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NSC Home Page > EUAS Contents > 7 National Curriculum Programmes of Study - Science
Appendices
7 National Curriculum Programmes of Study - Science
Extracts from the National Curriculum Programmes of Study - Science
Note on copyright
The copyright of the sections of the Schemes of Work quoted here is held by the QCA and must not be used for commercial purposes without permission from the QCA; for non-commercial purposes, the QCA should be quoted as the source.
Paragraph formatting
See Appendix 6: Introductory notes for an explanation of the paragraph formatting of the Programmes of Study
SCIENCE KEY STAGE 1
Knowledge, skills and understanding
Teaching should ensure that scientific enquiry is taught through contexts taken from the sections on life processes and living things, materials and their properties and physical processes.SC1 SCIENTIFIC ENQUIRY
Ideas and evidence in science
1) Pupils should be taught that it is important to collect evidence by making observations and measurements when trying to answer a question.
Investigative skills
2) Pupils should be taught to:
a) ask questions [for example, 'How?', 'Why?', 'What will happen if ... ?'] and decide how they might find answers to them
b) use firsthand experience and simple information sources to answer questions
c) think about what might happen before deciding what to do
d) recognise when a test or comparison is unfair
e) follow simple instructions to control the risks to themselves and to others
f) explore, using the senses of sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste as appropriate, and make and record observations and measurements
g) communicate what happened in a variety of ways, including using ICT [for example, in speech and writing, by drawings, tables, block graphs and pictograms]
h) make simple comparisons [for example, hand span, shoe size] and identify simple patterns or associations
i) compare what happened with what they expected would happen, and try to explain it, drawing on their knowledge and understanding
j) review their work and explain what they did to others
KEY STAGE 1
SC2 LIFE PROCESSES AND LIVING THINGSLife processes
1) Pupils should be taught:
a) the differences between things that are living and things that have never been alive
b) that animals, including humans, move, feed, grow, use their senses and reproduce
c) to relate life processes to animals and plants found in the local environment
Humans and other animals
2b) that humans and other animals need food and water to stay alive
Green plants
3a) to recognise that plants need light and water to grow
b) to recognise and name the leaf, flower, stem and root of flowering plants
Variation and classification
4) Pupils should be taught to:
b) group living things according to observable similarities and differences.
Living things in their environment
a) find out about the different kinds of plants and animals in the local environment
b) identify similarities and differences between local environments and ways in which these affect animals and plants that are found there
c) care for the environment
KEY STAGE 1
SC3 MATERIALS AND THEIR PROPERTIESGrouping materials
1) Pupils should be taught to:
a) use their senses to explore and recognise the similarities and differences between materials
b) sort objects into groups on the basis of simple material properties [for example, roughness, hardness, shininess, ability to float, transparency and whether they are magnetic or nonmagnetic]
c) recognise and name common types of material [for example, metal, plastic, wood, paper, rock] and recognise that some of them are found naturally
d) find out about the uses of a variety of materials [for example, glass, wood, wool] and how these are chosen for specific uses on the basis of their simple properties
Changing materials
2a) find out how the shapes of objects made from some materials can be changed by some processes, including squashing, bending, twisting and stretching
b) explore and describe the way some everyday materials [for example, water, chocolate, bread, clay] change when they are heated or cooled
KEY STAGE 1
SC4 PHYSICAL PROCESSESElectricity
1) Pupils should be taught:
a) about everyday appliances that use electricity
b) about simple series circuits involving batteries, wires, bulbs and other components [for example, buzzers, motors]
c) how a switch can be used to break a circuit
Forces and motion
2a) to find out about, and describe the movement of, familiar things [for example, cars going faster, slowing down, changing direction]
b) that both pushes and pulls are examples of forces
c) to recognise that when things speed up, slow down or change direction, there is a cause [for example, a push or a pull]
Light and sound
Light and dark3a) to identify different light sources, including the Sun
b) that darkness is the absence of light
c) that there are many kinds of sound and sources of sound
d) that sounds travel away from sources, getting fainter as they do so, and that they are heard when they enter the ear
SCIENCE KEY STAGE 2
SC1 SCIENTIFIC ENQUIRY
Ideas and evidence in science
1) Pupils should be taught:
a) that science is about thinking creatively to try to explain how living and nonliving things work, and to establish links between causes and effects [for example, Jenner's vaccination work]
b) that it is important to test ideas using evidence from observation and measurement.
