Numbers
CCEA A-Level Life and Health Sciences 0008
Experimental Techniques
Human Body Systems
Topic overviewBlood vessels, the heart and cardiac outputHeart sounds, ECG traces, pulse and blood pressureBody fluids, haemoglobin and the Bohr effectThe respiratory system, gas exchange and lung diseaseMonitoring breathing and lung volumesCellular respiration and ATPHomeostasis, blood glucose and thyroxineSodium, blood pH and oxygen saturationA balanced diet and nutritional needs through lifeCholesterol, minerals, vitamins, alcohol and exercise
Physical Chemistry in Industrial Processes
Topic overviewMoles, reacting masses and percentage yieldTitration types, indicators and standard solutionsTitration calculations and molarityEnthalpy changes and calorimetryHess's law and average bond enthalpiesCollision theory, rates and the Maxwell–Boltzmann distributionCatalysts, chemisorption and catalytic convertersReversible reactions, the Haber process and the Contact processScale-up, costs and siting a chemical plant
Brain ScienceDouble Award
Topic overviewBrain structure and frontal lobe damageNeurones, synapses and the endocrine systemAlzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease and stem cell therapySchizophrenia and mental health awareness in Northern IrelandThe biology of aggression and methods of studying the brainStress, the stress response and stress managementMemory models, forgetting and eyewitness testimonyAbnormality, phobias, depression and OCDExperiments, observations, self-report and research designHypotheses, sampling, ethics and descriptive statistics
Material ScienceDouble Award
Topic overviewMaterial properties and selectionStress, strain and the Young modulusStress–strain graphs, creep and fatigueDensity, hardness and conductivity testingMetals, ceramics, glasses, polymers and compositesAtomic and microscopic structure of materialsAlloys, annealing and biomaterialsSmart materialsNanomaterials and semiconductors
Medicine, Drugs and Clinical TrialsDouble Award
Topic overviewCategories of medicine and routes to drug discoveryMedicines from natural sources, drug names and the ATC systemDrug development, preclinical testing and the therapeutic indexPhases of clinical trials and trial designLicensing, UK regulators, Yellow Card and trial ethicsFormulations, routes of administration and drug absorptionDistribution, metabolism, elimination and sites of drug actionQuantitative analysis of medicines and antibacterial bioassays
Scientific Method, Investigation, Analysis and Evaluation
Topic overviewThe scientific method, literature reviews and Harvard referencingDescriptive statistics and the normal distributionNull hypotheses, significance and choosing a statistical testInvestigation design, Design of Experiments and project plansGood Laboratory Practice, risk assessment and COSHHExperimental error, scientific writing and evaluation
Organic Chemistry
Topic overviewOrganic formulae, homologous series and functional groupsIUPAC naming and types of organic reactionStructural isomerism and E/Z isomerismAlkanes from crude oil, combustion and halogenationVehicle pollutants, catalytic converters and biofuelsAlkenes, pi bonds and electrophilic additionClassifying alcohols, making ethanol and its effects as a drugOxidation of alcohols, IR spectroscopy and mass spectrometryAddition polymers, plastic waste and nylonPreparing and purifying aspirin
Medical PhysicsA2 option
Topic overviewBody temperature and clinical thermometersBlood pressure readings and the sphygmomanometerHeart activity experiments and EEG tracesX-ray tubes, radiographs and CT scansFlexible endoscopes, optical fibres and lasersUltrasound A-scans, B-scans and acoustic impedanceMRI scanning and gamma camera imagingAlpha, beta and gamma radiation and half-lifeRadiopharmaceuticals, radiotherapy and radiation protection
Sound and LightA2 option
Topic overviewTransverse and longitudinal waves and wave graphsPhase difference and the electromagnetic spectrumOuter, middle and inner earSound intensity and the decibel scaleStanding waves, harmonics and resonance tubesHearing response, phons and equal loudness curvesStructure of the eye, rods and conesAccommodation, lens power and correcting long sightTotal internal reflection and fibre-optic communicationDipole antennas, wireless networks and radarAttenuation of radio waves and the Doppler effect
Genetics, Stem Cell Research and CloningA2 option
Topic overviewDNA structure and the evidence for the double helixRNA, genes and the triplet codeGenotype, phenotype and monohybrid inheritanceDihybrid crosses, epistasis and the chi-squared testDNA replication and the Meselson–Stahl experimentMeiosis and genetic variationInsulin, factor VIII and chymosin from genetically modified microbesRecombinant DNA technology and gene cloningGenetic engineering, food supply and ethicsGene therapy and cystic fibrosisGenetic disease, screening and counsellingGenetic fingerprinting and gel electrophoresisStem cells, therapeutic cloning and their ethics
