Really useful revision resources for OCR Science

3. Unit B1 Revision
notes
learned Past
papers
☺
1a Fitness and Health
1b Human Health and Diet
1c Staying Healthy
1d The Nervous System
1e Drugs and You
1f Staying in Balance
1g Controlling Plant Growth
1h Variation and Inheritance

4. B1a: Fitness and Health
Grade E  Grade C  Grade A
Key Information
Fitness is the ability to do physical activity. Healthy is being free
from disease.
When measuring blood pressure you get two measurements. The
maximum pressure (when the heart beats) called the systolic
pressure, and the lowest pressure (in between heart beats) called
the diastolic pressure.
Revision Ideas
1. Make some revision cards with key term definitions
for the following words – Systolic, Diastolic,
Arteries, Fitness, Health, Stamina, Agility,
Cholesterol
2. Design a set of tests to measure someone’s fitness.
Think about all the ways we can measure fitness.

5. B1b: Human Health and Diet
Grade E  Grade C  Grade A
Key Information
Food provides the energy and materials needed by living things.
Carbohydrates and fats are high- energy sources. Protein is needed
for growth and repair. Protein deficiency leads to diseases such as
kwashiorkor.
Revision Ideas
1. Create an information leaflet on eating a balanced
healthy diet. What should people eat and why. Is it
the same for everyone? Include information for
people who might eat specialised diets.
2. Create a card sort for the simple chemicals
carbohydrates, proteins and fats are made up of.

6. B1c: Staying Healthy
Grade E  Grade C  Grade A
Key Information
Pathogens are microorganisms that cause disease. The body has
several defence mechanisms to prevent pathogens from entering
the body and reproducing there.
The immune system can destroy pathogens that manage to enter
the body. New medical treatments and drugs must be tested
before their use.
Revision Ideas
1. Create revision cards on the different types of
pathogens.
2. Research how malaria is spread. Produce a flow
diagram to show the spread of malaria.

7. B1d: The Nervous System
Grade E  Grade C  Grade A
Key Information
The sense organs contain receptors that are sensitive to stimuli.
The nervous system consists of the central nervous system - brain
and spinal cord -and peripheral nerves. Nerve impulses travel
through the axons of neurones - nerve cells. Reflex actions are
fast, automatic and protective responses.
Human vision is binocular, which gives us a good perception of
depth. Vision defects include short-sightedness, long-sightedness
and colour blindness.
Revision Ideas
1. Draw and label a diagram of the eye, describing the
function of each part
2. Draw and label a diagram of a reflex arc. Mount it on
card and make it into a jigsaw by cutting it into
different shapes. Practice putting it back together.

8. B1e: Drugs and You
Grade E  Grade C  Grade A
Key Information
Drugs are chemicals that can alter the way the body works. There are
different types of drugs, and they have different effects on the
body.
Tobacco and alcohol are legal recreational drugs which have
potentially serious effects on the body. Illegal drugs are classified on
a scale from Class A - the most dangerous - to Class C - the least
dangerous.
Revision Ideas
1. Make a key words definition table for the different
types of drugs and their effects
2. Write a problem page column on the effects of drinking
and smoking on the body.

9. B1f: Staying in Balance
Grade E  Grade C  Grade A
Key Information
Conditions in the body are controlled to provide a constant internal
environment. This is called homeostasis. The conditions that must
be controlled include body temperature, water content, carbon
dioxide level and blood sugar level.
Hormones are chemicals secreted by glands. They travel through
the bloodstream and affect target organs.
Revision Ideas
1. Draw a cartoon strip showing how a person’s body
would react to being too cold or too hot.
2. Make a revision card on diabetes and insulin.

10. B1g: Controlling Plant Growth
Grade E  Grade C  Grade A
Key Information
A 'tropism' is a growth in response to a stimulus. Plants grow towards
sources of water and light, which they need to survive and grow.
Auxin is a plant hormone produced in the stem tips and roots, which
controls the direction of growth. Plant hormones are used in weed-
killers, rooting powder and to control fruit ripening.
Revision Ideas
1. Design an experiment to look at the effect of light on
cress seeds.
2. Write a (6 Mark) revision question on using plant
hormones and write a mark scheme.

