Question 1

Sally observed a plant in her school garden. When a fly landed on the plant, part Y closed up. What can Sally conclude about living things from her observation above?

Accepted Answer

(3) Living things respond to changes.. The observation shows the plant reacting to the fly landing by closing its part Y. This is a classic example of a living thing responding to a stimulus or change in its environment.

Question 2

Sarah placed two mice in two glass containers as shown in the diagrams below. Which mouse would most probably live longer? Why?

Accepted Answer

(2) A It has air, food and water.. Living things need air, food, and water to survive. Container A has holes, allowing air to enter, in addition to food and water. Container B is sealed, so the mouse will run out of air and suffocate, even with food and water. Therefore, mouse A will live longer.

Question 3

The diagram below shows the classification of living things. Which of the following correctly describes C and D?

Accepted Answer

(4) C: reproduces by seeds; D: reproduces by spores. Group C consists of flowering plants (coconut, lotus, papaya) which reproduce by seeds. Group D consists of non-flowering plants (bird's nest fern, fern) and fungi (mushroom), all of which reproduce by spores.

Question 4

Study the flow chart below. Which of the following could E, F and G be?

Accepted Answer

(3) E: animal; F: non-flowering plant; G: flowering plant. Following the flowchart:
- E: Does not make its own food and does not reproduce by spores. This describes animals.
- F: Makes its own food but does not produce flowers. This describes non-flowering plants (e.g., ferns, conifers).
- G: Makes its own food and produces flowers. This describes flowering plants.
Option (3) correctly matches these descriptions.

Question 5

The table below shows how animals can be grouped. The diagram below shows animal X. Which group does animal X belong to?

Accepted Answer

(1) H. Animal X (kangaroo) has a tail. Kangaroos are mammals that give birth to live young (though very undeveloped, they complete development in a pouch). Therefore, animal X 'Has a tail' and 'Gives birth', which corresponds to group H.

Question 6

The diagrams show two animals. How are the animals similar?

Accepted Answer

(4) They reproduce by laying eggs.. The animals are a frog and a hummingbird.
- (1) Only the hummingbird has a beak.
- (2) Only the hummingbird has feathers.
- (3) Only the frog has moist skin.
- (4) Both frogs (amphibians) and hummingbirds (birds) reproduce by laying eggs. This is a common similarity.

Question 7

The diagram shows different stages in the life cycle of a plant. Which of the following shows the correct order of its life cycle?

Accepted Answer

(2) stage P → stage Q → stage R. The life cycle of a plant typically starts from a seed (P), which germinates into a young plant (Q), and then grows into a more mature plant (R). So, P → Q → R is the correct order.

Question 8

Jake made some observations about the parts present in plant S. Using only the information in the table above, identify the stage plant S is in and explain why.

Accepted Answer

(3) adult plant Plant S has fruits.. The table shows that Plant S has leaves, stem, and fruit, but no flowers. The presence of fruit indicates that the plant has gone past the flowering stage and is mature enough to produce fruit. This characterizes an adult plant. Option (3) correctly identifies it as an adult plant and provides the reason that Plant S has fruits.

Question 9

The diagram shows different stages in the life cycle of a mosquito. Use it to answer questions 9 and 10. At which stage(s) does the mosquito live in water?

Accepted Answer

(3) T, V and W only. Stages T (eggs), U (larvae), and V (pupae) of the mosquito life cycle are found in water. Stage W (adult mosquito) is an aerial stage and does not live in water. Therefore, the statement 'T, V and W only' is scientifically inaccurate due to the inclusion of W. However, given this option is marked correct by the provided key, it implies a possible alternative interpretation where W is considered to 'live in water' due to its close association, despite being airborne. Biologically, T, U, and V are the aquatic stages.

Question 10

Which of the following statements is true?

Accepted Answer

(1) The mosquito moults only in stage V.. Let's analyze each statement:
- Larvae (U) moult multiple times to grow. Pupae (V) undergo metamorphosis, emerging from their casing as adults (which can be seen as a form of shedding). Adults (W) do not moult. So, 'moults only in stage V' is inaccurate as larvae also moult, but it might refer to the major transformation out of the pupal casing.
- Larvae (U) eat a lot. Pupae (V) do not eat. Adult females (W) eat blood, and both sexes feed on nectar. So, 'eats a lot only in stage W' is false.
- 'Moults in both stages V and W' is false because adults (W) do not moult.
- 'Eats a lot in both stages V and W' is false because pupae (V) do not eat.
Given the other options are clearly false based on basic mosquito biology, option (1) is the most plausible answer, likely simplifying the concept of 'moulting' to refer primarily to the transformation out of the pupal stage for P3 level.

Question 11

Study the life cycles of animals, W and X, below. Based on the life cycles shown above, which of the following statements is false?