Investigative skills
2a) ask questions that can be investigated scientifically and decide how to find answers
b) consider what sources of information, including firsthand experience and a range of other sources, they will use to answer questions
c) think about what might happen or try things out when deciding what to do, what kind of evidence to collect, and what equipment and materials to use
d) make a fair test or comparison by changing one factor and observing or measuring the effect while keeping other factors the same
e) use simple equipment and materials appropriately and take action to control risks
f) make systematic observations and measurements, including the use of ICT for datalogging
g) check observations and measurements by repeating them where appropriate
h) use a wide range of methods, including diagrams, drawings, tables, bar charts, line graphs and ICT, to communicate data in an appropriate and systematic manner
i) make comparisons and identify simple patterns or associations in their own observations and measurements or other data
j) use observations, measurements or other data to draw conclusions
k) decide whether these conclusions agree with any prediction made and/or whether they enable further predictions to be made
l) use their scientific knowledge and understanding to explain observations, measurements or other data or conclusions
m) review their work and the work of others and describe its significance and limitations
KEY STAGE 2
SC2 LIFE PROCESSES AND LIVING THINGSLife processes
a) that the life processes common to humans and other animals include nutrition, movement, growth and reproduction
b) that the life processes common to plants include growth, nutrition and reproduction
c) to make links between life processes in familiar animals and plants and the environments in which they are found.
Humans and other animals
2e) that humans and some other animals have skeletons and muscles to support and protect their bodies and to help them to move
Green plants
3a) the effect of light, air, water and temperature on plant growth
b) the role of the leaf in producing new material for growth
c) that the root anchors the plant, and that water and minerals are taken in through the root and transported through the stem to other parts of the plant
d) about the parts of the flower [for example, stigma, stamen, petal, sepal] and their role in the life cycle of flowering plants, including pollination, seed formation, seed dispersal and germination.
Variation and classification
4a) to make and use keys
b) how locally occurring animals and plants can be identified and assigned to groups
c) that the variety of plants and animals makes it important to identify them and assign them to groups.
Living things in their environment
5a) about ways in which living things and the environment need protection
b) about the different plants and animals found in different habitats
c) how animals and plants in two different habitats are suited to their environment
d) to use food chains to show feeding relationships in a habitat
e) about how nearly all food chains start with a green plant
KEY STAGE 2
SC3 MATERIALS AND THEIR PROPERTIESGrouping and classifying materials
1a) to compare everyday materials and objects on the basis of their material properties, including hardness, strength, flexibility and magnetic behaviour, and to relate these properties to everyday uses of the materials
b) that some materials are better thermal insulators than others
c) that some materials are better electrical conductors than others
d) to describe and group rocks and soils on the basis of their characteristics, including appearance, texture and permeability
e) to recognise differences between solids, liquids and gases, in terms of ease of flow and maintenance of shape and volume.
Changing materials
2a) to describe changes that occur when materials are mixed [for example, adding salt to water]
b) to describe changes that occur when materials [for example, water, clay, dough] are heated or cooled
d) about reversible changes, including dissolving, melting, boiling, condensing, freezing and evaporating
e) the part played by evaporation and condensation in the water cycle
f) that nonreversible changes [for example, vinegar reacting with bicarbonate of soda, plaster of Paris with water] result in the formation of new materials that may be useful
g) that burning materials [for example, wood, wax, natural gas] results in the formation of new materials and that this change is not usually reversible
Separating mixtures of materials
3a) how to separate solid particles of different sizes by sieving [for example, those in soil]
b) that some solids [for example, salt, sugar] dissolve in water to give solutions but some [for example, sand, chalk] do not
c) how to separate insoluble solids from liquids by filtering
d) how to recover dissolved solids by evaporating the liquid from the solution
e) to use knowledge of solids, liquids and gases to decide how mixtures might be separated
KEY STAGE 2
SC4 PHYSICAL PROCESSESElectricity
1a) to construct circuits, incorporating a battery or power supply and a range of switches, to make electrical devices work [for example, buzzers, motors]
b) how changing the number or type of components [for example, batteries, bulbs, wires] in a series circuit can make bulbs brighter or dimmer
c) how to represent series circuits by drawings and conventional symbols, and how to construct series circuits on the basis of drawings and diagrams using conventional symbols
Forces and motion
2a) about the forces of attraction and repulsion between magnets, and about the forces of attraction between magnets and magnetic materials
b) that objects are pulled downwards because of the gravitational attraction between them and the Earth
