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AQA GCSE · Question 01.4 · Energy
Decreasing the amount of carbon dioxide released by different activities will help slow down climate change. Transport and generating electricity are the two activities that released the largest amounts of carbon dioxide in the UK in 2018.
Explain one change that would reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released by each activity.
Transport:
Generating electricity:
Decreasing the amount of carbon dioxide released by different activities will help slow down climate change. Transport and generating electricity are the two activities that released the largest amounts of carbon dioxide in the UK in 2018.
Explain one change that would reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released by each activity.
Transport:
Generating electricity:
How to approach this question
1. **For Transport:** Think about the fuel most vehicles use (petrol/diesel). What is an alternative that doesn't produce CO2 at the point of use? Explain why this alternative is better.
2. **For Generating Electricity:** Think about how most electricity is generated (burning fossil fuels). What are alternative methods that don't involve burning? Explain why these alternatives are better.
Full Answer
**Transport:** The primary source of CO2 from transport is the combustion of fossil fuels (petrol and diesel) in internal combustion engines. A change to reduce this would be to replace these vehicles with electric vehicles (EVs). EVs are powered by batteries and do not have an exhaust, so they produce zero emissions at the point of use. Other valid changes include promoting public transport, cycling, or walking, which reduce the number of individual car journeys.
**Generating electricity:** A large portion of electricity is generated by burning fossil fuels (coal, gas) in power stations. This process releases large amounts of CO2. A change to reduce this would be to transition to renewable energy sources such as wind turbines, solar panels, or hydroelectric power. These methods harness natural energy flows to generate electricity without combustion, and therefore without producing CO2. Nuclear power is another low-carbon alternative.
Common mistakes
✗ Suggesting a change without explaining why it reduces CO2.
✗ For transport, just saying "use cars less" without suggesting a specific alternative.
✗ For electricity, suggesting "use less electricity" - the question asks how to change generation, not consumption.
Practice the full AQA GCSE Physics Higher Tier Paper 1
20 questions · hints · full answers · grading
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