← Environmental Science syllabus

ScotlandEnvironmental Science

Area 2: Earth's Resources

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

How does soil form, what is it made of, and how can it be damaged?

Soil formation by weathering; the composition of soil (mineral particles, organic matter, water, air and organisms); soil types and their properties; and soil degradation and its causes.
An SQA National 5 Environmental Science answer on soils, covering soil formation by weathering, the composition of soil from mineral particles, organic matter, water, air and organisms, the main soil types and their properties, and the causes and prevention of soil degradation.
10 min answer →

How is the Earth system divided, and what controls where the world's biomes are found?

The four Earth systems (geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere) and how they interact; the global distribution of biomes and the climate factors that determine them.
An SQA National 5 Environmental Science answer on the Earth systems and biomes, covering the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere and how they interact, the global distribution of major biomes, and the climate factors that determine where each biome is found.
10 min answer →

How does water move through the environment, and how is it made safe to use?

The water cycle and its processes; sources of fresh water; water as a resource; and the treatment of water to make it safe to drink and to deal with waste water.
An SQA National 5 Environmental Science answer on the water cycle and water resources, covering evaporation, condensation, precipitation and other processes, sources of fresh water, the treatment of drinking water and waste water, and threats to water quality.
10 min answer →

What is the atmosphere made of, how does weather differ from climate, and why is the climate changing?

The composition of the atmosphere; the difference between weather and climate and how they are measured; the greenhouse effect and the enhanced greenhouse effect; and the causes and consequences of climate change.
An SQA National 5 Environmental Science answer on the atmosphere, weather and climate, covering the composition of the atmosphere, the difference between weather and climate and how they are measured, the natural and enhanced greenhouse effect, and the causes and consequences of climate change.
11 min answer →