AQA P1 4.5 – The National Grid - Lesson Plan Resources AQA-P Question sheet AQA-P1-4.5-Advantages-Disadvantages Lesson plan Starter: Students link the pictures together to form the outline of the National Grid Main: Students are introduced to the topic and learning objective. Students watch a video introducing the National Grid and answer the questions. The video is nearly 11 minutes long. Only the first 4-5 minutes or so are needed. Students use the prompts on AQA-P1-4.5-Advantages-Disadvantages to complete the diagram of the National Grid on the AQA-P1-4.5-Question sheet. (You can use slide 12 to label on the SmartBoard) Students separate the advantages and disadvantages statements to describe overhead and underground cables. Students use this to answer a 6 mark question (slide 17) Students peer mark their answers. Plenary Show students the pylons of the future, entries from a design competition. Dr A. Johnston, Southampton 2014

Starter: Missing picture What are these pictures of? How do they link together?

Power station Step up transformer Increases voltage Pylons Carries electricity at high voltage Step down transformer Decreases voltage House

GCSE Science Physics Chemistry Biology

Generating electricity Physics Power station Renewable energy Fuel for electricity The National Grid

Today you will be learning what the National Grid is and the advantages and disadvantages of underground and overhead cables.

Describe what the National Grid does Grade D Identify the different sections of the National Grid Grade C Explain the advantages and disadvantages of underground and overhead cables. Grade C The National Grid

Task 1: Watch the video. Look out for the answers to these questions 1)What is the National Grid? 2) How much electricity is used at its peak? 3) At What points do people use the most electricity? 4) Are all energy sources generating electricity all the time? The National Grid

National Grid-Fully charged

The National Grid Task 2: The National Grid Complete part two of the worksheet by labelling the diagram. Task 3: What is the difference between using overhead and underground cables? Fill in advantages and disadvantages of over ground and underground cables on the sheet.

The National Grid

Advantages Quick and easy to repair or maintain Less expensive to install and repair Cables cooled by the air Air acts as an electrical insulator Cables can be thinner Disadvantages Spoil the landscape/view Greater risk of electric shock Damaged by weather, e.g. High winds Hazard to low flying aircraft Overhead cables

Advantages Cannot be seen Not a hazard to aircraft Unlikely to be damaged by weather No risk of electric shock Disadvantages Repairs take longer and cost more Difficult to access Expensive to install Needs thicker cables Needs a cooling system Needs layers of electrical insulation Underground cables

Energy is lost as heat due to the high resistance and length of the cables. Energy wasted in the wire = current 2 (I 2 ) x resistance (R) The higher the current the more energy that gets wasted as heat. Power (w) = volts (v) x current (I) In power cables the voltage is very high and the current very low. This means that less energy is wasted as heat as it travels along the cable. The National Grid

Task 4: Use the advantages and disadvantages sheet to answer this 6 mark question. From January 2012

Pylon competition Pylons of the future The National Grid