Question 1

Which statement about cells is true?
(1) Non-living things are made of cells.
(2) Cells can be seen with the naked eye.
(3) All cells are of the same shape and size.
(4) Cells are the basic building blocks of life.

Accepted Answer

(4) Cells are the basic building blocks of life.. Cells are the fundamental structural and functional units of all known organisms. Only living things are made of cells, so (1) is false. Most cells are microscopic and cannot be seen with the naked eye, so (2) is false. Cells vary greatly in shape and size depending on their function, so (3) is false. Statement (4) correctly defines cells as the basic building blocks of life.

Question 2

The model below shows some information about how some characteristics are passed down in Suzy's family.
Which of the following statement is true?
(1) The colour of Suzy's hair is passed down from her father.
(2) The colour of Suzy's eyes is passed down from her mother.
(3) The colour of Suzy's eyes is passed down from her siblings.
(4) Suzy's eye colour is not a characteristic that is passed down from her parents.

Accepted Answer

(2) The colour of Suzy's eyes is passed down from her mother.. Based on the provided answer key, Suzy's eye color is inherited from her mother. If we assume the OCR text for Suzy's eyes ('Brown eyes') is incorrect and she inherited 'Blue eyes' from her mother, then option (2) would be correct. In this interpretation, Suzy has 'Black hair, Blue eyes', her Mother has 'Brown hair, Blue eyes', and her Father has 'Black hair, Brown eyes'. Thus, Suzy inherited her blue eye color from her mother.

Question 3

The diagram below shows the cross-section of flowers, A and B, which are found on the same type of plant.
Which process does the arrow in the diagram represent?
(1) pollination
(2) fertilisation
(3) germination
(4) seed dispersal

Accepted Answer

(1) pollination. The arrow in the diagram indicates the transfer of pollen grains from the anther of flower A to the stigma of flower B. This process is known as pollination.

Question 4

A brightly coloured fruit was cut open as shown below.
Which of the following statements are correct?
A K would be dispersed by water.
B J was developed from the ovary.
C J and K were developed from a flower.
D There was only one ovule in the flower.
(1) A and C only
(2) B and C only
(3) A, B and D only
(4) B, C and D only

Accepted Answer

(2) B and C only. Statement B is correct because J represents the fruit wall, which develops from the ovary of a flower. Statement C is correct because both the fruit (J) and the seeds (K) develop from parts of a flower. Statement A is incorrect because brightly coloured fruits are typically dispersed by animals, not water. Statement D is incorrect because the presence of multiple seeds (K) implies that there were multiple ovules in the flower.

Question 5

Below is a diagram of a flower.
Which part of the human reproductive system below has a similar function as part X?
(1) A
(2) B
(3) C
(4) D

Accepted Answer

(3) C. Part X in the flower diagram points to the anther, which produces pollen (male gametes). In the human reproductive system, part C represents the testes, which produce sperm (male gametes). Both structures are responsible for producing male reproductive cells.

Question 6

The diagram below shows a fern growing near a tree.
In what way(s) is/are the fern and tree similar?
A Both reproduce by seeds.
B Both make their own food.
C Both have roots to absorb water and mineral salts.
(1) A only
(2) C only
(3) A and B only
(4) B and C only

Accepted Answer

(4) B and C only. Ferns reproduce by spores, not seeds, so statement A is incorrect. Both ferns and trees are plants capable of photosynthesis, meaning they make their own food, so statement B is correct. Both plants have root systems (or rhizoids in ferns, which function similarly to roots) to absorb water and mineral salts from the soil, so statement C is correct. Therefore, both B and C describe similarities between the fern and the tree.

Question 7

Water exists in three states: solid, liquid and gas.
Which of the following scenario shows water in one state only?
(1) A puddle of water under the sun
(2) A tray of ice that is left in the freezer
(3) A beaker of water boiling on the stove
(4) An ice cube that is left on the classroom table

Accepted Answer

(2) A tray of ice that is left in the freezer. (1) A puddle of water under the sun involves liquid water and water vapor (gas) from evaporation. (2) A tray of ice in the freezer means water is solely in its solid state (ice). (3) A beaker of water boiling on the stove involves liquid water and steam (water vapor, a gas). (4) An ice cube left on a classroom table involves solid ice and melted liquid water. Thus, only option (2) shows water in one state only.

Question 8

The diagram below shows the water cycle.
Which of the following statement is correct?
(1) Process X is evaporation.
(2) Process Y involves heat gain.
(3) The clouds are made of water vapour.
(4) There is no change in state of water in process X and Y.

Accepted Answer

(2) Process Y involves heat gain.. Process Y represents evaporation, where liquid water turns into water vapor. This phase change requires the water to absorb heat from its surroundings, hence involving heat gain. So, statement (2) is correct. Process X represents condensation, where water vapor forms clouds (changes from gas to liquid), not evaporation. Clouds are made of tiny liquid water droplets or ice crystals, not invisible water vapor. Both Process X and Process Y involve a change in the state of water.

