Year 9 Science · Unit 2 · Lesson 1

Why Materials Matter

Challenge Worksheet

Name
Date
Class

Learning Goals

Go Deeper

What if…?

Scenario

It is 2050 and lithium, a key material in the anodes of rechargeable batteries used in electric vehicles and smartphones, has become extremely scarce due to decades of overextraction in Chile, Australia, and China. Current lithium deposits are projected to be exhausted within 15 years. Engineers at CSIRO's Advanced Materials Hub in Melbourne must urgently identify a substitute material for battery anodes that can perform the same electrochemical role: storing and releasing electrical charge rapidly, safely, and repeatedly without degrading.

Using what you know from this lesson about materials, properties, and material categories, respond to the following prompts in a structured extended response:

  • Identify 2–3 specific properties that lithium must have to function effectively as a battery anode material. For each property, briefly explain why it matters in this context.
  • Predict what category of material (metal, ceramic, polymer, or composite) a substitute anode material might belong to, and justify your prediction.
  • Identify one trade-off that engineers would likely have to accept when using the substitute, and explain whether that trade-off would be acceptable given the situation.
Challenge 4 marks

Show What You Know

1. The lesson states that "no single material is best for everything." Evaluate this claim using at least two different material categories and a specific application for each. In your answer, explain what happens if an engineer ignores this principle.

Challenge 4 marks

2. Australia's mining industry extracts bauxite (aluminium ore), iron ore, copper, and lithium for global use. From a materials science perspective, explain what responsibility materials scientists and engineers have when designing products that rely on finite resources. Use the concept of material selection in your answer.

Challenge 4 marks

Wrap Up

In one sentence, what was the main idea of this lesson?

HSCScience · Year 9 Science · Unit 2 · Lesson 1 · Challenge Worksheet