11. B1h: Variation and Inheritance
Grade E  Grade C  Grade A
Key Information
Some characteristics of a living thing are caused by the environment, some by
inherited factors, while others are caused by a combination of environment and
inherited factors.
Male mammals carry XY sex chromosomes - female mammals carry XX sex
chromosomes. Inherited disorders are caused by faulty genes on these
chromosomes.
Different versions of a gene are called alleles, and these alleles can be dominant
or recessive. Genetic diagrams can show the possible outcomes of a particular
cross.
Revision Ideas
1. Make a card sort for inherited and environmental
characteristics
2. Draw a diagram showing how genetic variation comes
about showing a monohybrid cross

12. Some Key words and ideas for unit (arranged
in sub unit order):
Blood pressure
Diet
Saturated Fats
Blood flow
Cholesterol
Plaque
Heart Attack
Growth and repair
Kwashiorkor
EAR
White blood cells
Antibodies
Pathogen
Immune system
Bacteria
Active Immunity
Antigens
Stimulus
Receptor
Sensory Neurone
Relay Neurone
Motor Neurone
Effector
Response
Carbon Monoxide
Nicotine
Tar
Particulates
Heart Disease
Emphysema
Bronchitis
Cancer
Smokers Cough
Lungs
Sweating
Increase blood flow
Heat stroke
Dehydration
Shivering
Respiration
Hypothermia
Exercising
Phototropism
Geotropism
Roots
Shoots
Auxin
Gametes
Fertilisation
Mutations
Inherited
Environmental
Chromosomes
Genes
Variation
(These words and ideas could be useful to
include accurately, where relevant in 6 mark
questions)

13. Unit C1 Revision
notes
learned Past papers ☺
1a Making Crude Oil Useful
1b Using Carbon Fuels
1c Clean Air
1d Making Polymers
1e Designer Polymers
1f Cooking and Food Additives
1g Smells
1h Paints and Pigments
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/ocr_gateway/

14. C1a: Making Crude Oil Useful
Grade E  Grade C  Grade A
Key Information
Crude oil is a mixture of hydrocarbons. These are separated into useful
products, such as fuels, using a process called fractional distillation.
The demand for short hydrocarbon molecules is greater than their supply in
crude oil, so a reaction called cracking is used. Cracking converts long alkane
molecules into shorter alkanes and alkenes, which are more useful.
Revision Ideas
3. Draw and label the apparatus uses for cracking paraffin in the
laboratory
4. Make a poster about fractional distillation. Label the column
showing the different uses of each fraction

15. C1b: Using Carbon Fuels
Grade E  Grade C  Grade A
Key Information
Fuels react with oxygen to release energy. Complete combustion happens in a plentiful supply
of air and incomplete combustion occurs when the supply of air is limited.
Complete combustion releases more energy than incomplete combustion. Incomplete
combustion also creates carbon monoxide, and more soot. Several factors must be
considered when choosing the best fuel for a particular purpose
Revision Ideas
3. Write out the word equations for complete and incomplete combustion
of fuels.
4. Chose a fuel for the following purposes and explain what properties
make it suitable. Heating a home, cooking food and powering a car.

16. C1c: Clean Air
Grade E  Grade C  Grade A
Key Information
The atmosphere consists mainly of nitrogen and oxygen, with smaller proportions of other
gases such as carbon dioxide. The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is maintained
through a balance between processes such as photosynthesis, respiration and combustion.
But human activities are polluting the atmosphere.
Photosynthesis by plants is thought to be a key process in the evolution of the Earth’s
atmosphere.
Revision Ideas
3. Draw a diagram of the carbon cycle with a description of the
following processes; respiration, combustion and
photosynthesis
4. Make a card sort on the different types of air pollution and
their sources.

17. C1d: Making Polymers
Grade E  Grade C  Grade A
Key Information
Hydrocarbons are compounds made from carbon and hydrogen atoms joined by covalent
bonds. Alkanes are saturated - they have only single bonds. Alkenes have a double bond -
they are unsaturated. Alkenes react with brown bromine water and decolourise it, but
alkanes do not.
Alkenes can act as monomers. Under high pressure and in the presence of a catalyst many
monomer molecules join together to make polymer molecules. These polymer molecules are
saturated.
Revision Ideas
3. Make a card match game using the diagrams of
different alkanes and alkenes and their names
4. Create a revision card on polymerisation

18. C1e: Designer Polymers
Grade E  Grade C  Grade A
Key Information
A lot of everyday items are made from polymers. Many of these polymers are not
biodegradable - microbes cannot digest them and they take a long time to break down.
Polymers are usually disposed of by burying them in landfill sites or burning them in
incinerators. These methods of disposal cause environmental problems, and waste valuable
resources.
The properties of polymers depend on the structure and bonding found in their molecules.
Smart materials such as Gore-Tex® have more useful properties than other polymers.
Revision Ideas
3. Create a table to show the different properties of
polymers and their uses
4. Make a poster advertising your new product “Gore-Tex”.

