Edexcel GCSE Computer Science (1CP2) Exam Questions

• D Toxic substances can leak into the soil (1)
• The only correct answer is D. The correct answer is toxic substances can leak into the soil.
• A is not correct because repairing and reusing devices is a way of extending their life, not an issue caused by landfill
• B is not correct because needing fewer raw materials is a benefit of recycling or reuse
• C is not correct because recovering materials is a benefit of recycling

• C It reduces the amount of waste sent to landfill (1)
• The only correct answer is C. The correct answer is It reduces the amount of waste sent to landfill.
• A is not correct because repairing and reusing old laptops is reuse, not recycling
• B is not correct because recycling an old laptop does not change the energy it uses when it is in use
• D is not correct because recycling an old laptop does not reduce the number of new laptops that are manufactured

Award one mark for any of the following up to a maximum of two marks:

• Landfill (1)
• Incineration (1)
• Recycling (1)
• Reuse, e.g. give the device to someone else/sell it/donate it to charity (1)
• Return the device to the manufacturer/retailer (1)

Allow burning at a waste incineration plant for incineration.

Allow selling the device and donating it to charity as reuse, but award only one mark if a candidate gives more than one of these.

Do not accept throw it away/put it in the bin, as no method is named.

Do not accept empty the recycle bin, as this deletes files on a computer and does not dispose of the device.

Award one mark for any of the following up to a maximum of two marks:

• Use of fossil fuels/non-renewable energy to power factories (1)
• Release of CO2/greenhouse gases (1)
• Mining/extraction of raw materials damages land/causes erosion (1)
• Use of large amounts of water (1)
• Pollution of water/land from waste produced during manufacturing (1)
• Transport of materials/parts causes emissions (1)

A single statement that names both a cause and its environmental effect can earn both marks, e.g. burning fossil fuels releases CO2.

Do not award both marks for two statements that describe the same issue in different words.

Do not accept disposal of devices at the end of their life/e-waste from discarded devices.

Do not accept 'energy consumption'/'uses electricity'/'uses energy' without a source or cause, such as fossil fuels or factories.

Do not accept vague references to 'rubbish'/'waste' without saying that it pollutes water/land.

Award one mark for any of the following up to a maximum of two marks:

• Turn off/suspend computers when they are not being used (1)
• Set monitors/displays to switch off/standby after a period of inactivity (1)
• Set power saving policies on all of the business's computers (1)
• Use more energy-efficient hardware, e.g. computers/monitors with a good energy rating (1)
• Reduce screen brightness (1)
• Turn off unused peripherals such as speakers/printers (1)

Do not accept recycling old computers, as this is disposal rather than a way of reducing the energy a computer uses.

Do not accept using a screensaver.

Award up to two marks for a linked description such as:

• Heavy metals/toxic chemicals (such as lead/mercury) leak from the devices (1) to contaminate the soil/land (1)
• Toxic chemicals leak from the devices (1) to get into rivers/groundwater/the water supply (1)
• The devices are not biodegradable (1) so the materials in them are not broken down and stay in the environment for a long time (1)
• Batteries in the devices can catch fire (1) which releases toxic gases/smoke into the air (1)

Accept 'toxic/hazardous waste' for toxic chemicals.

Accept 'soil pollution'/'water pollution' where the medium being polluted is named.

Accept harm to wildlife/habitats/people/the water supply as the development.

Do not accept 'pollution' on its own without saying what is polluted.

Do not accept answers about the smell or appearance of the landfill site, the cost of disposal, or the number of devices thrown away.

Award up to two marks for a linked explanation such as:

• Toxic/hazardous chemicals leak out of the devices (1) because substances such as lead/mercury get into the soil/water (1)
• Soil/water is polluted/contaminated (1) because chemicals from the parts/batteries escape as the devices break down (1)
• Landfill sites fill up / land is taken up by landfill (1) because the materials in the devices do not break down/are not biodegradable (1)

For both marks, the expansion must follow/associate with the statement.

Allow named devices/components (e.g. batteries) as the source of the problem.

Award the two marks once only where a candidate repeats the same environmental effect in different words (e.g. soil pollution and water pollution caused by the same leaking chemicals).

Do not accept 'it causes pollution' / 'it harms the environment' / 'it is bad for the planet' without saying what is harmed (soil/water/land) or how.

Do not accept reasons that restate the problem or the cause of the landfill filling up (e.g. 'people throw away lots of devices'), as these do not explain the environmental problem.

Do not accept answers about the energy used to manufacture the devices, as the question asks about disposal.

