Fuels and energetics
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Threads
Why this why now
This unit builds on pupils’ prior learning from Understanding chemical reactions, where they explored how substances interact and transform during reactions. It deepens their understanding by examining fuels and energetics, focusing on energy changes in chemical reactions and the impact of energy resources. This prepares pupils for the next unit, Carbon cycle and climate change, where they will apply their knowledge of fuels and energy transfers to explore the environmental impact of carbon emissions, linking chemical processes to global climate issues.
Prior knowledge requirements
- In a chemical reaction, atoms rearrange themselves to form new substances
- Chemical reactions cannot usually be reversed easily
- Combustion is the reaction of substances with oxygen
- Burning is also used to describe the reaction of substances with oxygen, but is most often used when flames are seen
- Combustion requires three things: fuel, heat and oxygen
Threads
Why this why now
This unit builds on pupils’ prior learning from Understanding chemical reactions, where they explored how substances interact and transform during reactions. It deepens their understanding by examining fuels and energetics, focusing on energy changes in chemical reactions and the impact of energy resources. This prepares pupils for the next unit, Carbon cycle and climate change, where they will apply their knowledge of fuels and energy transfers to explore the environmental impact of carbon emissions, linking chemical processes to global climate issues.
Prior knowledge requirements
- In a chemical reaction, atoms rearrange themselves to form new substances
- Chemical reactions cannot usually be reversed easily
- Combustion is the reaction of substances with oxygen
- Burning is also used to describe the reaction of substances with oxygen, but is most often used when flames are seen
- Combustion requires three things: fuel, heat and oxygen
Chemistry
Fuels and energetics
This unit examines energy changes in state, exothermic and endothermic reactions, and energy transfers in various processes. It emphasises objectivity, accuracy, and precision in scientific enquiries, data interpretation, and the use of tables, graphs, and reliable methods.
6 lessons in unit
slide decks, worksheet PDFs, quizzes and lesson overviews. You can select individual lessons from the Fuels and energetics unit and download the resources you need, or download the entire unit now. See every unit listed in our secondary science curriculum and discover more of our teaching resources for secondary science programmes.