Topic 8: Energy (9 hours)

8.1 Historical Overview

3 hours

	Assessment statement	Obj	Notes	References
8.1.1	Outline two types of energy.	2	Energy is classified as kinetic and potential energy. Kinetic energy is the energy associated with a moving object, for example, a moving football, a speeding train, a waterfall or a rock falling from a cliff. Potential energy is the energy in an object due to its position or the arrangement of its parts. It includes gravitational, elastic, chemical and electromagnetic potential energy. Gravitational potential energy is produced when an object is lifted up and work is done against the force of gravity. As the object falls, potential energy is converted to kinetic energy. Elastic potential energy is produced when an object (such as a spring or a rubber band) resists being stretched out of shape. The energy from the deformation of the band can be converted into kinetic energy and used to do work, for example, to spin a propeller or power a toy airplane. Chemical potential energy is the energy that holds molecules together. Combustion, for example, of fossil fuels, releases the energy, which can be used to do work Electromagnetic potential energy can be stored in a battery or supplied from a power plant hydroelectric dam or windmill. Thermal energy is the movement of molecules that make up the object. All objects possess thermal energy (even cold ones), since they have a temperature above absolute zero.	Solar Energy Hydrogen Fuel Cell Energy Conservation
8.1.2	Describe how human muscle power was the only source of energy for (craft) production until the Industrial Revolution.	2
8.1.3	Describe how development of machines based on flowing water led to a revolution in production.	2	The water wheel enabled the harnessing of energy for production. However, the water wheel had a fixed location next to a fast-flowing river and so lacked flexibility.
8.1.4	Describe how the invention of the steam engine and the use of steam as the basis for the operation of machines led to a large increase in scale of production based on coal.	2	Steam power is more efficient than water power but still only 30% of the energy produced is converted. The advantage of steam power is that it is more movable and therefore flexible onsider the impact of the steam engine on the mechanization of the cotton industry.
8.1.5	Explain how the development of electricity led to a technological revolution and an increased volume of production.	3	Faraday’s discovery of electromagnetic induction and the invention of the dynamo allowed the energy from coal or fast-flowing water to be converted into electricity. As a result, the electricity industry was established, with a sophisticated infrastructure enabling a new generation of electrical machines and electrical products. Factory production and the development of assembly-line arrangements enabled the development of a vast range of cheaper products.
8.1.6	Identify uses for the electric motor in industrial production.	2	Consider the application of rotary motion in drills saws, lathes and belt systems.
8.1.7	Explain how the production and distribution of electricity led to large-scale energy usage, security o supply and the geographical spread of production away from the source of energy supplies.	3	The electrical distribution network and grid system allowed industry to move away from the source o the fuel supply.
8.1.8	Explain how the development of localized, portable sources of electrical energy in the form of batteries changed the nature of energy usage and the development of new types of products.	3	Consider portable radios, mobile phones, and other portable electrical and electronic products.

8.2 Types of Energy, economic,environmental and political aspects

3 hours

	Assessment statement	Obj	Notes	References
8.2.1	List the main forms of non-renewable energy sources.	1	Consider coal, oil, timber and gas.	Global Energy Quiz Renewable Energy Quiz
8.2.2	Discuss the efficiency of conversion of fossil fuels into electrical energy.	3	See also teacher’s notes in 8.1.1. Fossil fuel burning is an extremely inefficient method of energy conversion. Coal is least efficient (about 30%), then oil (about 35%) and gas (about 40%). Waste energy is dissipated into the atmosphere or water (lake sea or river).
8.2.3	Outline how modern industrial societies have become dependent on non-renewable fossil fuels as the major sources of energy supply and electricity production.	2	There are cheap and plentiful supplies for electricity production and other energy needs However, the depletion of supplies of coal, oil and gas challenges continuity of supply in the longer term.	Human Activity Appropriate Tech Coke
8.2.4	Outline the main pollutants produced from the large-scale burning of fossil fuels worldwide.	2	Sulphur emissions cause acid rain; CO2, although not strictly a pollutant, contributes to the enhanced greenhouse effect.	Climate Change Problems
8.2.5	Describe the main effect of carbon dioxide emissions from the large-scale burning of fossil fuels.	2	Enhanced greenhouse effect leads to higher mean global temperatures, sea-level rise and general climate changes.	Climate Change
8.2.6	Discuss the use of technologies to make energy conversion from fossil fuels more efficient and cleaner.	3	Consider clean coal technology.	Clean Coal Technology
8.2.7	Discuss two approaches to reducing the enhanced greenhouse effect based on international agreements to reduce emissions of CO2 and the promotion of clean technologies.	3	Consider the Kyoto Protocol, which uses economic mechanisms, and the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate (APPCDC), which looks at technology solutions.	Alternative Tech
8.2.8	List the main forms of renewable energy sources.	1	Consider wind, solar, tidal, wave, hydroelectric and biomass.	Solar Energy Hydrogen Fuel Cell Energy Conservation
8.2.9	Explain why there is increasing pressure to use renewable energy sources.	3	Consider higher cost of oil, political instability, security of supply, greenhouse effect leading to climate change, and other pollution.	The Clean Air Act Sustainable Development
8.2.10	Discuss the limitations of the use of renewable energy resources as alternatives for fossil fuels.	3	Limitations include high cost, unreliable supply and low energy density.	Sustainable Development 2
8.2.11	Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear power.	3	Reduced usage by sustainable development policies, for example, sustainable transport systems and building systems (see also “Topic 12 Sustainable development”).
8.2.12	Discuss the role of energy conservation in energy policy.	3	Consider biofuels.
8.2.13	Outline new sources of energy.	2	Consider biofuels.
8.2.14	Discuss the contribution of biomass as a renewable energy resource.	3	Can replace petrol in the internal combustion engine and be used as a biomass fuel

8.3 Case studies

3 hours

	Assessment statement	Obj	Notes	References
8.3.1	Describe how solar power can be harnessed for use in domestic products.	2	Consider active solar collection and various arrangements of photovoltaic cells (PVs), for example, small individual cells on portable equipment, use of PVs in sustainable building design for hybrid systems, incorporation of PVs into roof design to enhance the sustainability of buildings and also doubling as shelter over car parking areas.	Solar House
8.3.2	Identify the advantages and disadvantages of solar power.	2	Consider set-up costs, running costs and maintenance, and continuity of supply.
8.3.3	Describe the design of a solar cooker.	2		Solar Cooking
8.3.4	Discuss the importance of solar cooking in sustainable development.	3	In some rural areas, for example, Nepal, traditional cooking methods involve the burning of biomass fuels and result in indoor air pollution, which is one of the four most critical environmental problems in developing countries. Women and children are more likely to be exposed to indoor air pollution as many women in developing countries spend hours per day cooking near an open fire often with a child strapped to their backs. Indoor air pollution can damage lungs, contributing to acute lower respiratory infections, chronic lung disease, lung cancer, asthma, low birth weight and heart disease. Collection of wood and other biomass fuels contributes to deforestation, with impacts on the water table.
8.3.5	Compare individual and mass transport systems for sustainable development.	3
8.3.6	Discuss the barriers to transition from individual cars to mass public transport systems.	3	Consider convenience, flexibility, systems integration, for example, park-and-ride systems.
8.3.7	Identify the advantages and disadvantages of small-scale and large-scale wind energy generating plants.	2	Consider small-scale wind energy generating systems, for example, for isolated houses, and large-scale wind energy generating systems for communities and feeding into the national grid.
8.3.8