Alternative energy: energy sources that are still being developed.
Dam: a barrier built across a river to create a body of water.
Guild: an association of men sharing the same interests (example: artisans)
Heavy industry: industries that made goods that cannot be immediately consumed. They have that name because of the large quantities of resources they use.
Light industry: industries that produce goods ready for consumption. They have that name because of the relatively small size of their production.
Cutting-edge industries: industries that employed advanced technology.
Craftsperson:  a person who makes products using basic tools and manual labour.