Question 1

Brandon bought two hamsters from a pet shop. Two months later, he observed that there were a total of five hamsters. What characteristic of living things does this show?

Accepted Answer

(2) Living things reproduce.. The number of hamsters increased from two to five, indicating that living things create new offspring. This is the characteristic of reproduction.

Question 2

Study the classification table. Which of the following is wrongly classified?

Accepted Answer

(2) fire. The table classifies 'Things' into 'Living things' and 'Non-living things'. Fire is a non-living thing that consumes fuel, produces heat and light, and appears to grow and move, but it is not a biological organism and does not reproduce in the same way living things do. Therefore, 'fire' is wrongly classified as a living thing.

Question 3

The diagram below shows a frog in a container. After a few days, the frog died. Which of the following could be done to prevent the frog from dying?

Accepted Answer

(2) Put flies in the container.. The frog died, indicating a lack of essential needs for survival. Living things need food. Flies are a common food source for frogs. Providing food (flies) would address a basic need for survival. Other options either don't address survival needs or make the situation worse (covering holes cuts off air, removing water dehydrates).

Question 4

The diagrams show two plants, X and Y. Which of the following statements is true about X and Y?

Accepted Answer

(4) Both X and Y can make food when there is sunlight.. Both plants are living organisms and are capable of photosynthesis, the process by which they make their own food using sunlight. All living things need water to survive, so (1) is false. Ferns (Plant X) reproduce by spores, not seeds, so (2) is false. All living things respond to changes, so (3) is false.

Question 5

Some statements were made about bacteria. Q: All bacteria are harmful to us. R: Bacteria can only be seen with a microscope. S: Bacteria comes in different shapes and sizes. Which statement(s) is/are correct?

Accepted Answer

(3) R and S only. Statement Q is incorrect as many bacteria are beneficial. Statement R is correct because bacteria are microorganisms and require a microscope to be seen. Statement S is correct as bacteria exist in various shapes (e.g., spheres, rods, spirals) and sizes.

Question 6

Study the diagram. Which of the following is correct?

Accepted Answer

(4) Amphibians can be placed in Group C.. Group A: Plants with flowers. Group B: Plants without flowers. Group C: Animals that lay eggs. Group D: Animals that do not lay eggs (i.e., give birth). Birds lay eggs, so they belong in C, not D. Fungi are not plants and cannot make their own food, so they don't fit in B. Ferns are plants without flowers, so they belong in B, not A. Amphibians (like frogs) are animals that lay eggs, fitting the criteria for Group C.

Question 7

The picture below shows a plant. Which row represents parts E, F and G correctly?

Accepted Answer

(2) fruit, stem, root. Based on the visual cues, E points to a fruit, F points to the stem, and G points to the roots of the plant.

Question 8

Fungus can be found growing in nails. Jake suggested the following ways to prevent the growth of fungus on the nail. A Ensure feet is dry after washing it. B Ensure that nails are cut regularly and cleaned. C Wear the same unwashed pair of socks every day for a week. Which of the statements(s) is/are correct?

Accepted Answer

(3) A and B only. Fungi thrive in warm, moist environments. Keeping feet dry (A) and nails clean and trimmed (B) reduces these favorable conditions. Wearing unwashed socks (C) would increase moisture and warmth, promoting fungal growth.

Question 9

Jacqueline soaked four materials W, X, Y and Z of similar shape and size in a pail of water. After 10 minutes, she took the materials out and weighed them. The mass of each material is recorded in the table below. Based on the results, which material is most suitable to be made into a raincoat?

Accepted Answer

(4) Z. A raincoat requires a material that absorbs minimal water. By calculating the mass difference before and after soaking: W (250g), X (580g), Y (400g), and Z (5g). Material Z absorbed the least water (5g), making it the most waterproof and thus most suitable for a raincoat.

Question 10

The diagram below shows a drain cover on the pavement. It prevents people from falling into the drain. Metal is used to make the drain cover as it

Accepted Answer

(1) is strong. A drain cover must be strong enough to bear weight and prevent people from falling through. While metal also doesn't absorb water and is opaque, its primary functional requirement for this purpose is its strength and rigidity.

Question 11

A mobile phone is placed inside a protective case. This prevents the phone from getting wet during water sports. What materials are parts G and H of the case likely to be made of?

Accepted Answer

(2) plastic, plastic. For a waterproof protective case used in water sports, both the transparent front part (G) and the strap (H) need to be waterproof and durable. Plastic is an ideal material for both, offering transparency for the screen and durability for the strap, while being waterproof. Glass is waterproof but can shatter, metal is not transparent, and paper is not waterproof.

Question 12

How is a young plant similar to an adult plant? A A young plant can make its own food. B A young plant is ready to produce flowers. C A young plant takes in water through the roots.

Accepted Answer

(2) A and C only. Young plants with leaves are capable of photosynthesis to make their own food (A). Both young and adult plants absorb water through their roots (C). Young plants are generally not yet mature enough to produce flowers (B), which is a characteristic of adult plants.