19. C1f: Cooking and Food Additives
Grade E  Grade C  Grade A
Key Information
Cooking brings about chemical changes in food. The texture and taste changes when food is
cooked. Baking powder contains sodium hydrogencarbonate. This breaks down when heated,
releasing carbon dioxide that helps cake mixtures to rise during baking.
Food additives are included in food to improve their shelf-life, appearance and flavour.
Antioxidants such as ascorbic acid prevent food from going off by reacting with oxygen.
Emulsifiers help oil and water to mix - for example, in mayonnaise
Revision Ideas
3. Write out the word equation for the decomposition of baking
powder.
4. Produce a card sort on the different types of food additives
and what they do.

20. C1g: Smells
Grade E  Grade C  Grade A
Key Information
Esters are made by reacting an alcohol with an organic acid. They are
used in perfumes, and as solvents. Nail varnish dissolves in nail varnish
remover, but not in water.
Revision Ideas
3. Make a poster advertising a new perfume. Tell the customers
about all the properties of the perfume that make it a good
perfume
4. Make a key word definition list for the following words;
pungent, insoluble, soluble, evaporates, ester, volatile, solvent,
solute, solution

21. C1h: Paints and Pigments
Grade E  Grade C  Grade A
Key Information
Pigments are coloured substances used in paint. Paints are a type of mixture
called a colloid. They contain several components, including the pigment, a solvent
and a binding medium.
Thermochromic and phosphorescent pigments are very useful, and extend the
normal properties of paints.
Revision Ideas
5. Draw a diagram to show what happens when oil paints
and emulsion paints dry.
6. Write an exam question and mark scheme on the
different substances in paints.

22. Some Key words and ideas for unit (arranged
in sub unit order):
Temperature Gradient
Column
Bitumen
LPG
Diesel
Boiling points
Chain length
Toxicity
Pollution
Coal
Oil
Wood
Volcanoes
Carbon dioxide
Photosynthesis (explain & know equation)
Respiration (explain & know equation)
Covalent bond
Hydrocarbon
Saturated
Unsaturated
Single bond
Double bond
Alkane
Alkene
Bromine water (Know test for double bond)
Decolourise
Polymerisation
Catalyst
Monomers
Non-biodegradable
Air pollution
Recycling
Irreversible
Proteins
Denaturing
Ester
Alcohol
Acid
Evaporates
Non-toxic
Insoluble
Colloids
Thermochromic pigments
Phosphorescent pigments
(These words and ideas could be useful to
include accurately, where relevant in 6 mark
questions)

23. Unit P1 Revision
notes
learned Past papers ☺
1a Heating Houses
1b Keeping Homes Warm
1c A spectrum of waves
1d Light and Lasers
1e Cooking and Communicating using Waves
1f Data Transmission
1g Wireless Signals
1h Stable Earth
REVISION WEBSITE –
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/ocr_gateway/

24. P1a: Heating Houses
Grade E  Grade C  Grade A
Key Information
Heat energy is needed to increase the temperature of an object. The amount
of energy needed depends on the mass of the object, the type of material it is
made from and the temperature increase.
Heat energy is also absorbed when substances melt or boil, but the
temperature does not alter during a change of state. The amount of energy
needed to melt or boil something depends upon the mass of the object and the
type of material it is made from.
Revision Ideas
7. Draw a mind map for the P1 unit. Add pictures and
colour code key words and information
8. Write some practice exam questions for other
students to try, make sure you write a mark scheme.

