Worksheet - Fertilisers - National 5 Chemistry

Worksheet (30-45 min)
This activity can be completed individually, in pairs or in small groups.

Curriculum
This activity is based on Unit 3.4 Fertilisers from “Chemistry in Society”.

The key skills which are assessed in this activity are:

• Distinguishing natural and synthetic fertilisers;
• Expressing the physical state of species using symbols;
• Writing a word equation of the Haber Process;
• Converting the word equation into a chemical equation;
• Balancing the chemical equation;
• Justifying why nitrogen in the air cannot be absorbed by plants;
• Recalling the conditions of the Haber Process;
• Understanding the challenges of Haber Process;
• Using a catalyst to increase the rate of reaction;
• Recalling previous knowledge of mixture separation techniques to explain that liquid ammonia is easier to separate from a gaseous mixture than gaseous ammonia;
• Justifying the use of synthetic fertilisers;
• Understanding the causes and effects of eutrophication;
• Introducing changes to the process conditions to maximise the yield while minimising the costs.

Numeracy:

• Balancing a chemical equation;
• Understanding low, moderate and high temperatures;
• Making the connection between large fields and large amounts of fertiliser needed;
• Linking high pressure to high operating costs;
• Using recycling to minimise waste and maximise the yield.

Differentiation
The Century Gothic font is one of those recommended by the British Dyslexia Association.
The first tasks have a simple layout to encourage the weaker pupils and build up their confidence to tackle the harder tasks ahead.
Pupils can complete this activity independently and work at their own pace.
It can also be completed on a laptop or a tablet by pupils with dyspraxia.