Topic 5 of the module is called Energy in Society. Having looked at the teaching material and had some tutorials on the subject, I can't help thinking it's a bit like A level Nuffield Physics, or even GCSE for that matter. It's divided into three parts. Part 1 is about energy resources; fossil fuels, nuclear energy and renewable energy sources. Part 2 is about domestic energy; the importance of insulation and the heat losses in domestic situations, such as poorly lagged hot water tanks, cavity walls and the principles of central heating radiators. Part 3 is about energy in transport, such as air resistance, breaking and friction.
It is, as it goes, taken from the physics components of S112 Science: Concepts and Practice, which is a module for students who are not following a physics/astronomy pathway through their qualification, and therefore are expected to have very little interest in it. With that in mind, it's hardly surprising it has 'Nuffield' stamped all over it. I'll be happy when this topic of the module is over, because it really does bring back bad memories of the past.
Although Part 2 is the least interesting part of the topic, there's a TMA question on this, so it's important to take it seriously. The question consists of three components. The first is about calculating heat losses due to radiation of an unlagged hot water tank. The second is about the effect of lagging the tank, and the third is about how much lagging contributes to the reduction of carbon emissions. Very modern.