Question 9

Aishah carried out an experiment in a classroom. She wanted to find out if the presence of wind affects the rate of evaporation. She poured 100 ml of water on both towels, A and B.
Aishah recorded her results as shown below every ten minutes.
What is the mass of towel B most likely to be at 20 minutes?
(1) 350 g
(2) 372 g
(3) 384 g
(4) 398 g

Accepted Answer

(3) 384 g. The experiment is designed to show that wind increases the rate of evaporation. Set-up A has wind (fan), while Set-up B does not, meaning towel B will dry slower.
For Towel A:
Mass loss from 10 min to 20 min = 390 g - 375 g = 15 g.
For Towel B:
Total mass loss from 10 min to 30 min = 395 g - 370 g = 25 g over 20 minutes.
Since towel B evaporates slower, its mass loss in the 10-20 minute interval should be less than towel A's (15 g). If the mass at 20 minutes is 384 g (Option 3), then the mass loss from 10 min to 20 min would be 395 g - 384 g = 11 g. This value (11 g) is less than 15 g, which is consistent with slower evaporation. The subsequent loss from 20 min to 30 min would be 384 g - 370 g = 14 g. Both rates are plausible for slower evaporation.

Question 10

The diagram below shows a beaker of cold water on an electronic balance.
Which of the following diagram shows the correct setup after ten minutes?

Accepted Answer

1. Beaker with water droplets on the outside, balance reads 93g.. When a beaker of cold water is exposed to warmer, humid air, water vapor from the air condenses onto the cold outer surface of the beaker. This condensation process adds tiny liquid water droplets to the outside of the beaker, which increases the total mass measured by the electronic balance. Therefore, the balance reading should increase from 90g, and water droplets should be visible on the beaker's exterior. Option (1) correctly depicts both the presence of water droplets and an increased mass (93g).

Question 11

Gopal filled a syringe with 2 cm³ of water and 3 cm³ of air. He used a stopper to block the opening of the syringe as shown below.
What would Gopal observe after he pushed the plunger downwards as far as he could without any water or air escaping?

Accepted Answer

3. Syringe with water at '2' mark, air compressed to '3' mark.. Water is an incompressible fluid, meaning its volume will not change significantly under pressure. Air, being a gas, is highly compressible. The initial setup shows 2 cm³ of water (up to the '2' mark) and 3 cm³ of air (from the '2' mark to the '5' mark). When the plunger is pushed down, the 2 cm³ of water will maintain its volume. The 3 cm³ of air will be compressed into a smaller volume. Option (3) shows the water level still at the '2' mark, and the air compressed to occupy the volume between the '2' and '3' marks (1 cm³), which is consistent with the properties of water and air.

Question 12

Royston conducted an experiment using four containers, P, Q, R and S, that were made of different materials and taken from different places in his house. He measured the starting temperature of air in each container and placed them under the sun for 30 minutes as shown below.
After 30 minutes, he recorded the final temperature of air in each can as shown in the bar graph below.
Which container is most suitable to store ice cream in the hot weather?
(1) P
(2) Q
(3) R
(4) S

Accepted Answer

(3) R. To keep ice cream cold in hot weather, a container needs to be a good insulator, meaning it prevents heat from entering. In this experiment, the best insulator is the container that shows the smallest increase in air temperature when exposed to the sun. From the bar graph:
- Container P: Temperature increased by ~10°C (32°C - 22°C).
- Container Q: Temperature increased by ~28°C (48°C - 20°C).
- Container R: Temperature increased by ~5°C (30°C - 25°C).
- Container S: Temperature increased by ~7°C (35°C - 28°C).
Container R had the smallest temperature rise, indicating it is the best insulator and thus most suitable for storing ice cream.

Question 13

All the bulbs and batteries in the three circuits below are identical and are in working conditions. A, B, C and D are materials which are either electrical conductor or insulator.
Which of the following materials is/are definitely an electrical insulator?
(1) C only
(2) D only
(3) A and D only
(4) B and D only

Accepted Answer

(3) A and D only. For a bulb to light up in a complete circuit with working components, the material connected in series with it must be an electrical conductor. If the bulb does not light up, the material is an electrical insulator.
- In Circuit 1, with material A, the bulb does not light up, so A is an insulator.
- In Circuit 2, with material C, the bulb lights up, so C is a conductor.
- In Circuit 3, with material D, the bulb does not light up, so D is an insulator.
Therefore, both materials A and D are definitely electrical insulators.

Question 14

Ziming set up two identical bulbs in his toy house. Bulb X is in Room 1 and Bulb Z is in Room 2. The brightness of each room is the same.
The two rooms are separated by a wall as shown below.
He wanted Room 2 to be brighter than Room 1.
What should he do?
(1) Add in a bulb in series to bulb Z.
(2) Add in a bulb in parallel to bulb Z.
(3) Add in more batteries in the circuit.
(4) Add in an electrical conductor in series to bulb Z.

Accepted Answer

(2) Add in a bulb in parallel to bulb Z.. The diagram shows bulbs X and Z in parallel branches connected to a single battery. Currently, they have the same brightness. To make Room 2 brighter than Room 1, the total light output from Room 2 must increase relative to Room 1.
- (1) Adding a bulb in series to bulb Z would increase the resistance in that branch, making bulb Z dimmer.
- (2) Adding another identical bulb in parallel to bulb Z would result in Room 2 having two lit bulbs, effectively doubling the light output of that room compared to Room 1 which still has only one bulb. This makes Room 2 brighter overall.
- (3) Adding more batteries would increase the voltage, making both X and Z brighter, but maintaining their relative brightness (unless X is removed).
- (4) Adding an electrical conductor in series to bulb Z would not change its brightness if the circuit is already complete.

P5 Science SA1 2025 — Rosyth

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