c) about friction, including air resistance, as a force that slows moving objects and may prevent objects from starting to move
d) that when objects [for example, a spring, a table] are pushed or pulled, an opposing pull or push can be felt
e) how to measure forces and identify the direction in which they act
Light and sound
3a) that light travels from a source
b) that light cannot pass through some materials, and how this leads to the formation of shadows
c) that light is reflected from surfaces [for example, mirrors, polished metals]
e) that sounds are made when objects [for example, strings on musical instruments] vibrate but that vibrations are not always directly visible
f) how to change the pitch and loudness of sounds produced by some vibrating objects [for example, a drum skin, a plucked string]
g) that vibrations from sound sources require a medium [for example, metal, wood, glass, air] through which to travel to the ear
The Earth and beyond
4b) how the position of the Sun appears to change during the day, and how shadows change as this happens
c) how day and night are related to the spin of the Earth on its own axis
SCIENCE KEY STAGE 3
NB It is understood that the QPA has carried out a review of KS3 Science and it is likely that a revised curriculum, more applied in nature, will be issued in Autumn 2004, with a view to it being implemented by schools in 2005/6. The following commentary (i.e. for KS3) is therefore likely to be superseded at that point.
SC1 SCIENTIFIC ENQUIRY
Ideas and evidence in science
1) Pupils should be taught:
a) about the interplay between empirical questions, evidence and scientific explanations using historical and contemporary examples [for example, Lavoisier's work on burning, the possible causes of global warming]
b) that it is important to test explanations by using them to make predictions and by seeing if evidence matches the predictions
c) about the ways in which scientists work today and how they worked in the past, including the roles of experimentation, evidence and creative thought in the development of scientific ideas
Investigative skills
2a) use scientific knowledge and understanding to turn ideas into a form that can be investigated, and to decide on an appropriate approach
b) decide whether to use evidence from firsthand experience or secondary sources
c) carry out preliminary work and to make predictions, where appropriate
d) consider key factors that need to be taken into account when collecting evidence, and how evidence may be collected in contexts [for example, fieldwork, surveys] in which the variables cannot readily be controlled
e) decide the extent and range of data to be collected and the techniques, equipment and materials to use [for example, appropriate sample size for biological work]
Obtaining and presenting evidence
f) use a range of equipment and materials appropriately and take action to control risks to themselves and to others
g) make observations and measurements, including the use of ICT for datalogging [for example, variables changing over time] to an appropriate degree of precision
h) make sufficient relevant observations and measurements to reduce error and obtain reliable evidence
i) use a wide range of methods, including diagrams, tables, charts, graphs and ICT, to represent and communicate qualitative and quantitative data
j) use diagrams, tables, charts and graphs, including lines of best fit, to identify and describe patterns or relationships in data
k) use observations, measurements and other data to draw conclusions
l) decide to what extent these conclusions support a prediction or enable further predictions to be made
m) use their scientific knowledge and understanding to explain and interpret observations, measurements or other data, and conclusions
n) consider anomalies in observations or measurements and try to explain them
o) consider whether the evidence is sufficient to support any conclusions or interpretations made
p) suggest improvements to the methods used, where appropriate
KEY STAGE 3
SC2 LIFE PROCESSES AND LIVING THINGSVariation, classification and inheritance
4a) about environmental and inherited causes of variation within a species
b) to classify living things into the major taxonomic groups
Living things in their environment
5a) about ways in which living things and the environment can be protected, and the importance of sustainable development
b) that habitats support a diversity of plants and animals that are interdependent
c) how some organisms are adapted to survive daily and seasonal changes in their habitats
d) how predation and competition for resources affect the size of populations [for example growth of vegetation]
e) about food webs composed of several food chains, and how food chains can be quantified using pyramids of numbers
KEY STAGE 3
SC3 MATERIALS AND THEIR PROPERTIESClassifying materials
1a) how materials can be characterised by melting point, boiling point and density
d) how elements vary widely in their physical properties, including appearance, state at room temperature, magnetic properties and thermal and electrical conductivity, and how these properties can be used to classify elements as metals or nonmetals
e) how elements combine through chemical reactions to form compounds [for example, water, carbon dioxide, magnesium oxide, sodium chloride, most minerals] with a definite composition
f) to represent compounds by formulae and to summarise reactions by word equations
g) that mixtures [for example, air, sea water and most rocks] are composed of constituents that are not combined
h) how to separate mixtures into their constituents using distillation, chromatography and other appropriate methods.
