Sasol’s history dates back to midway through the 20th century and it remains to this day one of South Africa’s largest chemicals and energy companies.

The firm has more than 30,000 employees working in 30 countries around the globe, and is listed on both the Johannesburg and New York stock exchanges.

As of 2014, Sasol comprises two upstream business units, three regional operating hubs and four customer-facing strategic business divisions.

Its various products include liquid fuels, low-carbon electricity and a plethora of chemicals.

Like many energy companies in South Africa, it too has felt the strain caused by Eskom’s woes, and reported a 6% decline in its core earnings per share for the year ending June 2018, citing power outages from the state-owned supplier as being at fault.

 

Electric Circuit: This topic requires 8 hours spread across two and half weeks of teaching. Investigating how to draw and to make a simple circuit and the required components. 

·         In this topic students will be shown simple circuits. 

·         How an energy circuit is a system for transferring energy. 

·         What the components are for a simple circuit.

o   Source of energy (cell or battery) 

o   Wire (conducting materials) 

o   Device that convert electricity into energy output (Bulb, motors, buzzers)

o   Switch, to connect and cut current (on and off).

Electrical Conductors and Insulators: This topic will take 8 hours of teaching time spread across 2 weeks and students will be experimenting electrical current and the different types of materials. 

·         Conductors – Most materials conduct energy, especially copper, these materials are called conductors.

o   Students will be able to test various types of materials (Metal paper clips, nails, wire, steel wool, coins, plastic, glass, ceramic, cardboard, paper, wood, rubber, chalk) to see if it conducts or not. 

·         Insulators – Materials that do not conduct energy are called insulators such as plastics.

o   Students will be given the idea where insulators are used, such as in plastic insulated wires, and rubber gloves.

Systems to solve problems: This topic would take 8 hours of teaching; students will be able to identify and correctly utilize the components to create a circuit. 

·         Electric circuits solve problems that needs electric energy such as streetlight, traffic lights, and electrical household appliances. 

o   Students will be engaged in making, designing, evaluating, and processing a system circuit that produces movement anergy or heat. 

Mains electricity: 

·         Fossil Fuel: Millions of years ago dead animals formed fossil fuel in the crust of the earth, coal, oil and natural gas are all forms of fossil fuel. Coal is used to bail water, the steam turn turbines which turns a generator that produces energy.

·         Cost of electricity: electricity is expensive, as it requires infrastructure, coal, transport, power station and wiring. 

·         More electricity we use the more we pay, as more coal is being used to produce more electricity, therefore awareness around energy saving should be created and the usage of energy saving appliances.

Renewable energy: The newer way to creating cleaner energy. 

Install a programmable or smart thermostat

·       A programmable thermostat can be set to automatically turn off or reduce heating and cooling during the times when you are asleep or away.

Purchase energy efficient appliances

·       Refrigerators

·       Microwave

·       Light bulbs

·       Use gas plates instead of electrical plates for cooking

Insulate your home

Lucidchart. (2020). [online] https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/templates/mind-map/energy-mind-map-template. [Accessed  Spetember 17, 2020]

Pintrest. (n.d.). [online] https://za.pinterest.com/search/pins/?rs=ac&len=2&q=energy%20and%20change%20science%20experiment&eq=energy%20and%20change%20ex&etslf=10444&term_meta[]=energy%20and%20change%20science%20experiment%7Cautocomplete%7C0 [Accessed  Spetember 17, 2020]