← Engineering Science syllabus

ScotlandEngineering Science

Area 1: Engineering contexts and challenges

4 dot points across 4 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

Where does the energy in engineered systems come from, and how is it transformed?

Renewable and non-renewable energy sources, energy transformations in engineering systems, and the conservation of energy.
An SQA National 5 Engineering Science answer on energy in engineered systems, covering renewable and non-renewable sources, energy transformations from one form to another, the conservation of energy, and why no real system is perfectly efficient.
9 min answer →

What do engineers do, and what are the main branches of engineering?

The role of engineering and the main engineering disciplines (mechanical, electrical, electronic, civil, structural, chemical) and how they contribute to products and systems.
An SQA National 5 Engineering Science answer on what engineers do and the main engineering disciplines, covering mechanical, electrical, electronic, civil, structural and chemical engineering and how each contributes to real products and systems.
9 min answer →

How do engineers weigh up the environmental, social and economic impact of what they design?

The impact of engineering achievements on society and the environment, and the meaning of sustainability in engineering design.
An SQA National 5 Engineering Science answer on the impact of engineering on society and the environment and what sustainability means, covering positive and negative impacts, the economic, social and environmental factors engineers balance, and design for a long life and recycling.
9 min answer →

How does the National 5 assignment work, and what is rewarded in the report?

Overview of the National 5 Engineering Science course assessment: the question paper and the assignment, and the design-and-build skills the assignment rewards.
An SQA National 5 Engineering Science overview of the course assessment, covering the question paper and the assignment, the engineering design process the assignment follows, and how marks are awarded for analysing a brief, developing and simulating a solution, and evaluating it.
8 min answer →