Impacts of engineering & emerging technology
Engineering Science · National 5 · 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.
"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". |
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.