Introduction to C.1 to C.5 and C.6 to C.8

This option contains material that is important and relevant to the modern era and to the successful functioning of society and to the global environment.

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It considers the importance of comparing the energy density and the specific energy of different fuels, the efficiency of an energy transfer and the calculation of carbon footprints. The core covers fossils fuels, nuclear fission and fusion and solar energy as well as the environmental impact, specifically global warming. The three AHL sub-topics include microbial fuels cells, the Nernst equation and dye-sensitized solar cells. Like all the options it contains the four common strands of quantitative, analytical, environmental and organic chemistry. The analytical is covered in the core by the use of absorption spectroscopy to help determine the composition of stars and both visible spectroscopy (why chlorophyll and related compounds are coloured) and infrared spectroscopy (greenhouse gases) are mentioned. Considering the importance attached to replacing fossil fuels with cleaner alternative forms of energy it seems a little strange that the core sub-topic C.4 Solar energy is confined just to biomass and makes no mention of energy sources normally covered under solar energy such as passive solar heating and photovoltaic cells etc. In 2015 the price of oil fell considerably. One of the reasons for this is the increasing use of hydraulic fracturing (known as 'fracking'), although the oil price is recovering now. Fracking is controversial and could provide an excellent example to bring in the Nature of Science and Theory of Knowledge as well as cover some good chemistry so it seems surprising to me that 'fracking' is not mentioned specifically in the current programme.