Can Cycle Quiz Worksheet
Can Cycle Quiz Worksheet
Day 1: Making New Cans • Day 2: Recycling Can-to-Can
Name:
Date:
Score: / 25
Lesson Review: Key Facts for Day 1 & Day 2 Read these key facts before answering the questions below
Day 1: New Aluminum (From the Earth)
- • Bauxite Ore: Red rock dug from the ground containing aluminum.
- • Bayer Process: Chemicals turn bauxite into white alumina powder.
- • Smelting: Huge electric current melts alumina at 950°C into pure metal.
- • Can Making: Metal sheets are pressed into cups, thinned, and printed.
Day 2: Recycled Aluminum (Closed Loop)
- • Sorting (MRF): Magnets catch steel; spinning magnets repel aluminum.
- • Shred & Clean: Cans are chopped up and hot air burns off old paint.
- • Melting: Shredded cans melt at 660°C, saving 95% of energy!
- • 60-Day Loop: Back on grocery store shelves as a new can in 60 days.
1 Part 1 • Vocabulary Matching (5 pts)
Match each term on the left to its description on the right (A–E)
1. Bauxite Ore
2. Bayer Refining
3. Smelting Furnace
4. Eddy Current Sorter
5. Thermal De-coating
A. Spinning magnets that shoot aluminum cans off the sorting line.
B. Natural reddish rock mined from the earth that contains aluminum.
C. Using heat to burn off paint and ink labels from shredded cans.
D. Chemical step that extracts white alumina powder from raw ore.
E. Uses extreme electricity to turn powder into liquid metal at 950°C.
2 Part 2 • Multiple Choice Questions (4 pts)
Circle the best answer for each question
6. Why does recycling aluminum save 95% of energy compared to making new aluminum?
A) It only needs to be melted down, skipping the electricity-heavy mining and smelting
B) Recycled cans do not require any heat at all to turn into liquid
C) Sorting machines automatically turn old cans into new metal without heat
7. What is the main purpose of the thin spray coating inside every soda can?
A) Keeps the soda cold for several days during shipping
B) Stops acidic drinks (like soda) from eating into the metal wall
C) Makes the empty can heavier so it will sink in water
8. How long does it take for a tossed-out can to be recycled and back on store shelves?
A) About 60 days (around 2 months)
B) Exactly 1 full year
C) Over 5 years
9. What is special about aluminum compared to recycled plastic or paper?
A) It can only be recycled 2 times before it is thrown away
B) It can be recycled over and over forever without losing quality
C) It dissolves and turns into compost within a few weeks
Can Cycle Curriculum • Student Quiz Page 1 of 2 • Turn over for Page 2
Can Cycle Assessment • Guided Problems & Recycling Steps
Student Name:
Quick Comparison: Brand-New vs. Recycled Aluminum (per 1 Metric Ton)
| Resource / Impact | Brand-New Aluminum (Day 1) | Recycled Cans (Day 2) | What is Saved? |
|---|
| Bauxite Ore Mined | 4,500 kg | 0 kg | 100% of mining avoided |
| Electricity Used | 14,500 kWh | 725 kWh | 13,775 kWh saved per ton |
| Melting Heat Needed | 950°C (very hot) | 660°C (lower heat) | Easier to melt |
3 Part 3 • Guided Energy Math & Science Concept (8 pts)
Follow the steps and fill in the missing words
10. Guided Energy Math: A school recycling club collects 2 metric tons of empty aluminum cans. 4 pts
From the table above, recycling saves 13,775 kWh of electricity for every 1 ton. Follow the two steps below to find total electricity saved:
Step 1: Write down the multiplication problem:
\(13,775\text{ kWh} \times \) tons =
Step 2: Final Answer:
______________ kWh saved
11. Infinite Recyclability: Why can aluminum be recycled forever without weakening? 4 pts
Word Bank: atoms • melted • plastic • forever
Aluminum is a pure metal made of individual that do not break down when they are in a furnace. This means aluminum can be recycled . Unlike aluminum, materials like have long chemical chains that snap and get weaker each time they are recycled.
4 Part 4 • Sorting Cans & Timeline Order (8 pts)
Answer the question and number the steps 1 through 4
12. Sorting Center (MRF): Aluminum cans are not attracted to regular magnets like steel soup cans. How does the spinning "Eddy Current" rotor sort aluminum cans? 4 pts
Finish the sentence: When aluminum cans roll over the rapidly spinning magnet, the magnetic field creates an invisible repelling push that causes the aluminum cans to .
13. Put the 60-Day Journey in Order: Number the events below from 1 (First) to 4 (Last). 4 pts
You finish a drink and place the empty can into a recycling bin. Step [ ]
Cans are chopped into small chips and hot air burns away paint. Step [ ]
Chips are melted in a furnace and rolled into thin metal coils. Step [ ]
Coils are made into new cans, refilled, and sold at grocery stores. Step [ ]
Can Cycle Curriculum • Total Points: 25 Page 2 of 2 • Student Quiz