Changing materials
2a) that when physical changes [for example, changes of state, formation of solutions] take place, mass is conserved
b) about the variation of solubility with temperature, the formation of saturated solutions, and the differences in solubility of solutes in different solvents
c) to relate changes of state to energy transfers
d) how forces generated by expansion, contraction and the freezing of water can lead to the physical weathering of rocks
e) about the formation of rocks by processes that take place over different timescales, and that the mode of formation determines their texture and the minerals they contain
f) how igneous rocks are formed by the cooling of magma, sedimentary rocks by processes including the deposition of rock fragments or organic material, or as a result of evaporation, and metamorphic rocks by the action of heat and pressure on existing rocks
g) how mass is conserved when chemical reactions take place because the same atoms are present, although combined in different ways
h) that virtually all materials, including those in living systems, are made through chemical reactions, and to recognise the importance of chemical change in everyday situations [for example, ripening fruit, setting superglue, cooking food]
i) about possible effects of burning fossil fuels on the environment [for example, production of acid rain, carbon dioxide and solid particles] and how these effects can be minimised
Patterns of behaviour
3a) how metals react with oxygen, water, acids and oxides of other metals, and what the products of these reactions are
b) about the displacement reactions that take place between metals and solutions of salts of other metals
c) how a reactivity series of metals can be determined by considering these reactions, and used to make predictions about other reactions
d) to use indicators to classify solutions as acidic, neutral or alkaline, and to use the pH scale as a measure of the acidity of a solution
e) how metals and bases, including carbonates, react with acids, and what the products of these reactions are
f) about some everyday applications of neutralisation [for example, the treatment of indigestion, the treatment of acid soil, the manufacture of fertilizer]
g) how acids in the environment can lead to corrosion of some metals and chemical weathering of rock [for example, limestone]
h) to identify patterns in chemical reactions
KEY STAGE 3
SC4 PHYSICAL PROCESSESElectricity and magnetism
1a) how to design and construct series and parallel circuits, and how to measure current and voltage
b) that the current in a series circuit depends on the number of cells and the number and nature of other components and that current is not 'used up' by components
c) that energy is transferred from batteries and other sources to other components in electrical circuits
d) about magnetic fields as regions of space where magnetic materials experience forces, and that like magnetic poles repel and unlike poles attract
e) that a current in a coil produces a magnetic field pattern similar to that of a bar magnet
f) how electromagnets are constructed and used in devices [for example, relays, lifting magnets]
Forces and motion
2a) how to determine the speed of a moving object and to use the quantitative relationship between speed, distance and time
b) that the weight of an object on Earth is the result of the gravitational attraction between its mass and that of the Earth
c) that unbalanced forces change the speed or direction of movement of objects and that balanced forces produce no change in the movement of an object
d) ways in which frictional forces, including air resistance, affect motion [for example, streamlining cars, friction between tyre and road]
e) that forces can cause objects to turn about a pivot
f) the principle of moments and its application to situations involving one pivot
g) the quantitative relationship between force, area and pressure and its application [for example, hydraulic brakes]
Light and sound
3g) that sound causes the eardrum to vibrate and that different people have different audible ranges
h) some effects of loud sounds on the ear [for example, temporary deafness]
i) that light can travel through a vacuum but sound cannot, and that light travels much faster than sound
j) the relationship between the loudness of a sound and the amplitude of the vibration causing it
k) the relationship between the pitch of a sound and the frequency of the vibration causing it
The Earth and beyond
4 [Despite this title -apart from gravitational forces, this statement relates to astronomy]
Energy resources and energy transfer
5a) about the variety of energy resources, including oil, gas, coal, biomass, food, wind, waves and batteries, and the distinction between renewable and nonrenewable resources
b) about the Sun as the ultimate source of most of the Earth's energy resources and to relate this to how coal, oil and gas are formed
c) that electricity is generated by means of a variety of energy resources
d) the distinction between temperature and heat, and that differences in temperature can lead to transfer of energy
e) ways in which energy can be usefully transferred and stored
f) how energy is transferred by the movement of particles in conduction, convection and evaporation, and that energy is transferred directly by radiation
g) that although energy is always conserved, it may be dissipated, reducing its availability as a resource
SCIENCE KEY STAGE 4 DOUBLE AWARD*
[*At KS4 students opt for single (ie a slimmed down version), or double award science. Most study double award science].