Award up to two marks for a linked explanation such as:

• Making plastic releases carbon dioxide/CO2 into the atmosphere (1) because large amounts of energy/fossil fuels are used to make it (1)
• Making plastic uses up/depletes a finite/non-renewable resource such as oil (1) because plastic is made from oil (1)
• Making plastic can pollute land/water (1) because harmful waste/chemicals are produced/released during manufacture (1)
• Making plastic can damage habitats/land (1) because oil has to be extracted to make the plastic (1)

For both marks, the expansion must follow/associate with the statement.

Allow the point and linked reason in either order.

Do not accept 'plastic is bad for the environment' or 'plastic causes pollution' on its own without saying how.

Do not accept 'making plastic uses energy' on its own; it must be linked to an environmental effect such as releasing CO2/contributing to global warming.

Do not accept 'plastic is non-renewable' as a point; it is the oil used to make plastic that is non-renewable.

Do not accept 'oil is non-renewable' without saying it is used up/depleted/will run out.

Do not accept answers about throwing away/disposing of the computer case or recycling it at the end of its life.

Indicative content

Raw materials

• Laptops contain metals such as gold, copper and aluminium, which are non-renewable, so they cannot be replaced once they have been extracted.
• Mining for these metals causes erosion and contaminates the land around the mine.
• Only a small amount of gold is found in each tonne of rock, so large amounts of rock must be mined to get enough for the laptops.
• The plastic case is made from oil, which is a non-renewable fossil fuel.

Energy and water

• Large amounts of energy from fossil fuels are used to power the factories that make the components, which releases carbon dioxide and adds to global warming.
• Making the processor chips uses large volumes of water, which can leave rivers and reservoirs short of water for homes and farms.
• The water used to make chips can be contaminated with chemicals and pollute rivers if it is not cleaned before it is released.
• Transporting the materials and the finished laptops by road, ship and air burns fuel and adds to emissions.

Local area

• Factories can release waste chemicals into the local area, which harms wildlife and people.
• Mining destroys habitats, and the dust and noise affect people living nearby.
• The metals used in a laptop are used up permanently, so manufacturing reduces the resources available for future generations.

Levels

• Level 0 (0 marks): No rewardable content.
• Level 1 (1–2 marks): Basic, independent points are made, showing elements of understanding of key concepts/principles of computer science. (AO1) The discussion will contain basic information with little linkage between points made or application to the context. (AO2)
• Level 2 (3–4 marks): Demonstrates adequate understanding of key concepts/principles of computer science. (AO1) The discussion shows some linkages and lines of reasoning with some structure and application to the context. (AO2)
• Level 3 (5–6 marks): Demonstrates comprehensive understanding of key concepts/principles of computer science to support the discussion being presented. (AO1) The discussion is well developed, with sustained lines of reasoning that are coherent and logically structured, and which clearly apply to the context. (AO2)

Level 3 responses must consider the raw materials, the energy and water, and the effect on the local area.

Do not accept 'renewable' as a description of plastic, oil or metals.

Indicative content

Short replacement cycle

• Replacing the computers every two years means the old ones are thrown away more often, which adds to the e-waste sent to landfill.
• Each new computer has to be manufactured, which uses metals that must be mined and uses energy and water.
• More frequent manufacture and transport of new machines releases more carbon dioxide.
• The chemicals in the discarded machines can leak into the soil and water at the landfill site.

Long replacement cycle

• Keeping the computers for longer means fewer new machines are manufactured, so fewer raw materials and less energy and water are used.
• Fewer computers are thrown away, so less e-waste goes to landfill and less pollution is released.
• Older computers may be too slow to run the latest software, so staff wait longer for tasks to finish and the machines may use more energy to do the same work.
• Older machines break down more often, which costs time to repair or replace parts.

Extending the life of the computers

• Buying computers that can be upgraded, such as adding more RAM or a larger hard drive, allows the company to improve them instead of replacing the whole machine.
• Repairing a faulty part, such as a failed power supply, keeps the rest of the computer in use and reduces waste.
• Passing working computers to another department or donating them keeps them in use for longer.
• Choosing machines that are not designed to fail after a set time avoids planned obsolescence.

Levels

• Level 0 (0 marks): No rewardable content.
• Level 1 (1–2 marks): Basic, independent points are made, showing elements of understanding of key concepts/principles of computer science. (AO1) The discussion will contain basic information with little linkage between points made or application to the context. (AO2)
• Level 2 (3–4 marks): Demonstrates adequate understanding of key concepts/principles of computer science. (AO1) The discussion shows some linkages and lines of reasoning with some structure and application to the context. (AO2)
• Level 3 (5–6 marks): Demonstrates comprehensive understanding of key concepts/principles of computer science to support the discussion being presented. (AO1) The discussion is well developed, with sustained lines of reasoning that are coherent and logically structured, and which clearly apply to the context. (AO2)

Level 3 responses must consider both a short and a long replacement cycle, as well as how the life of the computers could be extended.

Do not accept the claim that a long replacement cycle produces more e-waste.