Mātauranga Māori constitutes concepts and principles that are richly detailed, complex, and fundamental to Māoridom. It is important to remember that the practice of these are wider and more varied than their use within the proposed NCEA Achievement Standards and supporting documentation.

We also recognise that the cultures, languages, and identities of the Pacific Islands are diverse, varied, and unique. Therefore the Pacific concepts, contexts, and principles that have been incorporated within NCEA Achievement Standards may have wide-ranging understandings and applications across and within the diversity of Pacific communities. It is not our intention to define what these concepts mean but rather offer some ways that they could be understood and applied within different subjects that kaiako and students alike can explore.

The intent of the Standard 

In this Achievement Standard ākonga will be able to demonstrate understanding of a physical system using energy concepts. They will show their understanding of energy concepts, and how they can be used to show change in a physical system.

Through exploration, measurement, and calculation, ākonga will discover that energy, much like an accounting tool, can be calculated before and after a change, and obeys the law of conservation of energy. Ākonga should understand that energy is not a substance and does not directly cause change in a physical system.

Through this Standard, ākonga will demonstrate their understanding of the physical world and their ability to make predictions about the likely outcome of change in a physical system. Ākonga will use analytical and critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. 

This Standard aligns with the following items of Significant Learning: 

• interpret representations, critique evidence, and communicate knowledge within physics, Earth and space science contexts 
• apply inquiry approaches to develop understanding of physics, Earth and space science concepts, including how mātauranga Māori can inform inquiry practice 
• understand that a range of physics concepts can be used to explain an interaction 
• explore the nature of energy and force in the physical world 
• apply appropriate representations of physical phenomena within physics, Earth and space science contexts.

Making reliable judgements   

In this Standard, ākonga must show understanding of a change to a physical system and describe relevant energy concepts. They must use evidence such as written accounts, representations, or calculations. 

At higher levels of achievement, ākonga will explain change to the physical system using relevant energy concepts and evidence. Evidence can include written accounts, representations or formulae, and calculation.

Ākonga will discuss implications of the change to the physical system, using relevant energy concepts and evidence. For example, they might apply the law of conservation of energy and relate this to the evidence to demonstrate understanding of change in a physical system. A discussion of implications might involve providing insight about how change to the physical system affects the surroundings, or how the physical system might be permanently changed.

Collecting evidence 

Refer to the External Assessment Specifications for further information.

Possible contexts 

Ākonga engaging with this Standard will describe change to a physical system, link appropriate energy concepts to show understanding of the change, and discuss implications of change to the physical system. This will take place in an examination situation. Responses will be descriptive and can be supported by representation and calculation.

Examples of physical systems include: 

• vacuum flask
• insulated home
• simple electrical circuits
• falling objects
• lifting of objects.

Change to a physical system is any change to the properties or the behaviour of the system.

Examples include changes in:

• the height of a falling object
• motion
• the resistance of a wire
• the temperature of an object.

Energy concepts are ideas and principles related to energy that are used to understand change in physical systems.

Examples include:

• energy transfer 
• conservation of energy
• forms of energy (mechanical, thermal, electrical).

Formulae are representations of physical relationships that can be observed in the universe. Physical quantities can be measured. By using formulae, other unknown physical quantities can be calculated and predicted with certainty. The relationships and rules of the physical world are represented mathematically in formulae.

The formulae explored in this Standard allow for the calculation of power, work, heat capacity of an object, latent heat, voltage, current, resistance, mass of an object, velocity of an object, gravity, potential and active energy, as well as other factors involved in a physical system.

These formulae include:

• ΔE = Pt
• Ek = ½ mv²
• Ep = mgΔh
• W= Fd
• E (thermal) = mcΔT
• E (thermal) = mL
• P = VI
• V = IR

Standard Exclusions

This Standard has one or more exclusions, or Standards that assess the same or similar learning. These Standards are excluded against one another to prevent assessing the same learning twice. You can only use credits gained from one of these standards towards your NCEA qualification.

Find out more about the NCEA Level 1 Exclusions List.

Literacy and Numeracy Requirements

This Achievement Standard has been approved for numeracy in the transition period (2024-2027). 

Full information on the co-requisite during the transition period: Standards approved for NCEA Co-requisite during the transition period (2024-2027).