Question 1

A lizard will break its tail when it is touched. This shows that the lizard is a living thing because it can

Accepted Answer

(3) respond. Living things respond to changes in their environment. A lizard breaking its tail when touched is a defensive response to an external stimulus.

Question 2

The diagram shows how some living things can be grouped. Which is the most suitable heading for group X?

Accepted Answer

(2) fungi. Group X contains illustrations of a mushroom and bread mould. Both mushrooms and bread mould belong to the group of living things called fungi.

Question 3

Which object is not made of a waterproof material?

Accepted Answer

(3) a towel. Glass, umbrella fabric, and plastic are generally waterproof materials. A towel, however, is designed to absorb water, meaning it is not waterproof.

Question 4

In which part of the digestive system is food absorbed into the blood?

Accepted Answer

(4) small intestine. The small intestine is the primary organ in the digestive system where digested food nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream.

Question 5

Which substance has a fixed shape?

Accepted Answer

(4) pebble. Air is a gas and has no fixed shape. Oil and water are liquids and take the shape of their container. A pebble is a solid and retains a fixed shape regardless of its container.

Question 6

Which part, (1), (2), (3) or (4), takes in water for the plant?

Accepted Answer

(4). Part (4) represents the roots of the plant. Roots are responsible for absorbing water and mineral salts from the soil for the plant.

Question 7

In which of the following will the two magnets push each other away?

Accepted Answer

(3) S N S N. Magnets repel (push each other away) when like poles face each other. Option (3) shows the South pole (S) of the left magnet facing the South pole (S) of the right magnet, which will cause repulsion.

Question 8

The diagram shows the growth of a young plant with two missing stages P and Q. Which diagram shows the correct stages for P and Q?

Accepted Answer

(3). The typical growth cycle of a plant starts with a seed (P), which germinates into a small seedling with roots and a shoot (Q), and then develops into a larger plant. Option (3) correctly identifies P as a seed and Q as a small seedling, fitting the sequence before a more developed young plant.

Question 9

Which object is a source of light?

Accepted Answer

(2) a candle flame. A source of light is an object that produces its own light. A candle flame produces light through combustion. A mirror reflects light, a pear is seen by reflected light, and the moon reflects light from the sun; none of these produce their own light.

Question 10

Kingston wants to measure the temperature of hot water in a beaker. Which diagram shows the correct position of the thermometer when taking the temperature reading?

Accepted Answer

(1). To measure the temperature accurately, the thermometer bulb must be fully immersed in the liquid and suspended in the middle, without touching the bottom or sides of the container. Option (1) illustrates this correct positioning.

Question 11

Animal Y has the following characteristics. It has lungs. It has moist skin. It lives on land and in water. Which group does animal Y belong to?

Accepted Answer

(4) amphibians. Amphibians are characterized by having lungs (and often also breathing through moist skin), moist skin, and typically living both on land and in water during different stages of their life cycle. Fish have gills, birds have lungs and feathers, reptiles have lungs and dry, scaly skin.

Question 12

Alison conducted an experiment to find out how temperature affects the growth of mould. She put pieces of similar bread each at places with different temperatures. She recorded her observations as shown. Based on the observations, what is the relationship between temperature and the growth of mould?

Accepted Answer

(1) increases, increases. The table and images show that as the temperature increases from 5°C to 25°C, the amount of mould visible on the bread also increases significantly. Therefore, as temperature increases, the growth of mould increases.

Question 13

The graph shows the number of days for each stage of the life cycle of animal W. At which stage of the life cycle is animal W on the 17th day after the egg is laid?

Accepted Answer

(3) pupa. From the bar chart: The egg stage lasts for 7 days. The larva stage lasts for 10 days, so it is from day 7 to day (7+10)=17. The pupa stage lasts for 4 days, so it starts from day 17. Therefore, on the 17th day after the egg is laid, animal W is in the pupa stage (transitioning from larva to pupa on this day).

Question 14

Study the diagram. Based on the diagram, which statement(s) is/are correct? A X has a 4-stage life cycle. B W has a 3-stage life cycle. C Y gives birth to young alive.

