AQA · GCSE · Combined Science
Course version: 8464 · Version from Sept 2018
The concept of cause and effect in explaining such links as those between…
Full specification wording
Key ideas: the concept of cause and effect in explaining such links as those between force and acceleration, or between changes in atomic nuclei and radioactive emissions
Cause and effect means identifying what produces a change and describing the resulting change, then testing whether the link is genuine.
Checked against the AQA 8464 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 22 of 26
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
Cause and effect means identifying what produces a change and describing the resulting change, then testing whether the link is genuine. In physics, a resultant force acting on an object causes acceleration in the direction of that force; doubling the resultant force on a fixed mass doubles the acceleration, so force is the cause and acceleration the effect. Similarly, an unstable atomic nucleus changes its composition and this causes emission of alpha, beta or gamma radiation; the nuclear change is the cause, the emitted radiation the effect. To reason correctly, name the cause, name the effect, state the direction or type, and check that removing the cause removes the effect. Correlation alone is not causation, so a pattern in data must be supported by a mechanism.
What earns the marks
- Identifies the cause as the resultant force and the effect as acceleration in the same direction as that resultant force.
- Uses the relationship resultant force = mass × acceleration to show that a larger resultant force on a fixed mass produces a larger acceleration.
- Recognises that an unbalanced (non-zero) resultant force is required; a zero resultant force gives no change in velocity.
- States that a change in an atomic nucleus, such as an unstable nucleus rearranging, causes emission of alpha, beta or gamma radiation.
- Distinguishes cause from effect when describing nuclear decay, for example the nuclear change causes the emission rather than the emission causing the nuclear change.
- Explains that a claimed causal link needs a mechanism and evidence, because two quantities changing together may not be causally linked.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Saying that acceleration causes force.
Put it right by stating that resultant force causes acceleration, and that the acceleration is in the direction of the resultant force.
Treating any correlation as proof of cause and effect.
Put it right by requiring a mechanism and by checking whether changing the proposed cause actually changes the effect.
Reversing the nuclear sequence by saying radiation makes the nucleus unstable.
Put it right by stating that an unstable nucleus changes and this change causes the radiation to be emitted.
Exam tips
- When asked to explain a link, write the cause first and the effect second, using the word 'because' to join them.
- For force questions, state the direction of the resultant force and the direction of the acceleration, not just their sizes.
- For nuclear questions, name the type of radiation emitted and link it to the change in the nucleus rather than to a general idea of 'energy'.
Try the lesson
The start of the Key ideas: the concept of cause and effect in explaining such links as those between force and acceleration, or between changes in atomic nuclei and radioactive emissions lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
A student says that a force acting on a moving object is the effect of the object's acceleration. Which statement describes the correct cause-and-effect link between force and acceleration?
Listen
Cause and effect means identifying what produces a change and describing the resulting change, then testing whether the link is genuine. In physics, a resultant force acting on an object causes acceleration in the direction of that force; doubling the resultant force on a fixed mass doubles the acceleration, so force is the cause and acceleration the effect. Similarly, an unstable atomic nucleus changes its composition and this causes emission of alpha, beta or gamma radiation; the nuclear change is the cause, the emitted radiation the effect. To reason correctly, name the cause, name the effect, state the direction or type, and check that removing the cause removes the effect. Correlation alone is not causation, so a pattern in data must be supported by a mechanism. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Identifies the cause as the resultant force and the effect as acceleration in the same direction as that resultant force. Uses the relationship resultant force = mass × acceleration to show that a larger resultant force on a fixed mass produces a larger acceleration. Recognises that an unbalanced (non-zero) resultant force is required; a zero resultant force gives no change in velocity. States that a change in an atomic nucleus, such as an unstable nucleus rearranging, causes emission of alpha, beta or gamma radiation. A common slip: Saying that acceleration causes force. Instead, stating that resultant force causes acceleration, and that the acceleration is in the direction of the resultant force. Exam tip: When asked to explain a link, write the cause first and the effect second, using the word 'because' to join them.
See it
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Cause and effect
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Resultant force and acceleration
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Changes in atomic nuclei and radioactive emissions
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Correlation and causation
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
See every definition
- Cause and effect
- Identifying what produces a change and describing the resulting change, then testing whether the link is genuine.
- Resultant force and acceleration
- A resultant force acting on an object causes acceleration in the direction of that force, so force is the cause and acceleration the effect.
- Changes in atomic nuclei and radioactive emissions
- An unstable atomic nucleus changes its composition and this causes emission of alpha, beta or gamma radiation, the nuclear change being the cause.
- Correlation and causation
- Correlation alone is not causation, so a pattern in data must be supported by a mechanism.
Label the diagram
Some boxes have lost their names. Pick the right name for each number.
1Box 1
2Box 2
3Box 3
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