Substance that can be found within the environment.

Renewable resources will not run out because they are regenerated or replaced within our lifetime.

Finite resources exist in limited quantities on Earth and will run out if we keep using them because they cannot be regenerated or replaced within our lifetime.

Synthetic products such as plastic and glass are made by humans using natural resources.

Sustainable development helps us to meet the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

Earth's resources and sustainable development

Combined science

Fractional distillation of crude oil

Cracking fractions of crude oil

Polymer structures

Developing a reactivity series for metals

Extraction of metals by reduction

Life cycle assessments (LCAs)

In the Atmosphere and Changing Climate unit, pupils will build on their understanding of Earth's resources to learn about the evidence for the composition and evolution of the Earth's atmosphere and the impact of human activity on climate change.

In the Earth's Resources unit, pupils learned about the composition and structure of the Earth, and the rock cycle.

This unit covers crude oil, its role as a hydrocarbon source, and separation by fractional distillation. It explores cracking, metal reactivity, and extraction methods, including biological alternatives. Emphasis is on recycling, life-cycle assessments, and evaluating decisions.

Using Earth's resources

Crude oil is a fossil fuel formed over millions of years from dead plankton. It is a mixture of different hydrocarbons and impurities.

Hydrocarbons are covalent compounds containing hydrogen and carbon atoms only.

Viscosity is how easily a liquid flows. The higher the viscosity, the less easily a liquid flows.

Fractional distillation is a method used to separate miscible fluids (liquids or gases) with different boiling points into individual components (fractions).

A fraction is a part of a mixture that has been separated by fractional distillation.

Cracking is a thermal decomposition reaction where larger alkanes are broken down into smaller alkanes and alkenes.

A thermal decomposition reaction is a type of reaction that uses heat to break down a reactant compound into two or more products.

A catalyst is a chemical that speeds up the rate of a reaction without itself being used up.

Alkanes are saturated hydrocarbons as they contain only single bonds between carbon atoms.

Unsaturated compounds contain at least one carbon-carbon double covalent bond.

Polymers are long-chained molecules formed by joining together monomers.

Monomers are small molecules that can join together to form a polymer.

The section of a polymer that repeats is known as the repeating unit.

Intermolecular forces are weak forces of attraction between molecules, and molecular substances.

An ion is an atom or group of atoms with a positive or negative charge due to the loss or gain of electrons.

A salt is an ionic compound formed from positive and negative ions electrostatically attracted to each other.

The reactivity series shows metals placed in order of reactivity with the most reactive metal at the top.

Displacement is where a more reactive element takes the place of a less reactive element in a compound.

A metal oxide is a compound containing metal and oxygen atoms chemically bonded together.

Oxidation is a type of reaction in which a substance gains oxygen or loses electrons.

Reduction is a type of reaction in which a substance loses oxygen or gains electrons.

An ore is a rock that contains metals or metal compounds. Metal can be extracted from its ore.

A redox reaction is a reaction where both reduction and oxidation occur.

A life cycle assessment (LCA) measures the environmental impact of a product throughout its manufacture, use and disposal.

Raw materials are the starting materials (such as wood, metal and crude oil) used to make products.

A sustainable activity can be carried out over a long period of time with little or no negative impact on the environment.

Something that is subjective is based on personal feelings, opinions or perspectives.

Something that is objective is based on facts rather than personal opinions.

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Using Earth's resources

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