Year 11 - Science
Life cycle assessments (LCAs)
Using Earth's resources
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
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.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to complete life cycle analysis for paper bags and plastic bags.
Key Notes
- To make a product, raw materials need to be obtained and processed.
- A life cycle assessment can reveal the people who benefit from each stage of a product's life.
- A life cycle assessment can reveal the costs to individuals or the environment at each stage of a product's life.
- At the end of its useful life a product can be repaired, recycled, incinerated or thrown away.
- LCAs are often subjective, so it is important to consider the vested interests of those reporting on their findings.
Vocabulary To Learn
- life cycle assessment: A life cycle assessment (LCA) measures the environmental impact of a product throughout its manufacture, use and disposal.
- raw materials: Raw materials are the starting materials (such as wood, metal and crude oil) used to make products.
- sustainable: A sustainable activity can be carried out over a long period of time with little or no negative impact on the environment.
- subjective: Something that is subjective is based on personal feelings, opinions or perspectives.
- objective: Something that is objective is based on facts rather than personal opinions.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- LCAs only measure the carbon footprint of a product.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the scientific idea in this lesson using two key points.
To make a product, raw materials need to be obtained and processed. A life cycle assessment can reveal the people who benefit from each stage of a product's life.
2. Define this scientific word and use it in context. 'life cycle assessment'
A life cycle assessment (LCA) measures the environmental impact of a product throughout its manufacture, use and disposal. Include the word in a full scientific explanation, not as a single label.
3. Correct this common scientific misunderstanding.
Mistake: LCAs only measure the carbon footprint of a product. Correction: The slide deck addresses what is included in a LCA such as energy use, water use and pollutants released.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Alternative methods of extracting metals: phytoextraction and bioleaching Study Guide
- Alternative methods of extracting metals: phytomining and bioleaching Study Guide
- Cracking fractions of crude oil Study Guide
- Developing a reactivity series for metals Study Guide
- Earth's resources and sustainable development Study Guide
- Extraction of metals by reduction Study Guide
- Fractional distillation of crude oil Study Guide
- Polymer structures Study Guide
- Redox reactions Study Guide
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