25. P1b: Keeping Homes Warm
Grade E  Grade C  Grade A
Key Information
Heat energy can be lost from homes in many different places
but there are ways of reducing these losses.
Heat can be transferred from place to place by conduction,
convection and radiation. Dark matt surfaces are better at
absorbing heat energy than light shiny surfaces
Revision Ideas
5. Draw a diagram of a house. Label all the places where
heat is being lost and how heat loss is minimised.
6. Write out the formula for working out energy
efficiency. Practice using the equation.

26. P1c: A Spectrum of Waves
Grade E  Grade C  Grade A
Key Information
White light can be split up into many colours by using a prism. This
visible light is just part of the whole spectrum of electromagnetic
radiation. Not all types of electromagnetic radiation are visible. Each
type has a different wavelength and a different use in everyday life.
Electromagnetic radiation can be used for wireless communications.
Revision Ideas
5. Draw a diagram of a transverse wave and label the
following; crest, trough, amplitude, wavelength
6. Create a poster of the electromagnetic spectrum. Add
pictures for all the different uses of the different
wavelengths.

27. P1d: Light and Lasers
Grade E  Grade C  Grade A
Key Information
Digital signals are a series of pulses with two states - on or off.
Light can be used for digital communications, such as in Morse code
and CD players. Optical fibres can carry information coded in light
waves or infrared waves. Lasers produce intense narrow beams of
light.
Revision Ideas
5. Write a message using a digital signal such as Morse
code.
6. Produce a revision card on Total Internal Reflection.
Your revision aid should include a diagram.

28. P1e: Cooking and Communicating Using Waves
Grade E  Grade C  Grade A
Key Information
Infrared radiation and microwaves can be used to cook food.
Microwaves are also used to transmit information, such as
mobile phone networks.
Revision Ideas
5. Make some true false statements cards. Practice sorting them into
true/false piles. Time yourself and see if you can beat it the next day.
6. Write a script for a “TV drama” where the characters are concerned
about the dangers from a new mobile phone mast being situated near
their homes

29. P1f: Data Transmission
Grade E  Grade C  Grade A
Key Information
Information can be transmitted using analogue or
digital signals
Revision Ideas
5. Produce a revision card on the uses of infrared
radiation
6. Make a card sort on the differences between digital
and analogue signals. Practices sorting the statements
into two piles.

30. P1g: Wireless Signals
Grade E  Grade C  Grade A
Key Information
Wireless communication is convenient. It is used for radio
programmes, mobile phones and computer networks. DAB
broadcasts have advantages and disadvantages compared to
traditional analogue broadcasts.
Revision Ideas
5. Make a poster showing how the TV signal to a house can
be reflected causing a problem called “ghosting”
6. Write an exam question with mark scheme about the
refraction of electromagnetic waves

31. P1h: Stable Earth
Grade E  Grade C  Grade A
Key Information
Earthquakes produce shock waves that cause damage. There are two types of
seismic wave, P-waves and S-waves. Seismometers can detect these waves and
provide evidence of the Earth’s structure.
The ozone layer reduces the amount of ultraviolet light from the Sun that
reaches the Earth’s surface. Exposure to ultraviolet radiation can lead to
sunburn and skin cancer, but sunscreens can reduce this damage.
Revision Ideas
9. Draw a picture showing how a seismometer measures the
strength of an earthquake. Cut it up and make it into a jigsaw
puzzle.
10. Write an information card that can be passed to tourists as
they go on holiday informing them about the harmful effects of
UV radiation and how to avoid them.

32. Some Key words and ideas for unit (arranged
in sub unit order):
Energy
Temperature
Heat
Changes of state
Melting
Boiling
Gas, Solid, Liquid
Latent heat
Mass
Conduction
Convection
Radiation
Absorbs
Radiates
Particles
Insulator
Conductor
Vacuum
Vibrations
Reflection
Plane Mirror
Angle
Incidence
Refection
Normal Line
Ray of light
Periscope
Wires
Amplified
Space
Atmosphere
Molecules
Penetration
Surface
Reflected
Kinetic Energy
Conduction / Convection
Energy
Wavelength
Reflection
Speed of light
Long distances
(These words and ideas could be useful to
include accurately, where relevant in 6 mark
questions)
Total Internal Reflection
Angle of incidence
Angle of reflection
Energy Loss
Frequency
Interference
Digital
Audio Quality
Pigment
Skin Cancer
Ultra Violet
Strength of the Sun
Sunscreen
SPF Number