Question 1

The chart below shows how some living things can be grouped. Living things are split into group P (tomato, hibiscus) and group Q (moss, bird's nest fern). Which one of the following correctly shows the characteristics of P and Q?

Accepted Answer

C. P: Reproduce from seeds / Q: Reproduce from spores. Tomato and hibiscus are flowering plants that reproduce by seeds, while moss and bird's nest fern are non-flowering plants that reproduce by spores. Both groups grow on land and both make their own food, so those characteristics do not distinguish them.

Question 2

Abel classified the four animals (geese, bat, salamander, cricket) in the flow chart as shown below. What were the two questions, A and B?

Accepted Answer

B. Question A: Do they lay eggs? / Question B: Do they have wings?. Question A separates 'bat' (No) from geese, salamander and cricket (Yes). Bats do NOT lay eggs while geese, salamander and cricket do, so Question A is 'Do they lay eggs?'. Question B separates salamander (No) from geese and cricket (Yes); geese and cricket have wings while salamander does not, so Question B is 'Do they have wings?'.

Question 3

The diagram below shows the different stages of the growth of a seed into a seedling, labelled A, B, C, D, E and F. At which stage(s) can the seedling make its own food?

Accepted Answer

C. E and F only. A seedling can make its own food (photosynthesise) only once it has developed green leaves. Stages E and F show plants with green leaves above the ground, so they can make their own food. Earlier stages (A-D) have not yet developed functional green leaves.

Question 4

The table below shows the survival rate of organism Y in four habitats, P, Q, R and S. The table gives, for each habitat, the number of organism Y hatched from eggs, the number of developing young, and the number of adults formed: P (39, 37, 36), Q (39, 37, 25), R (37, 3, 0), S (38, 33, 30). Which habitat is the most suitable for organism Y to survive in?

Accepted Answer

A. P. The most suitable habitat is the one where the greatest proportion of hatched organisms survive to become adults. Habitat P has 36 adults formed out of 39 hatched — the highest survival to adulthood — making it the most suitable habitat.

Question 5

The graph below shows the length (number of days) of the stages in the life cycle of four insects, A, B, C and D. This insect is the most active in the larval stage and will feed on the leaves of crop X. Which one of the insects above will cause the greatest damage to the farmer?

Accepted Answer

C. Insect C. Since the insect is most active and feeds on the leaves during the larval stage, the insect with the longest larval stage will eat the most leaves and cause the greatest damage. Insect C has the longest larva (bar) segment among the four insects.

Question 6

Organism Z is found in habitat X. The graph below shows the temperature of habitat X in a particular year and the percentage of males and females hatched from the eggs of organism Z. Which one of the following relationships between the percentage of females or males of organism Z hatched and the temperature is correct?

Accepted Answer

C. As the temperature increases, the percentage of females hatched increases.. The graph shows that as temperature rises from 10°C to 35°C, the percentage of males hatched falls (from ~90% to ~20%) while the percentage of females hatched rises (from ~10% to ~72%). Therefore, as temperature increases, the percentage of females hatched increases.

Question 7

The diagram below shows the digestive system of a human, with parts labelled E (mouth), F (stomach) and G (small intestine). Which one of the following correctly matches the parts, E, F and G, of the human digestive system to their functions?

Accepted Answer

A. Breaking food into smaller pieces: E / Release of digestive juices: E, F, G / Absorption of most amount of digested food: G. E is the mouth, which breaks food into smaller pieces (chewing) and releases digestive juices (saliva). F is the stomach and G the small intestine, which also release digestive juices. Most digested food is absorbed at G, the small intestine. Only option A correctly lists E for breaking food, E/F/G for releasing juices, and G for absorption.

Question 8

Which of the following statements about cell is/are false? A: Cells are the basic unit of all living things. B: As an organism grows, the number of cells increases. C: The size of a cell depends on the size of the organism.

Accepted Answer

B. C only. Statements A and B are true — cells are the basic unit of all living things, and organisms grow by increasing the number of cells. Statement C is false because cell size does not depend on the size of the organism; larger organisms simply have more cells, not larger cells. So only C is false.

