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Year 11

Energy and the impact on designs

I can identify how the design of products can impact the environment in terms of energy.

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New
New
Year 11

Energy and the impact on designs

I can identify how the design of products can impact the environment in terms of energy.

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These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Processing iron to become steel uses a huge amount of energy.
  2. Transporting products uses energy.
  3. Many companies are designing products for a circular economy.

Keywords

  • Circular economy - products and materials are kept in circulation and do not become waste

  • Life cycle assessment (LCA) - assesses the environmental impact at every stage of a product’s lifecycle

  • Carbon emissions - volume of carbon produced contributing to global warming

  • Obsolete - a product that is no longer used or useful

Common misconception

Environmental impact only occurs when products are disposed of.

Circular economy and LCA consider the environmental impact at every single stage of a product's life cycle.


To help you plan your year 11 design and technology lesson on: Energy and the impact on designs, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Keep hold of any products that excessively use packaging such as Easter eggs. Have a look around the school/home for products that 'grow' with the user as examples of sustainable products, such as adjustable chairs/products.
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Equipment

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Content guidance

  • Risk assessment required - equipment
supervision-level

Supervision

Adult supervision required

copyright

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Identify the negative effects of a renewable energy source.
less carbon emissions than non-renewable
Correct answer: high initial set up costs
Correct answer: often weather dependent
can be replenished easily
Correct answer: require effective storage of energy
Q2.
In a power station, coal can be used to make electricity. Which statement is not true?
Emissions are produced.
Steam creates rotary motion in the turbines.
Energy is transferred.
Correct answer: The process has no negative environmental impacts.
Q3.
Match the definition to the keyword.
Correct Answer:non-renewable,cannot be replaced when they are used up
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cannot be replaced when they are used up

Correct Answer:renewable,never run out and can be replenished naturally, such as wind and solar
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never run out and can be replenished naturally, such as wind and solar

Correct Answer:carbon emissions,volume of carbon produced contributing to global warming
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volume of carbon produced contributing to global warming

Correct Answer:fossil fuels,examples include oil, coal and gas
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examples include oil, coal and gas

Q4.
Which products use a renewable source of energy?
Correct answer: solar fairy lights
Correct answer: wind up torch
disposable battery
petrol chain saw
gas cookers
Q5.
Rank the modes of transport from most sustainable to least sustainable.
1 - bicycle
2 - electric vehicle
3 - hybrid vehicle
4 - petrol vehicle
Q6.
What does the word 'obsolete' mean?
new and modern
Correct answer: no longer useful or in use
popular and in demand
expensive and hard to find

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the phrase to the meaning.
Correct Answer:cradle to grave,linear product life cycle
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linear product life cycle

Correct Answer:cradle to cradle,circular product life cycle
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circular product life cycle

Correct Answer:obsolete,a product that is no longer used or useful
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a product that is no longer used or useful

Q2.
What is the main goal of a circular economy?
to produce more waste
Correct answer: to keep materials in use
to use only new materials
to stop recycling
Q3.
Life cycle assessment (LCA) is where the environmental impact is assessed at of the product's life cycle.
some stages
Correct answer: every single stage
the recycling stage
the distribution stage
Q4.
Carbon emissions are the volume of carbon produced contributing to ...
Correct Answer: global warming, climate change
Q5.
At the distribution stage of a product's life cycle, the impact on the environment can be reduced by ...
using petrol vehicles.
locating manufacturing abroad.
Correct answer: reducing the amount of packaging required for example flat pack/self assembly.
Correct answer: using hybrid or electric vehicles.
Correct answer: locating manufacturing close to a place of sale.
Q6.
Match the method of reducing environmental impact to the right stage of circular economy.
Correct Answer:adjustable height of a car seat,product in use
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product in use

Correct Answer:self assembly furniture,distribution
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distribution

Correct Answer:compostable plastic bags,waste
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waste

Correct Answer:accessible batteries,repair and maintenance
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repair and maintenance