Oxford Cambridge and RSA
Friday 15 October 2021 – Morning
A Level in Design and Technology:
Design Engineering
H404/02 Problem Solving in Design Engineering
Resource Booklet
* 8 9 4 9 0 8 7 1 1 0 *
Time allowed: 1 hour 45 minutes
INSTRUCTIONS
• Use the Resource Booklet to answer all the questions.
• You should spend 35 minutes reading this Resource Booklet.
• Do not send this Resource Booklet for marking. Keep it in the centre or recycle it.
INFORMATION
• This document has 8 pages.
ADVICE
• Read this Resource Booklet carefully before you start your answers.
© OCR 2021 [603/1131/9] OCR is an exempt Charity
DC (PQ/FC) 300371/3 Turn over
, 2
The stimulus in this booklet relates to issues and opportunities surrounding the extensive
progress of technology and the need for renewable energy sources.
The environmental impact of technological progression
Over the last 250 years, the development of technology has brought about huge changes in the way
we live. The First Industrial Revolution, which began in the 1760s, saw the growth of industries such
as coal, iron, railways and textiles and the use of steam engines to power the factory machinery which
replaced more traditional hand manufacturing methods. During the Second Industrial Revolution, which
started in the 1870s, there was rapid growth in the petroleum and steel industries. The discovery of
electricity also led to a transformation in the way factories were powered. Electric power was distributed
to people’s homes to be used for lighting, heating, cooking and refrigeration.
Throughout the 20th century, advances in electronics created a demand for a large range of consumer
products such as radios, TVs and other household appliances and gadgets. In the second half of the
20th century, there began to be a shift away from mechanical and analogue technologies towards
digital electronics. This Digital Revolution has brought about a monumental shift in the way we live
our daily lives and it has triggered a manufacturing industry to feed people’s appetite for new physical
products such as phones, smart home hubs and virtual reality headsets.
In recent years, the rate of technological progress has been vast. Thirty years ago, people barely knew
what a computer was. A decade ago, you could not buy a plane ticket, book an Uber or rent an Airbnb
on your phone. Technology is constantly moving forward, but will this have an adverse impact on our
planet?
The Industrial Revolutions led to new manufacturing processes in Europe and the United States
of America (USA) but, more recently, there has been a shift towards global manufacturing with a
significant growth in developing countries who benefit from lower labour and overhead costs. These
countries have enjoyed the wealth to be gained from investing in industrialisation, but there is evidence
that this has been achieved with limited concern over the impact on the environment and the misuse
and damage of our Earth. Manufacturing of technological products has become efficient and cheap
and has supported a throw-away society, driven by trends and fashion.
Whilst the technological revolutions have brought prosperity and a better lifestyle to huge numbers of
people, they have damaged our world in several ways:
1. Air and water pollution
Air pollution occurs when harmful or excessive quantities
of gases are introduced into the Earth’s atmosphere
as shown in Fig. 1. The consequences of air pollution
include negative health impacts for humans and animals
and global warming where the increased amount of
greenhouse gases cause a gradual heating at the Earth’s
surface.
Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies such
as lakes, rivers, oceans, and groundwater from mainly
human activities. Some of the most common water Fig. 1
pollutants are domestic waste, industrial sewage and
insecticides/pesticides. A throw-away society that fails to
recycle and recapture materials adds significantly to the
problems of pollution.
© OCR 2021 H404/02/RB Oct21
Friday 15 October 2021 – Morning
A Level in Design and Technology:
Design Engineering
H404/02 Problem Solving in Design Engineering
Resource Booklet
* 8 9 4 9 0 8 7 1 1 0 *
Time allowed: 1 hour 45 minutes
INSTRUCTIONS
• Use the Resource Booklet to answer all the questions.
• You should spend 35 minutes reading this Resource Booklet.
• Do not send this Resource Booklet for marking. Keep it in the centre or recycle it.
INFORMATION
• This document has 8 pages.
ADVICE
• Read this Resource Booklet carefully before you start your answers.
© OCR 2021 [603/1131/9] OCR is an exempt Charity
DC (PQ/FC) 300371/3 Turn over
, 2
The stimulus in this booklet relates to issues and opportunities surrounding the extensive
progress of technology and the need for renewable energy sources.
The environmental impact of technological progression
Over the last 250 years, the development of technology has brought about huge changes in the way
we live. The First Industrial Revolution, which began in the 1760s, saw the growth of industries such
as coal, iron, railways and textiles and the use of steam engines to power the factory machinery which
replaced more traditional hand manufacturing methods. During the Second Industrial Revolution, which
started in the 1870s, there was rapid growth in the petroleum and steel industries. The discovery of
electricity also led to a transformation in the way factories were powered. Electric power was distributed
to people’s homes to be used for lighting, heating, cooking and refrigeration.
Throughout the 20th century, advances in electronics created a demand for a large range of consumer
products such as radios, TVs and other household appliances and gadgets. In the second half of the
20th century, there began to be a shift away from mechanical and analogue technologies towards
digital electronics. This Digital Revolution has brought about a monumental shift in the way we live
our daily lives and it has triggered a manufacturing industry to feed people’s appetite for new physical
products such as phones, smart home hubs and virtual reality headsets.
In recent years, the rate of technological progress has been vast. Thirty years ago, people barely knew
what a computer was. A decade ago, you could not buy a plane ticket, book an Uber or rent an Airbnb
on your phone. Technology is constantly moving forward, but will this have an adverse impact on our
planet?
The Industrial Revolutions led to new manufacturing processes in Europe and the United States
of America (USA) but, more recently, there has been a shift towards global manufacturing with a
significant growth in developing countries who benefit from lower labour and overhead costs. These
countries have enjoyed the wealth to be gained from investing in industrialisation, but there is evidence
that this has been achieved with limited concern over the impact on the environment and the misuse
and damage of our Earth. Manufacturing of technological products has become efficient and cheap
and has supported a throw-away society, driven by trends and fashion.
Whilst the technological revolutions have brought prosperity and a better lifestyle to huge numbers of
people, they have damaged our world in several ways:
1. Air and water pollution
Air pollution occurs when harmful or excessive quantities
of gases are introduced into the Earth’s atmosphere
as shown in Fig. 1. The consequences of air pollution
include negative health impacts for humans and animals
and global warming where the increased amount of
greenhouse gases cause a gradual heating at the Earth’s
surface.
Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies such
as lakes, rivers, oceans, and groundwater from mainly
human activities. Some of the most common water Fig. 1
pollutants are domestic waste, industrial sewage and
insecticides/pesticides. A throw-away society that fails to
recycle and recapture materials adds significantly to the
problems of pollution.
© OCR 2021 H404/02/RB Oct21