Accepted Answer

(1) Both their young live on land.. Let's analyze each statement based on the diagrams:
- Animal W shows egg → distinct grub-like young → adult insect. No pupa stage is explicitly shown. The young does not resemble the adult. All stages appear terrestrial.
- Animal X shows egg → caterpillar-like larva → pupa → adult butterfly. The larva and pupa do not resemble the adult. All stages appear terrestrial.
- (2) Both animals have an egg stage. (True, both diagrams start with eggs).
- (3) Both their young do not resemble the adult. (True, the 'young' for W is grub-like, the larva/pupa for X are caterpillar/chrysalis-like, all distinct from their adults).
- (4) Animal X has a pupal stage while animal W does not. (True, X clearly shows a pupa, W does not).
- (1) Both their young live on land. (Based on the diagrams, all depicted young stages for both W and X appear to be terrestrial, not aquatic. If this statement is deemed 'false' as per the provided key, it implies at least one of the depicted young stages must live in water, which contradicts the visual information. There seems to be a discrepancy between the diagram and the expected answer if option (1) is indeed false).

Question 12

Ali, Betty, Chandra and De Hua recorded their observations of an animal below. Which of the students made the correct observations of a mealworm beetle?
Ali: The animal has a 4-stage life cycle.
Betty: The young of the animal resembles its adult.
Chandra: The animal lives on land throughout its life cycle.
De Hua: The animal stops eating when it is in the pupal stage.

Accepted Answer

(4) Ali, Chandra and De Hua. A mealworm beetle undergoes complete metamorphosis (Egg → Larva → Pupa → Adult).
- Ali: 'The animal has a 4-stage life cycle.' (True: Egg, Larva, Pupa, Adult).
- Betty: 'The young of the animal resembles its adult.' (False: The larva (mealworm) and pupa do not resemble the adult beetle).
- Chandra: 'The animal lives on land throughout its life cycle.' (True: All stages are terrestrial).
- De Hua: 'The animal stops eating when it is in the pupal stage.' (True: Pupae are typically non-feeding stages).
Therefore, Ali, Chandra, and De Hua made correct observations.

Question 13

A turtle is covered in a shell made of material W. The shell supports the body and protects the internal organs of the turtle. Which property of material W does the shell have?

Accepted Answer

(1) strength. The shell of a turtle supports the body and protects internal organs. These functions primarily require the material to have strength and rigidity, making it resistant to damage. While it might also be waterproof, strength is the most direct and essential property for support and protection.

Question 14

Max used a breakfast tray to put some fruits so that he could enjoy his breakfast in the swimming pool. Which material, A, B, C or D, could the breakfast tray be made of?

Accepted Answer

(4) D. For a breakfast tray to be used in a swimming pool, it must be waterproof and able to float on water. Additionally, it should ideally not be flexible to provide a stable surface.
- Material A: Not waterproof, doesn't float (incorrect).
- Material B: Waterproof, doesn't float (incorrect).
- Material C: Flexible, waterproof, floats (possible, but flexibility is not ideal).
- Material D: Not flexible, waterproof, floats (ideal as it is rigid, waterproof, and floats).

Question 15

Mr Lim tested the properties of three unknown objects, G, H and J. He used three identical magnets that are fixed to a position 5 cm away from the objects. When he released the objects, the following changes in their positions were observed. Mr Lim rotated the magnets and repeated the test. The following changes in their positions were observed when he released the objects. Based on the results above, what can objects, G, H and J, be?

Accepted Answer

(1) G: Non-Magnetic Object, J: Magnet, H: Magnetic Object. Based on standard scientific principles:
- **Repulsion** is the definitive test for a magnet. An object that is repelled by a magnet is itself a magnet.
- **Attraction only** (attracted by both poles, never repelled) indicates a magnetic material but not a magnet.
- **No interaction** (no attraction or repulsion) indicates a non-magnetic object.

From the observations:
- **Object G**: Remains at 5 cm in both tests, indicating no interaction. Thus, G is a **Non-magnetic Object**.
- **Object H**: Is repelled in both tests. Thus, H is a **Magnet**.
- **Object J**: Is attracted ('moves towards') in both tests. Thus, J is a **Magnetic Object** (not a magnet itself).

Therefore, based on scientific principles: G is Non-magnetic, H is a Magnet, and J is a Magnetic Object. Comparing this to option (1) (the provided key): G is Non-magnetic (consistent); J is a Magnet (inconsistent with J being only attracted); H is a Magnetic Object (inconsistent with H being repelled). There appears to be a discrepancy between the visual observations and the expected classifications for H and J in the provided solution key.

Question 16

Ms Tan purchased a toy globe which was resting on a stand as shown below. She noticed that the stand was made of a single material. When she flipped the stand upside down, the toy globe floated above the stand. Based on the observation, what could Ms Tan conclude?

Accepted Answer

(1) Only the stand is a magnet.. The observation that the toy globe 'floated above the stand' when the stand was flipped upside down indicates a repulsive force between the stand and the globe. Repulsion is a unique characteristic that occurs *only* between two magnets when their like poles face each other. Therefore, both the stand and the toy globe must be magnets.
- Option (1) 'Only the stand is a magnet' is scientifically incorrect because repulsion requires both objects to be magnets. If only the stand is a magnet, the globe would either be attracted (if made of magnetic material) or show no interaction (if non-magnetic).
- Similarly, option (3) 'Both the stand and toy globe are made of magnetic materials' is incorrect as magnetic materials only experience attraction, not repulsion.
Given the scientific principles, the correct conclusion would be that both the stand and the toy globe are magnets. However, adhering to the provided answer key (1), this indicates a potential discrepancy between the scientific explanation and the intended answer for this question.

P3 Science SA1 2025 — Tao Nan

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