MicrobiologyDouble Award
Topic overviewBacteria, fungi and protozoaViruses, viroids and prionsClassifying bacteria, fungi and virusesLight and electron microscopyLaboratory safety, biocontainment and quality assuranceAseptic technique, growth media and inoculationCounting and measuring microbial growthGrowth requirements and growth inhibitionAntibiotics, PCR, gene therapy and pharmaceutical microbiologyThe gut microbiome in health and disease
Oral Health and DentistryDouble Award
Histology and PathologyDouble Award
Topic overviewSpecimen processing, data protection and safety lawClinical biochemistry tests and electrophoresisBlood smears and identifying blood cellsBlood grouping, cross-matching and transfusionDiagnostic and surveillance work in hospital microbiologyPreparing and staining tissue sectionsRecognising tissues, atheroma and emphysema on slides
Analytical Chemistry TechniquesDouble Award
Topic overviewVolumetric analysis in industry and healthcareApplied titrations of vinegar, indigestion tablets and bleachRedox titration of iron tablets and evaluating titrationsPrinciples of colorimetryColorimetric analysis of copper ore, aspirin and ironThin-layer chromatography and its usesVisualising chromatograms and identifying painkillers and pigmentsCalorimetry and combustionMolar enthalpy and bond energy calculationsQualitative tests for cations and gases
Enabling TechnologyDouble Award
Topic overviewECG and EEG machines in patient monitoringUltrasound and IVF equipment in fertility treatmentProsthetic limbs, hearing aids and cochlear implantsWorkflow and equipment in a medical laboratoryOngoing monitoring of a long-term conditionHealth data collection, databases and data protection
Material Science
- 9 subtopics
- 27 things to know
- AS 5
- AS 4 to AS 6, taken for the Double Award only
What Material Science covers
Material Science is examined in Unit AS 5, Material Science — examined, Double Award only. It covers material properties and selection, stress, strain and the Young modulus, stress–strain graphs, creep and fatigue, density, hardness and conductivity testing, metals, ceramics, glasses, polymers and composites, atomic and microscopic structure of materials, alloys, annealing and biomaterials, smart materials and Nanomaterials and semiconductors.
Where it is assessed
AS 5
Material Science — a written examination, Double Award only.
Check the CCEA specification ↗The 9 subtopics
Each one has its own page.
- Material properties and selectionChemical resistance, electrical and thermal conductivity, the coefficient of friction with a worked example, ductility, malleability and elasticity, cost, environmental factors, regulation, demand and choosing car panels.Open →
- Stress, strain and the Young modulusStress, strain and the Young modulus with worked calculations for wires, rods and bone, and measuring the Young modulus of a metal wire safely and accurately.Open →
- Stress–strain graphs, creep and fatigueYield and tensile strength, plasticity, stress–strain graphs for ductile, brittle and rubber materials, the limit of proportionality, the area under the graph, creep, fatigue and hip replacements.Open →
- Density, hardness and conductivity testingDensity with worked calculations and unit conversions, measuring the density of irregular samples, the Vickers hardness test with a worked value, and electrical conductivity and resistivity.Open →
- Metals, ceramics, glasses, polymers and compositesThe five categories of materials and their properties, borosilicate glass, alumina hip balls, polypropylene syringes, PVC blood bags, fibre composites, reinforced concrete, bone and fracture casts.Open →
- Atomic and microscopic structure of materialsThe Bohr model and silicon-28, metallic structure and properties, grains and grain size, crystalline and amorphous materials, polymer structure, thermoplastics and thermosets, and polarising microscopes.Open →
- Alloys, annealing and biomaterialsAlloys including steel, stainless steel, invar, bronze, brass and nichrome, annealing and grain structure, and biotolerant, bioinert and bioactive materials in implants.Open →
- Smart materialsShape-memory alloys in stents and staples, piezoelectric materials, quantum tunnelling composites, thermochromic, photochromic and electroluminescent materials, and choosing a smart material.Open →
- Nanomaterials and semiconductorsGraphite, graphene and carbon nanotubes, nanotube uses in drug delivery, cancer treatment, biosensors and tissue scaffolds, the risks of nanotechnology, and n-type, p-type and p-n junction silicon.Open →
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
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Key term
Describe an experiment to determine the Young modulus of a metal wire.
