Question 1

The table shows the properties of four different materials, A, B, C and D. A tick (✔) indicates that the material has the property.
Which material is most suitable to make a bookshelf?

Accepted Answer

(1) A. A bookshelf needs to be strong and rigid (not flexible) to support the weight of books. Material A is indicated as strong and not flexible. Material B is not strong. Material C is neither strong nor waterproof and is flexible. Material D is strong but also flexible, which is unsuitable for a rigid structure like a bookshelf. Therefore, Material A is the most suitable.

Question 2

Study the diagram.
Which of the following correctly shows the headings for P, Q and R?

Accepted Answer

(3) rubber, metal, glass. Group P includes 'eraser' and 'balloon', which are both made of rubber.
Group Q includes 'nail' and 'wire', which are both made of metal.
Group R includes 'window pane' and 'spectacle lenses', which are both made of glass.
Thus, the correct headings are P: rubber, Q: metal, R: glass.

Question 3

Four different materials, A, B, C and D, were tested to find out which was most suitable for making object X.
Object X needed to be strong enough to hold a mass of 18 g.
The results are as shown.
Which material is most suitable for making object X?

Accepted Answer

(4) D. Object X needs to hold a mass of 18 g. We need to find a material that can withstand at least 18 g before breaking.
- Material A breaks at 10 g (too weak).
- Material B breaks at 16 g (too weak).
- Material C breaks at 5 g (too weak).
- Material D breaks at 20 g (strong enough to hold 18 g).
Therefore, Material D is the most suitable.

Question 4

Which of the following is not a source of heat?

Accepted Answer

(4) a woollen sweater. The Sun, a lighted bulb, and a candle flame all produce heat as part of their operation. A woollen sweater, however, is an insulator. It traps existing body heat and reduces heat loss, making one feel warm, but it does not generate heat itself. Thus, it is not a source of heat.

Question 5

Ravi places a metal spoon in a cup of ice cream. The spoon becomes colder after a while.
Which of the following explains this?

Accepted Answer

(1) The spoon loses heat to the ice cream.. Heat energy always flows from a region of higher temperature to a region of lower temperature. Initially, the metal spoon is warmer than the ice cream. Therefore, the spoon loses heat to the colder ice cream, causing the spoon's temperature to decrease (it becomes colder) and the ice cream to melt.

Question 6

Two beakers containing different volumes of water at room temperature were heated until both reached 50 °C.
Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct?
A The water in beaker S took a shorter time to be heated to 50 °C.
B The water in beaker R gained heat faster than the water in beaker S.
C The water in beakers R and S had the same amount of heat energy.
D The water in beaker R had more heat energy than the water in beaker S.

Accepted Answer

(2) A and D only. Let's analyze each statement assuming beaker R has less water than beaker S (as visually depicted and common interpretation of 'different volumes') and both are heated from the same room temperature to 50 °C.

A. The water in beaker S took a shorter time to be heated to 50 °C. This would only be true if beaker S was heated with a significantly more powerful heat source, as a larger volume of water generally requires more time and heat energy to reach the same temperature.

B. The water in beaker R gained heat faster than the water in beaker S. If 'gained heat faster' refers to the rate of temperature increase, then beaker R (with less water) would show a faster temperature increase for the same rate of heat input. If it refers to the rate of energy absorption, this might be similar assuming identical heat sources.

C. The water in beakers R and S had the same amount of heat energy. This is incorrect. Beaker S, with a larger volume of water at the same temperature (50 °C), would contain more total heat energy than beaker R.

D. The water in beaker R had more heat energy than the water in beaker S. This statement is physically incorrect if beaker R has less water than beaker S and both are at the same temperature (50 °C). A larger mass of water at a given temperature holds more heat energy.

Given the options, and assuming a common scenario where R has less water than S and both are heated by similar sources, B is the most plausible statement if 'gained heat faster' refers to the rate of temperature rise.

Question 7

A thermometer is used to measure the temperature of water as shown.
What is the temperature of water?

Accepted Answer

(1) 24 °C. The thermometer's scale shows markings between 20 °C and 30 °C. There are 10 intervals between 20 and 30, meaning each interval represents 1 °C. The mercury level is at the 4th mark above 20 °C. Therefore, the temperature is 20 + 4 = 24 °C.

Question 8

Jordano wants to find out if the material of the spoon affects how fast butter melts. He sets up an experiment by placing some butter on a spoon before putting the spoon in a cup of hot water at 90 °C.
Which variable(s) should Jordano keep the same to ensure a fair test?
A material of the spoon
B amount of butter on each spoon
C water level in the cup at the start
D time taken for the butter to melt completely

Accepted Answer

(3) B and C only. For a fair test, only the independent variable should be changed, and all other variables that could affect the outcome (dependent variable) must be kept constant.
- A (material of the spoon): This is the independent variable Jordano wants to test, so it should be varied, not kept the same.
- B (amount of butter on each spoon): The amount of butter affects how much heat is needed to melt it, so it must be kept constant.
- C (water level in the cup at the start): The water level affects the amount of hot water available to transfer heat and the immersion depth of the spoon, so it must be kept constant.
- D (time taken for the butter to melt completely): This is the dependent variable (the 'how fast butter melts' aspect) that Jordano will measure, not keep constant.
Therefore, B and C should be kept the same.

P4 Science CA2 2025 — Catholic High

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