SC1 SCIENTIFIC ENQUIRY
Ideas and evidence in science
1a) how scientific ideas are presented, evaluated and disseminated [for example, by publication, review by other scientists]
b) how scientific controversies can arise from different ways of interpreting empirical evidence [for example, Darwin's theory of evolution]
c) ways in which scientific work may be affected by the contexts in which it takes place [for example, social, historical, moral and spiritual] , and how these contexts may affect whether or not ideas are accepted
d) to consider the power and limitations of science in addressing industrial, social and environmental questions, including the kinds of questions science can and cannot answer, uncertainties in scientific knowledge, and the ethical issues involved.
Investigative skills
2a) use scientific knowledge and understanding to turn ideas into a form that can be investigated, and to plan an appropriate strategy
b) decide whether to use evidence from firsthand experience or secondary sources
c) carry out preliminary work and make predictions, where appropriate
d) consider key factors that need to be taken into account when collecting evidence, and how evidence can be collected in contexts [for example, fieldwork, surveys] in which the variables cannot readily be controlled
e) decide the extent and range of data to be collected [for example, appropriate sample size for biological work] , and the techniques, equipment and materials to use
f) use a wide range of equipment and materials appropriately, and manage their working environment to ensure the safety of themselves and others
g) make observations and measurements, including the use of ICT for datalogging [for example, to monitor several variables at the same time] to a degree of precision appropriate to the context
h) make sufficient observations and measurements to reduce error and obtain reliable evidence
j) represent and communicate qualitative and quantitative data using diagrams, tables, charts, graphs and ICT
k) use diagrams, tables, charts and graphs, and identify and explain patterns or relationships in data
l) present the results of calculations to an appropriate degree of accuracy
m) use observations, measurements or other data to draw conclusions
n) explain to what extent these conclusions support any predictions made, and enable further predictions to be made
o) use scientific knowledge and understanding to explain and interpret observations, measurements or other data, and conclusions
p) consider anomalous data giving reasons for rejecting or accepting them, and consider the reliability of data in terms of the uncertainty of measurements and observations
q) consider whether the evidence collected is sufficient to support any conclusions or interpretations made
r) suggest improvements to the methods used
s) suggest further investigations
KEY STAGE 4 Double Award
SC2 LIFE PROCESSES AND LIVING THINGSGreen plants as organisms
3a) the reactants in, and products of, photosynthesis
b) that the rate of photosynthesis may be limited by light intensity, carbon dioxide concentration or temperature
c) how the products of photosynthesis are utilised by the plant
d) the importance to healthy plant growth of the uptake and utilisation of mineral salts
f) how plants take up water and transpire
Variation, inheritance and evolution
4a) how variation arises from genetic causes, environmental causes, and a combination of both
i) that the fossil record is evidence for evolution
j) how variation and selection may lead to evolution or to extinction.