Key term
What is meant by the chemical resistance of a material?
Evaluation
Define yield strength.
Key term
State the equation for density and its SI unit.
Key term
What are the five main categories of materials?
Key term
Describe the Bohr model of the atom.
Key term
What is an alloy?
Key term
What is a smart material?
Key term
Describe the structure of graphite.
Key term
Why is chemical resistance the deciding property for the lining of a tank that stores sulfuric acid?
Evaluation
Define tensile strength.
Key term
A titanium hip stem has a mass of 180 g and a volume of 40.0 cm³. What is its density?
Key term
What properties do metals typically share?
Numbers
How many electrons can the first and second shells of a Bohr atom hold?
Key term
Explain why an alloy is usually harder than the pure metal it is based on.
Key term
What are the defining features of a shape-memory alloy?
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What is graphene?
Key term
Define electrical conductivity.
Key term
Define stress and give its unit.
Key term
Define plasticity.
Key term
Describe how the density of an irregularly shaped metal sample is measured.
Key term
What is a ceramic, and what are its typical properties?
Key term
Describe the Bohr model of a silicon-28 atom.
Key term
What is steel made from, and what are typical uses?
Key term
How is a shape-memory alloy used in a self-expanding stent?
Key term
Describe the structure of a carbon nanotube.
Take Material Science further
The same content, four other ways.
Commonly confused
Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.
Stress vs Strain
Stress: the force acting on each unit of cross-sectional area. Strain: the extension divided by the original length.
Ductility vs Malleability
Ductility: the ability to be drawn out into a wire under tension without breaking. Malleability: the ability to be hammered or rolled into sheets under compression without cracking.
Creep vs Fatigue
Creep: slow permanent deformation under a constant load held over a long time. Fatigue: failure caused by many repeated cycles of loading below the breaking stress.
Questions from this topic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
What is meant by the chemical resistance of a material?
Model answer
Chemical resistance is the ability of a material to withstand attack by chemicals without its properties changing. A chemically resistant material does not corrode, dissolve or swell in use.
- 2
Why is chemical resistance the deciding property for the lining of a tank that stores sulfuric acid?
Model answer
The lining must not be attacked or weakened by the acid over many years. A resistant lining such as glass or PTFE prevents leaks and contamination of the product.
- 3
Define electrical conductivity.
Model answer
Electrical conductivity is a measure of how easily a material allows an electric current to flow through it. A good conductor has many free charge carriers.
- 4
Define thermal conductivity.
Model answer
Thermal conductivity is a measure of how readily a material transfers heat through itself. The unit is W m⁻¹ K⁻¹.
- 5
Why do cooking pans often have a copper or aluminium base but a polymer handle?
Model answer
The metal base has a high thermal conductivity, so heat passes quickly and evenly to the food. The polymer handle has a low thermal conductivity and stays cool enough to hold.
- 6
What is the coefficient of friction between two surfaces?
Model answer
The coefficient of friction is the frictional force divided by the normal reaction force between two surfaces. The coefficient has no units.
What is inside Levo
Six ways to work the same material.
Material Science revision questions
- What does Material Science cover in CCEA A-Level Life and Health Sciences?
- 9 subtopics: material properties and selection, stress, strain and the young modulus, stress–strain graphs, creep and fatigue, density, hardness and conductivity testing, metals, ceramics, glasses, polymers and composites, atomic and microscopic structure of materials, alloys, annealing and biomaterials, smart materials and nanomaterials and semiconductors. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.
- How is Material Science organised?
- By the CCEA 0008 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.
Every question in Material Science, on a schedule.
Attempt a question from memory, write the correct version, then attempt it again. Levo records the jump between your first attempt and your last, and brings each question back on the day you are due to forget it.
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