Accepted Answer

(4) A, B and C. Tracing the flowchart: 
- W is reached if 'Does it have a 4-stage life cycle?' is 'No'. So W has a 3-stage life cycle (Statement B is correct).
- X is reached if 'Does it have a 4-stage life cycle?' is 'Yes' AND 'Does it lay eggs?' is 'Yes'. So X has a 4-stage life cycle (Statement A is correct).
- Y is reached if 'Does it have a 4-stage life cycle?' is 'Yes' AND 'Does it lay eggs?' is 'No'. If an animal with a 4-stage life cycle does not lay eggs, it must give birth to young alive (Statement C is correct).
Since A, B, and C are all correct, option (4) is the answer.

Question 15

The table shows four materials, A, B, C and D, and their properties. A tick (✔) indicates the presence of the property in the material. Which material is most suitable to make a shirt?

Accepted Answer

(2) B. A shirt should be flexible for comfortable movement and breathable (not waterproof) to allow sweat evaporation. Material B is the only material that is flexible (✔) and not waterproof, making it the most suitable.

Question 16

Derek wanted to find out if increasing the number of coils of wire would affect the strength of an electromagnet. The table shows the results. Which two set-ups should he use?

Accepted Answer

(1) A and B only. To test the effect of the number of coils on electromagnet strength, all other variables must be kept constant. Comparing set-ups A and B: both use 2 batteries, but A has 10 coils and B has 5 coils. This allows Derek to isolate the effect of the number of coils.

Question 17

The diagram shows a magnet taped onto a styrofoam board. Riyan wanted to find out the position in which the magnet would come to rest. He placed it into a basin of water to float freely as shown. Which diagram shows what he would observe when the magnet came to rest?

Accepted Answer

(2). A freely floating or suspended magnet will align itself with the Earth's magnetic field, with its North pole pointing towards the Earth's geographic North. Assuming 'Z' indicates the North direction (typically upwards on a map), the magnet's North pole (N) should point in the 'Z' direction. Option (2) shows the magnet's N pole pointing directly upwards, aligned with the indicated 'Z' direction.

Question 18

Container F has 400 ml of water. Which of the following will remain the same when all the water is poured from container F to container G, with no loss of water? A mass of water B shape of water C volume of water

Accepted Answer

(4) A and C only. Water is a liquid. When poured from one container to another without loss, its mass (amount of substance) and volume (space it occupies) remain constant. However, its shape will change to conform to the shape of the new container (Container G). Therefore, mass (A) and volume (C) remain the same.

Question 19

Zhi Wei pumps 300 cm³ of air into an air-tight bottle through a pump as shown. The capacity of the air-tight bottle is 1000 cm³. What is the final volume of air in the air-tight bottle?

Accepted Answer

(3) 1000 cm³. Gases, like air, expand to completely fill the volume of their container. Regardless of the amount of air pumped in, the air inside the air-tight bottle will occupy the entire internal capacity of the bottle, which is 1000 cm³.

Question 20

A cup of water and a cube are placed on a balance scale as shown. Which statement is correct? The cup of water and the cube ____.

Accepted Answer

(1) have the same mass. A balance scale measures mass. Since the scale is balanced (horizontal), it indicates that the objects on both pans have equal mass. Therefore, the cup of water and the cube have the same mass.

Question 21

Ranjani placed a wooden block at positions, X, Y and Z, as shown. At each position, she measured the height of the shadow cast on the screen. Which is the correct height of the shadows recorded for positions, X, Y and Z?

Accepted Answer

(1) 30, 18, 12. The size of a shadow depends on the distance of the object from the light source. The closer the object is to the light source, the larger its shadow will be. Position X is closest to the torch, so it will cast the tallest shadow. Position Z is furthest from the torch (and closest to the screen), so it will cast the shortest shadow. Position Y is in between. Option (1) correctly shows heights in decreasing order (30cm, 18cm, 12cm) corresponding to objects moving away from the light source.

Question 22

Wei Jie set up an experiment as shown using object A. He repeated the experiment using objects B and C. The three objects are made of different materials of similar size and thickness. He recorded the amount of light using a light sensor connected to the data logger. What was the aim of Wei Jie's experiment? To find out how ____.