Living things in their environment
a) how the distribution and relative abundance of organisms in habitats can be explained using ideas of interdependence, adaptation, competition and predation
b) how the impact of humans on the environment depends on social and economic factors, including population size, industrial processes and levels of consumption and waste
c) about the importance of sustainable development
d) how to describe food chains quantitatively using pyramids of biomass
e) how energy is transferred through an ecosystem
f) the role of microbes and other organisms in the decomposition of organic materials and in the cycling of carbon and nitrogen
g) how food production and distribution systems can be managed to improve the efficiency of energy transfers
KEY STAGE 4 Double Award
SC3 MATERIALS AND THEIR PROPERTIESChanging materials
2a) how the mixture of substances in crude oil, most of which are hydrocarbons, can be separated by fractional distillation
b) the use of some of the products from crude oil distillation as fuels
c) the products of burning hydrocarbons
g) about the variety of useful substances [for example, chlorine, sodium hydroxide, glass, cement] that can be made from rocks and minerals
h) how the reactivity of a metal affects how it is extracted from its naturally occurring ores
i) an example of how a less reactive metal can be extracted by reduction with carbon or carbon monoxide
j) an example of how a metal can be purified or recycled by electrolysis
k) an example of how a reactive metal can be extracted by electrolysis
l) the importance for agriculture of converting nitrogen to ammonia
m) how nitrogenous fertilisers are manufactured, their effect on plant growth, and the environmental consequences of overuse
n) to represent chemical reactions by balanced symbol equations and to use these to predict reacting quantities
o) to determine the formulae of simple compounds from reacting masses
p) how the Earth's atmosphere and oceans have changed over time
q) how the carbon cycle helps to maintain atmospheric composition
r) how the sequence of, and evidence for, rock formation and deformation is obtained from the rock record.
Patterns of behaviour
a) that there are approximately 100 elements and that all materials are composed of one or more of these
d) that elements in the same group of the periodic table have similar properties
[Statements (g) to (j) relate to the properties of different groups of metal elements and to the halogens; these may have relevance inasmuch rocks and minerals may be used as sources or reactants]
k) about different types of chemical reaction, including neutralisation, oxidation, reduction and thermal decomposition, and examples of how these are used to make new materials
l) to recognise patterns in chemical reactions and use these to make predictions
m) about ways in which knowledge about chemical reactions is applied when new substances are made
n) about the great variation in the rates at which different reactions take place
o) how the rates of reactions can be altered by varying temperature or concentration, or by changing the surface area of a solid reactant, or by adding a catalyst
s) about manufacturing processes based on reversible reactions, and how the yield of these depends on the conditions
t) that changes of temperature often accompany reactions
u) that reactions can be exothermic or endothermic
v) how making and breaking chemical bonds in chemical reactions involves energy transfers
KEY STAGE 4 Double Award
SC4 PHYSICAL PROCESSESElectricity
1a) that resistors are heated when charge flows through them
b) the qualitative effect of changing resistance on the current in a circuit
c) the quantitative relationship between resistance, voltage and current
d) how current varies with voltage in a range of devices [for example, resistors, filament bulbs, diodes, light dependent resistors (LDRs) and thermistors]
e) that voltage is the energy transferred per unit charge
f) the quantitative relationship between power, voltage and current
g) the difference between direct current (dc) and alternating current (ac)
k) how an insulating material can be charged by friction
l) about forces of attraction between positive and negative charges, and forces of repulsion between like charges
m) about common electrostatic phenomena, in terms of the movement of electrons
o) the quantitative relationship between steady current, charge and time
Forces and motion
2a) how distance, time and speed can be determined and represented graphically
c) the difference between speed and velocity
d) that acceleration is change in velocity per unit time
h) how the forces acting on falling objects change with velocity
i) why falling objects may reach a terminal velocity
Waves
3e) that the electromagnetic spectrum includes radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet waves, Xrays and gamma rays
m) that longitudinal and transverse earthquake waves are transmitted through the Earth, and how their travel times and paths provide evidence for the Earth's layered structure
n) that the Earth's outermost layer, the lithosphere, is composed of plates in relative motion, and that plate tectonic processes result in the formation, deformation and recycling of rocks.
The Earth and beyond
[Apart from gravity, this section is devoted to astronomy]
Energy resources and energy transfer
5a) how insulation is used to reduce transfer of energy from hotter to colder objects
b) about the efficient use of energy, the need for economical use of energy resources, and the environmental implications of generating energy
c) the quantitative relationship between force and work
d) to calculate power in terms of the rate of working or of transferring energy
e) to calculate kinetic energy and potential energy
f) that a force is exerted on a current-carrying wire in a magnetic field and the application of this effect in simple electric motors
g) that a voltage is induced when a conductor cuts magnetic field lines and when the magnetic field through a coil changes
h) how simple ac generators and transformers work
i) the quantitative relationship between the voltages across the coils in a transformer and the numbers of turns in them
j) how energy is transferred from power stations to consumers
Radioactivity
5b) about some sources of the ionising radiation found in all environments
f) some uses of radioactivity, including radioactive dating of rocks