Question 1

Which of the following has non-living things only?

Accepted Answer

(1) carpet, ruler and magnet. Living things grow, reproduce, respond to changes, and need food, water, and air. Non-living things do not exhibit these characteristics. Carpet, ruler, and magnet are all non-living things. Bread mould, hamster, bird's nest fern, bacteria, and durian tree are living things.

Question 2

When Thomas touched the tortoise's head, it hid itself in its shell. This shows that the tortoise is a living thing because it

Accepted Answer

(3) responds to changes. The act of the tortoise hiding its head in its shell after being touched is a reaction to a stimulus (being touched). This is a characteristic of living things to respond to changes in their environment.

Question 3

Observe the two groups of plants below carefully. Which of the following plants has been grouped wrongly?

Accepted Answer

(3) tomato. The image shows 'Flowering plants' and 'Non-flowering plants'. Orchids, hibiscus, and tomatoes are all flowering plants as they produce flowers and fruits (a tomato is botanically a fruit). Ferns are non-flowering plants that reproduce by spores. The diagram incorrectly places 'tomato' under 'Non-flowering plants' when it should be under 'Flowering plants'.

Question 4

Which of the following shows the correct characteristics of flowering and non-flowering plants?

Accepted Answer

(4) produce fruits do not produce fruits. Both flowering and non-flowering plants (like ferns) make their own food. Flowering plants produce fruits, which contain seeds for reproduction, while non-flowering plants (like ferns) do not produce fruits; many reproduce by spores. Some flowering plants attract insects for pollination, while others do not. Non-flowflowering plants do not attract insects for pollination.

Question 5

What is the similarity between reptiles and birds?

Accepted Answer

(2) They reproduce by laying eggs.. Both reptiles (e.g., snakes, lizards, crocodiles) and birds reproduce by laying eggs. Their body parts, appearance of young, and body coverings (scales for reptiles, feathers for birds) are generally different.

Question 6

Study the animal below. The animal shown above is not an insect because ____

Accepted Answer

(4) it has two body parts. Insects are characterized by having three main body parts (head, thorax, and abdomen) and six legs. The animal shown is a spider, which belongs to arachnids. Spiders have two main body parts (cephalothorax and abdomen) and eight legs. Therefore, it is not an insect because it has two body parts.

Question 7

Which of the statements about fungi and bacteria is correct?

Accepted Answer

(4) Bacteria are so small that we need to use a microscope to see them.. Bacteria are microscopic organisms found almost everywhere, not just in food. While some fungi can be harmful, many are beneficial (e.g., yeast in bread). Yogurt is produced by bacteria, not fungi. Bacteria are indeed microscopic and require a microscope to be observed.

Question 8

Which material is used to make part X of the drink can below so that it will not break easily?

Accepted Answer

(3) metal. Drink cans are typically made from metal (such as aluminum or steel) because metal is strong, durable, and resistant to breaking, making it suitable for holding beverages and withstanding handling.

Question 9

The picture below shows parts of a face mask. The strap is made of rubber because it is ____

Accepted Answer

(2) flexible. Face mask straps are made of rubber or similar elastic materials because they need to be flexible and stretchy. This allows the mask to fit snugly and comfortably around the user's head or ears, providing a secure seal and ease of movement.

Question 10

Study the diagram below. How do you increase the strength of an electromagnet?

Accepted Answer

(4) increase the number of coils of wires around the iron nail. The strength of an electromagnet can be increased by increasing the number of turns (coils) of wire around the core, increasing the current flowing through the wire (e.g., by using more batteries), or using a stronger core material. Using a copper nail (non-ferromagnetic) would weaken it, and using less batteries would decrease the current and thus strength. Increasing the number of coils directly increases the magnetic field strength.

Question 11

A bar magnet is brought near to a plate of staples as shown below. Which two parts of the magnet will have the greatest number of staples attracted to it?

Accepted Answer

(2) A and D. A bar magnet's magnetic field is strongest at its poles, which are located at its ends. In the given diagram, points A and D represent the ends (poles) of the bar magnet. Therefore, the greatest number of staples will be attracted to parts A and D.

Question 12

Which of the following diagrams shows the correct stroke method?

Accepted Answer

(3) . The stroke method of magnetization requires stroking a magnetic material with one pole of a magnet repeatedly in the same direction, lifting the magnet clear of the material between strokes. Diagram (3) correctly illustrates this technique, ensuring that the magnetic domains align consistently.

Question 13

Which of the following statements about the life cycles of grasshopper and cockroach are both correct?

Accepted Answer

(4) The young live in water during part of their life cycle. No No. Both grasshoppers and cockroaches undergo incomplete metamorphosis, which consists of three stages: egg, nymph, and adult. They both hatch from eggs, their young (nymphs) moult multiple times as they grow, and they feed throughout their life cycles (no pupal stage). Neither their young nor adults live in water; they are terrestrial insects.

Question 14

Which of the following pair of living things has a 4-stage life cycle?

Accepted Answer

(1) butterfly and mosquito. A 4-stage life cycle (complete metamorphosis) includes egg, larva, pupa, and adult stages. Both butterflies and mosquitoes undergo complete metamorphosis. Cockroaches and grasshoppers have 3-stage life cycles (incomplete metamorphosis: egg, nymph, adult).

Question 15

Study the following group of things. Which of the following has been grouped wrongly?

Accepted Answer

(4) beetle. The table classifies items into 'Living things' and 'Non-living things'. Lions, parrots, and turtles are living things. Robots and clouds are non-living things. Beetles are insects, which are living things, but in the provided table, the beetle is incorrectly placed under 'Non-living things'.

