OCR Cambridge National in

Science(Level 1 / 2)

R071How scientific ideas have an

impact on our livesModule 1: Using Energy

The world needs electrical power to progress and develop. Over 80% of this

power comes from power stations burning fossil fuels or from nuclear power stations

that run on radioactive fuel.

Burning fossil fuels produces CO2 which is released into the atmosphere.

Could this be contributing to global warming?

Do you think that our climate is changing due to global warming?

Is global warming causing extreme weather such as:

Droughts which cause crops to fail

Floods which devastate communities

More frequent extreme weather events

Should we be looking for different sources of energy?

sustainabilityenvironmental

effects

economic costs

efficiency

ease of use

If we do need to find alternative energy resources to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels we need to

consider:

To make energy choices we need to measure energy transfers and calculate

efficiency.

What could be the answer? Perhaps…

Wind energyWind energy

Solar energySolar energy

Hydro-energyHydro-energy

Energy from burning carbon-neutral biomass

Energy from burning carbon-neutral biomass

Will nuclear power be part of that answer?

The Government believes it will be.

The UK has signed-up to reduce the emissions of CO2 and, by 2050, virtually all

of the UK’s electricity will need to come from low-carbon sources and nuclear power may help achieve this target.

Nuclear energy does not produce CO2, but there is the potential for disaster. Think of

Chernobyl and Fukushima.

Is living with the risk too high a price to pay?

Nuclear radiation can be dangerous.

Should we be using it to produce electricity?

Are there other beneficial uses for nuclear radiation?

How do we balance the risk of nuclear radiation against the benefits?

Dangerous nuclear and electromagnetic radiations help doctors to see inside our

bodies, and to treat cancer.

Nuclear radiation is also used in industry in fire alarms and even measuring the

thickness of paper.

Not in my

backyard

But what will be the right energy source to use?

They all have disadvantages as well as advantages.

There are people who say….We all have a choice but it will only be

the right choice if it is a properly informed choice.

In this unit you will …

Evaluate the risks and benefits of using nuclear radiation

Measure energy transfers and

calculate efficiency

Communicate scientific ideas to the

public

Make choices about future energy

supplies

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