Impacts of engineering & emerging technology
Engineering Science · Higher · mrkellydt.co.uk
What you're learning in this topic
Learning intention WALT
We are learning about impacts of engineering & emerging technology, specifically to:
know
- an emerging technology that is not yet used commercially, and describe it
understand
- social, economic and environmental impacts of an engineered product
- how engineering helps limit climate change, linked to greenhouse gases
be able to
- write "explain" answers with one cause and a related effect
Success criteria WILF
- I can explain social, economic and environmental impacts of an engineered product
- I can describe how engineering helps limit climate change, linked to greenhouse gases
- I can name an emerging technology that is not yet used commercially, and describe it
- I can write "explain" answers with one cause and a related effect
Social, economic and environmental impacts
- Social (people's lives): health, safety, convenience, jobs and skills, noise, community. E.g. an e-bike scheme encourages exercise and makes travel easier.
- Economic (money): costs to build, run and maintain; jobs created or lost; cheaper running costs. E.g. an air fryer uses less energy so is cheaper to run.
- Environmental: emissions, pollution, habitats, resources, waste, landscape. E.g. a dam produces electricity without CO₂ but floods habitats.
Most questions want a positive or a negative of a stated type: read which. Single words like "renewable" or "pollution" don't score: say what and why.
Tackling climate change
Link the solution to greenhouse gases: "Solar panels generate electricity from the sun instead of burning fossil fuels (cause), so no CO₂ is released (effect)." The 2024 N5 report: many didn't link climate change to greenhouse gases; "pollution" alone wasn't accepted.
Emerging technology
An emerging technology is new and not yet in commercial use in products. Examples credited by SQA include ammonia-fuelled engines and nuclear (diamond) batteries. Established or already-developing technologies such as AI, electric vehicles, self-driving cars and (from 2025) graphene earn at most 1 mark. Name the technology and explain its effect: "A nuclear diamond battery could last thousands of years, so the device would never need recharging." Naming alone scores nothing.
Sustainability HIGHER
A sustainable solution meets needs now without harming the future: renewable energy, efficient use of materials, long life, repairability, recycling at end of life, and reduced waste and emissions over the whole life cycle. Higher questions may ask for environmental benefits of a system, e.g. pneumatics: hard-wearing components (less waste), exhaust air doesn't pollute, less oil than hydraulics.
"Explain" answers
A single cause relevant to the context and a related effect is enough. Two causes, or a cause with an unrelated effect, don't earn full marks.
Key terms
| Social impact | An effect on people's lives: health, safety, convenience, jobs. |
|---|---|
| Economic impact | An effect on money: costs, savings, jobs, running costs. |
| Environmental impact | An effect on the environment: emissions, habitats, resources, waste. |
| Emerging technology | New and not yet in commercial use, e.g. ammonia-fuelled engines, nuclear diamond batteries. |
| Climate change answers | Link to greenhouse gases such as CO₂, not just "pollution". |
| Sustainability | Meeting needs now without harming the future: renewable, efficient, long-lasting, recyclable. |
Quick check
1. Which would score as an emerging technology?
- Electric cars
- Ammonia-fuelled engines
- Artificial intelligence
- Smartphones
Show answer
2. Which links a wind farm to tackling climate change correctly?
- It is renewable, so it will last for ever
- It reduces the pollution caused by cars
- It generates electricity without releasing CO₂
- It is quiet and doesn't spoil the landscape
Show answer
3. "Cheaper running costs for the user" is a…
- Social impact
- Structural impact
- Environmental impact
- Economic impact
Show answer
4. A full "explain" answer needs…
- A cause and a related effect
- Two causes of the same problem
- A list of facts about the topic
- A labelled diagram of the system
Show answer
Printable worksheet
An I do, we do, you do worksheet for this topic, with a separate answer sheet.