AQA · Chemistry · 8462
GCSE Chemistry (AQA): Life Cycle Assessments
Topic 10 — Using Resources. Generated from the caption track of Cognito's lesson video "GCSE Chemistry - Lifecycle Assessments (LCAs) - Stages | Examples | Limitations (2027/28 exams)"; each card deep-links to the moment in the video it came from. Lesson 10.09 of Cognito's AQA GCSE Combined Science (Trilogy) and Chemistry course (Higher tier), filed under AQA Chemistry 8462. Teaching by Cognito — https://cognitoedu.org/coursesubtopic/c2-gcse-aqa-h-c_10.09.
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What raw material are plastic bags made from, and is it finite?
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Crude oil — a finite resource, separated by fractional distillation.
How can the complexity of an LCA make it unreliable?
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The calculations are so complex that they can be manipulated to favour a company for positive advertising, and this bias is hard to detect.
Why is it difficult to compare the harm of different pollutants in an LCA?
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There is no objective way to weigh different kinds of damage — e.g. particulates causing lung disease versus greenhouse gases causing global warming.
Which two processes turn crude oil fractions into plastic for bags?
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Cracking the hydrocarbons into alkenes, then polymerisation of those alkenes.
Which two factors matter when assessing the 'use' stage of a product?
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How much damage it does while in use, and how long (how many times) it is used for.
Why does processing raw materials indirectly damage the environment?
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It uses huge amounts of energy (e.g. extracting metals from ores, fractional distillation of crude oil) and releases pollutants.
Name the three main environmental problems of the manufacturing stage.
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Energy use, release of pollutants (e.g. carbon monoxide, hydrogen chloride), and production of waste.
What is the purpose of a life cycle assessment (LCA)?
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To analyse the stages of a product's life in order to assess its total impact on the environment.
Paper bags are better than plastic bags at disposal because paper is ? and non-toxic.
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biodegradable
How does extracting raw materials directly damage the environment?
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It destroys habitats — e.g. cutting down forests for wood or digging large mines for ores.
Why is landfill disposal environmentally harmful?
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It takes up land that could support nature, and chemicals can seep out into surrounding ecosystems.
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