← Northern Ireland Science (Single Award)
Northern Ireland · CCEASyllabus
Science (Single Award) syllabus, dot point by dot point
Every dot point in the Northern Ireland Science (Single Award)syllabus, with a focused answer for each one. Click any dot point for a worked explainer, past exam questions, and links to related dot points. Written by Claude Opus 4.8, Anthropic's latest AI.
Unit 1: Biology
Module overview →- What are the parts of animal and plant cells, how are some cells specialised, and how do we measure cells under a microscope?The structures of animal and plant cells and their functions, examples of specialised cells and their adaptations, the levels of organisation from cell to organism, and using a light microscope including the magnification calculation.8 min answer →
- How do nerves and hormones coordinate the body and keep its conditions steady?The central nervous system and the three neurones, the reflex arc as a fast automatic response, hormones as chemical messengers carried in the blood, how insulin controls blood glucose, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, and homeostasis by negative feedback.8 min answer →
- How does energy flow through food chains, and how is carbon recycled in an ecosystem?Food chains and food webs, the flow of energy from the Sun through trophic levels, why energy is lost at each level, pyramids of numbers and biomass, the role of decomposers, and the carbon cycle.8 min answer →
- How is genetic information stored and passed on, and how do we predict the offspring of a cross?DNA, genes and chromosomes, the key genetic terms, dominant and recessive alleles, genotype and phenotype, monohybrid crosses with Punnett squares, continuous and discontinuous variation, and the causes of variation including mutation.9 min answer →
- What makes a balanced diet, how do we test for food groups, and how do enzymes digest our food?The components of a balanced diet and their functions, the chemical food tests, enzymes as biological catalysts affected by temperature and pH, the digestive enzymes amylase, protease and lipase, the role of bile, and absorption in the small intestine.9 min answer →
- How do plants make food by photosynthesis, what affects the rate, and how is a leaf adapted for the job?The word equation for photosynthesis, the role of chlorophyll and chloroplasts, the limiting factors of light, carbon dioxide and temperature, how a leaf is adapted for photosynthesis and gas exchange, and investigating the rate of photosynthesis.8 min answer →
- How does the body get oxygen into the blood, and how do cells release energy from glucose?The structure of the respiratory system, the mechanism of breathing in and out, gas exchange in the alveoli and their adaptations, aerobic and anaerobic respiration with their word equations, and the difference between breathing and respiration.8 min answer →
Unit 2: Chemistry
Module overview →- What are acids, bases and alkalis, how does the pH scale work, and what happens when acids react?Acids, bases and alkalis in terms of hydrogen and hydroxide ions, the pH scale and indicators, neutralisation to make a salt and water, the reactions of acids with metals, oxides, hydroxides and carbonates, and simple tests for hydrogen and carbon dioxide.8 min answer →
- What is an atom made of, how are electrons arranged, and how is the periodic table organised?The structure of the atom in terms of protons, neutrons and electrons, atomic number and mass number, isotopes, electron arrangement in shells, and how the periodic table is organised into groups and periods including the trends in Groups 1, 7 and 0.9 min answer →
- How do atoms join by ionic and covalent bonding, and how does the bonding explain a substance's properties?Ionic bonding as the transfer of electrons forming a giant ionic lattice, covalent bonding as shared electron pairs in simple molecules, dot-and-cross diagrams, and using structure to explain melting points and electrical conductivity.8 min answer →
- How are metals ranked by reactivity, and how does reactivity decide how a metal is extracted and how it corrodes?The reactivity series, the reactions of metals with water and acid, displacement reactions, how reactivity decides extraction by carbon reduction or electrolysis, the extraction of iron in the blast furnace, and the rusting of iron and its prevention.9 min answer →
- What is crude oil, how is it separated into fuels, and what pollution does burning fuels cause?Crude oil as a mixture of hydrocarbons, fractional distillation and the main fractions, the alkanes and their combustion, the composition of the atmosphere, the pollutants from burning fuels, and the greenhouse effect and global warming.9 min answer →
- What changes the speed of a chemical reaction, and how do we measure and explain the rate?The factors that change the rate of a reaction (concentration, temperature, surface area and catalysts), how rate is measured by gas volume or mass loss, how to read a rate graph, and the collision theory that explains it all.8 min answer →
- How do we write chemical formulae and balance equations, and what does conservation of mass mean?Writing chemical formulae by balancing ion charges, turning reactions into word equations and balanced symbol equations with state symbols, and the conservation of mass in a chemical reaction.8 min answer →
Unit 3: Physics
Module overview →- What is inside the atom, what are the three types of radiation, and what does half-life mean?The nuclear model of the atom and isotopes, radioactive decay as random and spontaneous, the three types of radiation alpha, beta and gamma with their properties, half-life and decay curves, and the uses and dangers of radioactivity.9 min answer →
- How does current flow in a circuit, what is resistance, and how is mains electricity made safe?Charge and current, potential difference, resistance and Ohm's law, series and parallel circuits, alternating and direct current, the three wires of a mains plug with fuses and earthing, and electrical power.9 min answer →
- How is energy stored, transferred and conserved, and how do we measure power and efficiency?Energy stores and transfers, the conservation of energy and dissipation, the kinetic and gravitational potential energy equations, power as the rate of energy transfer, efficiency, and renewable and non-renewable energy resources.9 min answer →
- How do forces change motion, what is the difference between mass and weight, and what affects stopping distance?Balanced and unbalanced forces, Newton's first and second laws and F equals ma, the difference between mass and weight, terminal velocity, and the thinking, braking and stopping distances of a vehicle.8 min answer →
- How do we describe and calculate motion using speed, velocity, acceleration and motion graphs?The difference between scalars and vectors, the speed and acceleration equations, average and instantaneous speed, and reading distance-time and velocity-time graphs including gradient and area.8 min answer →
- How is the Solar System arranged, how do stars change over their lives, and how do we know the universe is expanding?The structure of the Solar System and the universe, how gravity keeps bodies in orbit, the life cycle of stars for Sun-like and massive stars, and red-shift as evidence for the expanding universe and the Big Bang.8 min answer →
- What are the properties of waves, how do we use the wave equation, and what is the electromagnetic spectrum?Transverse and longitudinal waves, the wave terms amplitude, wavelength, frequency and period, the wave equation, the order of the electromagnetic spectrum with its shared properties, and the uses and dangers of the EM waves.8 min answer →