Download OCR 21st Century Science: P3 Checklist Use these checklists to see

OCR 21st Century Science: P3 Sustainable energy
Checklist P3 Aiming for A
Use these checklists to see what you can do now. Refer back to the relevant topic in your
Student Book if you are not sure. Look across the rows to see how you could progress –
bold italic means Higher Tier only.
Remember that you will need to be able to use these ideas in various ways, such as:
 interpreting pictures, diagrams and graphs
 applying ideas to new situations
 explaining ethical implications
 suggesting some benefits and risks to society
 drawing conclusions from evidence that you are given.
Working towards an A grade
Aiming for Grade C

Aiming for Grade A

understand that power stations that burn fossil fuels produce carbon dioxide;
understand that increasing demand for energy raises issues about the availability of
energy sources and their environmental effects
understand that an electric current passing through a component transfers energy
to the component and/or to the environment
recall that the power in watts is the
energy transferred each second;
use ‘power = voltage × current’ to
calculate how quickly an electrical
device transfers energy
recall that power is the rate of energy
transfer; use and rearrange ‘power =
voltage × current’ in calculations
involving rate of electrical energy
transfer
use ‘energy transferred = power ×
time’ to calculate the electrical
energy transferred in joules or
kilowatt-hours
use and rearrange ‘energy transferred
= power × time’ in calculations involving
electrical energy transfer
calculate the cost of energy supplied by electricity
use ‘efficiency = (energy usefully
transferred ÷ total energy supplied)
× 100%’ to calculate the efficiency
of an electrical device or power
station
use and rearrange ‘efficiency = (energy
usefully transferred ÷ total energy
supplied) × 100%’ in calculations
interpret and construct Sankey diagrams for various contexts including electricity
generation and distribution, and use them to calculate efficiency of transfer
explain how the voltage produced, and current supplied, by a generator can be
increased;
understand that a generator uses more primary fuel per second when it supplies a
bigger current
COLLINS NEW GCSE SCIENCE
© HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2011
OCR 21st Century Science: P3 Checklist
Aiming for Grade C

Aiming for Grade A

understand that electricity is convenient because it is easily transmitted over long
distances and has many uses
understand that in many power stations a primary energy source heats water,
producing steam which drives a turbine coupled to an electrical generator;
label a block diagram of the basic components of hydroelectric, thermal and nuclear
power stations;
understand that some renewable energy sources drive the turbine directly
understand that radioactive waste
emits ionising radiation; and explain
the difference between
contamination and irradiation
explain why contamination by a
radioactive material is more dangerous
than a short period of irradiation
explain how the distribution of electricity through the National Grid at high voltages
reduces energy losses
discuss qualitatively and quantitatively the effectiveness of methods of reducing
energy demand in a national context
understand how different factors
affect the choice of energy source
for a given situation
understand that to ensure a security
of electricity supply nationally, we
need a mix of energy sources
interpret and evaluate information
about different energy sources for
generating electricity, considering
efficiency, economic costs and
environmental impact
interpret and evaluate information about
different energy sources for generating
electricity, also considering power
output and lifetime
COLLINS NEW GCSE SCIENCE
© HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2011