London refuelled chemistry teaching pack

With a population of over eight million and many people commuting to London for work every day, transport is a key issue for everyone.   Modern technology has developed to cope with the movement of such large numbers of people. However the reliance on combustion for transport over time has resulted in problems of pollution.

To address this new technologies have been developed, such as electric cars and catalytic converters for buses. Social solutions, intended to change behaviours, have also been implemented, including the Congestion Charge Zone and the Low Emission Zone.

In this unit students will study the basic chemistry of combustion, looking at different fuels and their energy output as well as possible contribution to pollution. Their ability to represent reactions using words diagrams and symbols will be developed. Students will study the carbon cycle and consider how transport adds carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

Throughout the topic key questions will be considered:

What is the chemistry behind transport in today’s city and in the past?

What are the solutions for the future?

Should buses and taxis be banned from Oxford Street and other major shopping streets where air quality is currently very poor.

What fuels should we use to reduce air pollution?