Question 16

Study the flow chart below. Which of the following best represents the thing X shown above?

Accepted Answer

(4) H. Thing X is a flowering plant. Following the flowchart: 
- Does it need air, food, and water? Yes (as it's a living thing).
- Can it make its own food? Yes (as it's a plant and performs photosynthesis).
- Does it produce fruits? Yes (as it's a flowering plant). 
Following the 'Yes' path for all three questions leads to H.

Question 17

The table shows how animals can be grouped. The diagram shows an animal. Which group does the above animal belong to?

Accepted Answer

(2) K. The animal shown is a frog. Frogs are amphibians; they lay eggs and can swim. According to the table:
- Group J: Gives birth, Can swim
- Group K: Lays eggs, Can swim
- Group L: Gives birth, Cannot swim
- Group M: Lays eggs, Cannot swim
Therefore, the frog belongs to Group K.

Question 18

Study the table below. The classification is based on ____

Accepted Answer

(2) how the animals reproduce. Group N (duck, frog, cockroach) consists of animals that lay eggs. Group P (bat, rabbit, human being) consists of animals that give birth to live young. Therefore, the classification is based on how the animals reproduce.

Question 19

Four students made the following statements as they observed the living things shown below. Which student made the correct statement?
Aria: Both are plants because they have stems.
Mike: Plant A is a flowering plant but mushroom is a non-flowering plant.
Tim: Plant A can make its own food while mushroom cannot.
Crystal: Both reproduce from spores.

Accepted Answer

(3) Tim. Plant A is a flowering plant, and a mushroom is a fungus.
- Aria is incorrect: Mushrooms are fungi, not plants, and while plants have stems, mushrooms do not.
- Mike is incorrect: Plant A is a flowering plant, but mushrooms are fungi, belonging to a separate kingdom, not classified as non-flowering plants in the typical sense.
- Tim is correct: Plant A, as a plant, performs photosynthesis to make its own food. Mushrooms, as fungi, are decomposers and obtain nutrients by breaking down organic matter, thus cannot make their own food.
- Crystal is incorrect: Plant A reproduces by seeds. Mushrooms reproduce by spores.

Question 20

Jenny used the following set-up to find out the flexibility of 4 strips of different materials, Q, R, S and T, of equal size. She fixed one end of each strip of material on a tabletop and hung a weight on the other end. She measured the distance 'd' as shown in the diagram below. The table below shows the results of the experiment. Which is the most flexible material?

Accepted Answer

(1) Q. Flexibility refers to how easily a material bends. In this experiment, a larger distance 'd' indicates a greater degree of bending for the same weight, meaning the material is more flexible. Material Q has the largest 'd' value (9 cm), making it the most flexible.

Question 21

Strings W, X, Y and Z are made of different materials. The diagram below shows the greatest mass that each string can support before It breaks. Which string(s) can support a mass of up to 6 kg without breaking?

Accepted Answer

(3) X and Z only. To support a mass of up to 6 kg without breaking, a string must be able to support at least 6 kg. 
- String W supports up to 5 kg (cannot support 6 kg).
- String X supports up to 7 kg (can support 6 kg).
- String Y supports up to 3 kg (cannot support 6 kg).
- String Z supports up to 10 kg (can support 6 kg).
Therefore, only strings X and Z can support a mass of up to 6 kg without breaking.

Question 22

A bar magnet was placed on a piece of styrofoam which floated on a basin of water. The compass was placed at position X. The top view of the set-up is shown in the diagram below. Which diagram shows the correct needle position on the compass when it was placed at position X?

Accepted Answer

(3) . The north pole (N) of a compass needle is attracted to the south pole (S) of a magnet. The diagram shows the bar magnet with its North pole on the left and South pole on the right. Position X is to the right of the South pole of the bar magnet. Therefore, the compass needle's north pole will point towards the South pole of the bar magnet, meaning it will point left (towards the S pole).

Question 23

Four identical bar magnets were hung from the same height and equal distance apart from each other. The way they Interacted is as shown below. Which of the following shows a possible arrangement of the bar magnets?

Accepted Answer

(2) . Like poles repel, and opposite poles attract. From the interaction diagram:
- E and F repel: Their adjacent poles must be the same (e.g., S-S or N-N).
- G and H attract: Their adjacent poles must be opposite (e.g., N-S or S-N).
- J and K repel: Their adjacent poles must be the same.
- L and M attract: Their adjacent poles must be opposite.

Let's check Option (2):
- E (S-top) and F (S-top) face each other with S poles. They repel (consistent).
- G (N-top) and H (S-top) face each other with N and S poles. They attract (consistent).
- J (N-top) and K (N-top) face each other with N poles. They repel (consistent).
- L (N-top) and M (S-top) face each other with N and S poles. They attract (consistent).
All interactions are consistent with Option (2).

Question 24

The graph shows the number of days in each stage of insect V's life cycle. How many days does it take for insect V to become an adult from the time the eggs are laid?

Accepted Answer

(4) 26. The time it takes for insect V to become an adult from the time eggs are laid involves summing the duration of the egg, larva, and pupa stages. Based on the bar graph:
- Egg stage: 2 days
- Larva stage: 6 days
- Pupa stage: 8 days
The total time to reach the adult stage is 2 + 6 + 8 = 16 days. Since 16 days is not an option, and assuming the question implies summing all the durations depicted in the graph for the entire observable lifecycle (including the adult stage's duration as presented in the graph), the total days would be 2 (egg) + 6 (larva) + 8 (pupa) + 10 (adult) = 26 days. This value matches option (4).

P3 Science SA2 2025 — Maha Bodhi

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