Research Paper on The Energy Efficiency of Electric and Combustion-powered Cars

Task:

To evaluate a claim about the energy efficiency of electric and combustion-powered cars. The Research Investigation will analyse and interpret secondary evidence from scientific sources to form the basis for a justified conclusion about road transport in Australia’s future.

Conditions:

Length (words) 500-700 words

Own Time 1 hour per week

Important Dates:

Hand Out Monday 21 February

Checkpoint Monday 7 March

Final Copy Tuesday 15 March

Results:

Science Understanding Science Inquiry Skills

SCIENCE EDUCATION - ADMINISTRATION

Presentation of Assignment 

Assignment Presentation Guidelines (unless directed differently by the Assignment Task Sheet):

• Task sheet (including criteria sheet) to be included for marking purposes

• Cover Sheet/Title Page which includes: Student name, subject teacher, topic and due date.

• All pages to be securely stapled together

• Page Layout: 2cm margins, footer with page numbers, student name and subject details

• Word processed assignments: minimum size 12 font and 1.5 line spacing

Referencing Requirements

• Complete and correct referencing of sources must be acknowledged (bibliographic and in-text)

• Research notes MUST be included where indicated on the task sheet and should clearly show the research process used.

• A Bibliography or Reference list is to be included at the end of the assignment using the APA System of referencing.

• Students are encouraged to use the Automatic Referencing feature of MS Word (unless otherwise advised by their teacher). 

Refer to the College Assessment Procedure for further information

8AM Submission Deadline for Final Submission

An assignment will be deemed to be late if it is not in the possession of the class teacher or uploaded to the portal in eGrace by 8:00am on the due date, regardless of attendance at school on the due date. Take Note: Students who have difficulty accessing eGrace must email their teacher (with the assignment attached) or email [email protected] (with the assignment attached) and request it be forwarded to the class teacher. Refer to the College Late & Non-Submission Procedure for further information.

Draft Submission

A draft is a piece of work that is a substantial response to the task. It should attempt each criteria/objective of the task and be of a standard that is ready for submission and able to be used for assessment purposes. You are required to submit one copy of your draft to your class’s portal on eGrace. Your class will be given feedback on the drafts submitted, and your final assignment should be reworked using this feedback. Failure to submit a draft on the due date will result in lunchtime and/or afternoon withdrawal(s) until a draft is obtained. 

Refer to the College Late & Non-Submission Procedure for further information.

Late Assignment Policy

Students in Year 7-9 must a provide Medical Certificate or a letter from a parent/guardian to explain an illness on a due date. Extensions are to be requested directly from the Head of Department, Ms Heinze. It is the responsibility of the student to arrange an extension at least two school days prior to the final due date. Do not assume the extension will be granted until you have confirmation from the Head of Department. Late Assignments, without explanations acceptable to the Head of Department, will not be considered and results will be determined by drafts or work observed in class. Take Note: Computer and technology failure (i.e. portable drive or memory failure) is not an acceptable excuse for late or non-submission of assessment (save regularly in two places). 

Refer to the College Late & Non-Submission Procedure for further information. 

Plagiarism - Authenticity of Student Work

‘Plagiarism’ is defined as using another person’s words, ideas, or opinions as one’s own work, without reference to the author, including published sources from print or electronic media, as well as work from another student. This includes copying text from books, “cutting and pasting” from the Internet, as well as copying from other students. If plagiarism is found in the final assignment, then the plagiarised section of the assignment will be given a non-result. If a student has been found to be handing out their assessment for others to view, they will also be penalised for plagiarism. 

Refer to the College Plagiarism Procedure for further information.

Task

Background Information

Last year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate change released a report detailing the catastrophic effects of climate change on our future. According to the report, carbon-dioxide emissions from human activity are the primary driver, however, we also have an opportunity to act and change our future course. In response, the Australian government announced a goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. In Australia, transport contributes 20% of our total carbon emissions. To encourage consumers to move away from conventional combustion-powered engines, the Australian government is investing in a future fuels and vehicles strategy. The strategy intends to invest in battery technology and a network of charging stations to support the growing market for electric vehicles. Other countries have made stronger investments than Australia and electric vehicle sales are growing much faster. So, the question arises – will a shift to electric vehicles make a difference to Australia’s carbon emissions?

Claim: 

Australian cars should all be electric vehicles by 2030.

What to do:

Research how combustion-powered and electric vehicle’s function. Consider the input energy, useful output energy and wasted energy.

Introduction/Rationale (200- 250 words)

Write an introduction to explain how energy is used to make both types of vehicle drive. Some questions to think about include 

a. What is the source energy (input energy) for electric and combustion cars?

b. Describe the energy transfers and transformations that take place inside each of these motors.

c. What is energy efficiency?

d. Explain which processes in each vehicle waste energy.

Analysis of Data (200-250 words)

Write an analysis of data that addresses the claim.

Use the given data to address the claim. You should write a description of what the data shows about the energy efficiency of combustion-powered and electric vehicles. 

Evaluation (150-200 words)

Write an evaluation of the claim that Australian cars should all be electric vehicles by 2030. 

Having considered the evidence make a clear statement about whether the claim is supported or refuted. Use data to support your statement. Are there other considerations besides energy efficiency to consider when making the change to electric vehicles?

In text referencing

Remember that any statistics, facts, or ideas that are not your own, should be referenced in the text of the report and be included in the reference list.

Referencing

The details for all sources you have used should appear in the reference list. This should be attached to the back of your task. Use the APA option to format in WORD.

An example is shown below:

References

Peacock, F. (2020, July 23). The Homeowner's Guide to Solar and Electric Cars. Retrieved from SolarQuotes: https://www.solarquotes.com.au/ev/solar-electric-cars/

The folio of student work has the following characteristics:

Science Understanding Physical Sciences Identification of different forms of energy in simple and complex systems

Explanation of how energy transfers and transformations cause change in simple systems, with progress towards some that are complex Identification of different forms of energy in simple systems

Informed description of how energy transfers and transformations cause change in simple systems Identification of different forms of energy

Description of how energy transfers and transformations cause change in simple systemsRecall of different forms of energy

Identification of energy transfers and transformations in simple systems Statements about energy transfers and transformations.