Question 13

The diagrams show some stages of growth (P, Q and R) in the life cycle of a plant. Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct? A At stage Q, it is classified as a non-flowering plant. B At stage P, the roots grow first to help the plant absorb water. C At stage R, the plant need not make its own food as there are fruits.

Accepted Answer

(2) B only. Stage P shows germination where the root emerges first for water absorption (B is correct). Stage Q is a young plant that will eventually flower, so it's not a non-flowering plant (A is incorrect). Stage R, a mature plant with fruits, still needs to make its own food through photosynthesis to grow and sustain the fruits (C is incorrect).

Question 14

Study the flow chart. Which row represents animals X, Y and Z correctly?

Accepted Answer

(1) frog, cockroach, butterfly. X: No four-stage life cycle AND young does not look like adult (e.g., frog - tadpole). Y: No four-stage life cycle AND young looks like adult (e.g., cockroach - nymph). Z: Has a four-stage life cycle (e.g., butterfly - egg, larva, pupa, adult). Option (1) correctly assigns frog to X, cockroach to Y, and butterfly to Z.

Question 15

Joyce observed the number of days the butterfly was found at each stage of its life cycle across 45 days. She recorded the information in the bar graph below. How many days did the butterfly take to develop into an adult after the egg was hatched?

Accepted Answer

(1) 24. After the egg was hatched, the butterfly went through the larva and pupa stages before becoming an adult. From the graph: Larva stage = 14 days, Pupa stage = 10 days. Total days = 14 + 10 = 24 days.

Question 16

At which stage is the butterfly harmful to a farmers' plants?

Accepted Answer

(2) Larva. The larval stage (caterpillar) is the feeding stage where the organism consumes large amounts of plant material for growth, making it harmful to plants. Eggs and pupae are inactive feeders, and adults primarily feed on nectar.

Question 17

Judy has four discs A, B, C and D made of different materials. She tried to pick up each disc using a magnet. She observed that only disc B can be picked up by the magnet. What material is disc B likely to be made up of?

Accepted Answer

(1) iron. Magnets only attract magnetic materials. Among the given options, iron is a magnetic material. Wood, ceramic, and aluminium are non-magnetic.

Question 18

A bar magnet was placed near a compass. Which of the following diagram shows the correct observation?

Accepted Answer

(2) [image of compass and magnet]. Unlike poles attract each other. The dark tip of the compass needle represents its North pole, and the light tip represents its South pole. In option (2), the North pole (dark end) of the bar magnet is facing the South pole (light end) of the compass needle, resulting in attraction, which is correctly depicted.

Question 19

Daniel spun a magnet many times and it would end up pointing in a particular direction as shown below. Next, he placed a compass under the magnet as shown above. Which is the correct position of the compass needle?

Accepted Answer

(1) [image of compass needle]. A freely suspended magnet aligns itself with the Earth's magnetic field, with its North pole (dark end) pointing towards geographic North. When a compass is placed below this magnet, its needle will align with the magnetic field lines produced by the bar magnet. The North pole of the compass (dark tip) will be attracted to the South pole (light end) of the suspended magnet, and its South pole (light tip) will be attracted to the North pole (dark end) of the suspended magnet. Since the suspended magnet's dark end is to the left (N) and light end to the right (S), the compass's North (dark tip) will point right (towards the magnet's South pole).

Question 20

Four rings, P, Q, R and S, were placed one at a time on a wooden holder. Two of the rings are magnets and the other two are steel rings. Based on the observation above, which two are the steel rings?

Accepted Answer

(4) R and S. Magnets can repel each other if like poles face. Steel rings are magnetic materials but are not magnets themselves; they would not repel another magnet to float. The diagram shows ring P floating above ring Q, indicating strong repulsion between P and Q, meaning both P and Q are magnets. Since there are two magnets and two steel rings, R and S must be the steel rings.

Question 21

Three bar magnets with their poles labelled A to F can be arranged as shown below. Which of the arrangements is correct?

Accepted Answer

(2) [image of magnet arrangement]. The reference diagram shows three magnets connected in an 'L' shape, implying attraction at the connecting poles (B-C and D-E). For attraction to occur, the poles facing each other must be opposite (North-South). The dark end typically indicates the North pole, and the light end the South pole. Option (2) shows: Magnet 1 (A-S, B-N), Magnet 2 (C-S, D-N), Magnet 3 (E-S, F-N). The connections are B(N)-C(S) and D(N)-E(S), which are both N-S attractions, thus making this arrangement correct.

Question 22

A magnet was used to stroke four similar iron nails, A, B, C and D. The direction that the iron nail was stroked and the number of strokes used are shown below. Which nail, A, B, C or D will have the strongest pull?

Accepted Answer

(1) A. The strength of an induced magnet is increased by a higher number of strokes and consistent stroking in one direction. Nails C and D were stroked back and forth, which weakens or demagnetizes them. Comparing A (80 strokes, consistent) and B (50 strokes, consistent), Nail A has more consistent strokes, resulting in a stronger temporary magnet.

P3 Science SA2 2025 — Anglo Chinese

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