Accepted Answer

(3) the material of an object affects the amount of light allowed to pass through the object. The experiment explicitly states that the objects are made of 'different materials' but have 'similar size and thickness'. This indicates that the independent variable being tested is the type of material, while size and thickness are controlled variables. The dependent variable is the 'amount of light detected', which indicates how much light passes through the object. Therefore, the aim is to find out how the material affects the amount of light allowed to pass through it.

Question 23

Study the diagram. The object is made of different materials as shown. Which shadow would likely be formed on the screen?

Accepted Answer

(4). Different materials cast shadows of varying intensity based on their transparency/opaqueness:
- Cardboard (outermost): Opaque, casts a dark shadow.
- Tissue paper: Translucent, casts a light shadow.
- Metal: Opaque, casts a dark shadow.
- Clear glass (innermost): Transparent, casts no shadow.
Following this order from outside-in, the shadow pattern should be: dark outer square, then a lighter inner square, then a dark inner square, and a central area with no shadow. Option (4) correctly depicts this sequence.

Question 24

Study the diagram. The dimensions of the objects are as shown. Which shadow would likely be formed on the screen?

Accepted Answer

(1). The wooden cube (6 cm) is closer to the torch than the rubber ball (6 cm diameter). Objects closer to the light source cast larger shadows. Therefore, the square shadow from the wooden cube will be larger than the circular shadow from the rubber ball. The objects are arranged side-by-side (left to right: cube, then ball), so their shadows will appear side-by-side on the screen, with the larger square shadow on the left and the smaller circular shadow on the right. Option (1) correctly illustrates this.

Question 25

A cup of ice cream melted after it was taken out from a freezer. Why did the ice cream melt?

Accepted Answer

(4) The ice cream gained heat from the surrounding air.. Melting occurs when a substance gains heat. Ice cream, being very cold, gains heat from the warmer surrounding air. This absorbed heat energy causes the ice cream to change state from solid to liquid (melt).

Question 26

Farah poured some hot water into a basin. She then put a glass of ice cubes into it. Which objects will gain heat?

Accepted Answer

(3) A, B and D only. Heat flows from hotter objects to colder objects. The hot water (C) is the heat source. The basin (A), glass (B), and ice cubes (D) are colder. Therefore, heat will flow from the hot water to the basin, glass, and ice cubes. The hot water (C) will lose heat, while A, B, and D will gain heat.

Question 27

Study the diagram. When the empty glass bottle is put near a fire, the stopper pops out because the ____.

Accepted Answer

(1) air in the bottle gains heat and expands. When the empty glass bottle is heated by the fire, the air trapped inside the bottle gains heat. As a gas gains heat, its particles move faster and spread further apart, causing the air to expand. This expansion creates increased pressure within the bottle, which forces the stopper out.

Question 28

Leroy wanted to find out which rod, X, Y or Z, was the best conductor of heat. He placed a blob of wax at the end of each rod. He then placed the rods into a cup of boiling water as shown. The time taken for each blob of wax to drop off the rods was recorded in the table. Based on the results, which statement(s) is/are correct? A Rod X is a better conductor of heat than rod Y. B Rod X is a better conductor of heat than rod Z. C Rod Y is a better conductor of heat than rod Z.

Accepted Answer

(2) A and B only. A better conductor of heat will transfer heat faster, causing the wax to melt and drop off in a shorter amount of time. From the table: - Rod X: 2 minutes - Rod Y: 5 minutes - Rod Z: 3 minutes Comparing conductivity (shorter time = better conductor): X (2 min) > Z (3 min) > Y (5 min). - Statement A: Rod X (2 min) is a better conductor than rod Y (5 min). (Correct, 2 < 5) - Statement B: Rod X (2 min) is a better conductor than rod Z (3 min). (Correct, 2 < 3) - Statement C: Rod Y (5 min) is a better conductor than rod Z (3 min). (Incorrect, 5 > 3, so Y is a poorer conductor than Z) Therefore, statements A and B are correct.

P4 Science SA2 2023 — Catholic High

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