Question 9

Jin Xian carried out an experiment using four similar pots of small plants. He watered them with different amounts of water daily for two weeks: Set-up A (25 ml), B (60 ml), C (80 ml), D (150 ml). He then measured the heights of the plants on the 5th, 10th and 14th day. The plants are considered to be growing well if they have grown by at least 10 cm after two weeks. Day 0 heights are all 5 cm; Day 14 heights are A=14, B=22, C=25, D=27 cm. What is the least amount of water to be given daily to the plants to ensure that they will grow well?

Accepted Answer

B. 60 ml. Growth over two weeks: A grows 14−5 = 9 cm (not well), B grows 22−5 = 17 cm (well), C grows 25−5 = 20 cm (well), D grows 27−5 = 22 cm (well). The smallest amount of water giving at least 10 cm growth is 60 ml (Set-up B).

Question 10

Nora collected four soil samples, K, L, M and N. She then poured water through the four soil samples, one at a time, using the set-up shown. The average time taken for her to collect 20 ml of water was recorded: K=14 s, L=35 s, M=29 s, N=41 s. Which one of the following correctly shows the size of the soil particles in soil samples, K, L, M and N, in decreasing order?

Accepted Answer

A. K, M, L, N. Larger soil particles have larger air spaces, so water passes through faster (shorter time). Ranking from shortest to longest time: K (14) < M (29) < L (35) < N (41). Therefore particle size in decreasing order is K, M, L, N.

Question 11

Eugene introduced a population of 100 organism M into his garden. The graph below shows how the population of organism M changed over a period of 6 weeks. Which of the following statements is/are true about the population of organism M? A: The population of organism M decreases most in the second week. B: The population of organism M remains constant for two weeks after the fourth week. C: The population of organism M decreases more in the third week than in the fourth week. D: The population of organism M decreases more in the first three weeks than in the last three weeks.

Accepted Answer

C. A, B and D only. Reading the population graph, the largest single-week fall is in the second week (A true). After the fourth week the population stays level for two weeks (B true). The fall over the first three weeks is greater than over the last three weeks (D true). Statement C is false because the drop in the third week is not greater than in the fourth week. So A, B and D are true.

Question 12

The table below shows the characteristics of four different habitats, A, B, C and D, in an environment. Temperature: A fluctuates widely, B fluctuates widely, C little or no change, D some changes. Light Intensity: A high, B low, C high, D low. Presence of water: A dry, B a little damp, C damp, D very wet. Xue Ting found an organism in one of the habitats. She observed the following characteristics of the organism: has an ability to store water; needs light for survival; has a waxy outer surface. In which habitat did she most likely find the organism?

Accepted Answer

A. A. The organism stores water and has a waxy outer surface (to reduce water loss), which are adaptations to a dry habitat, and it needs light so the habitat must have high light intensity. Habitat A is dry with high light intensity, matching all the observed characteristics.

Question 13

A river runs through a forest as shown in the diagram below. Water samples were collected at positions, E, F and G, in the river and analysed for the amount of bacteria found in the water. Which one of the following shows the correct order of the samples of water with increasing amount of bacteria in them?

Accepted Answer

B. E, F, G. The river flows from the forest (E, upstream, cleanest) past the farms (F) and then the houses (G, most downstream). As the water flows past farms and then houses, more waste and pollutants add more bacteria. So the amount of bacteria increases from E to F to G.

Question 14

A plant with leaves of green and white areas was left in a dark cupboard for 48 hours. Diagram 1 shows one of its leaves (with a white area and a green area). Next, the top and underside of the leaf was each partially covered by a strip of black paper, as shown in Diagram 2 (areas labelled A, B, C and D). The plant was then left in the sun. After a day, the leaf was plucked off and the strips of black paper were removed from both sides of the leaf. The leaf was then tested for the presence of food. In which of the areas labelled A, B, C and D is food mostly found?

Accepted Answer

B. B only. For a leaf to make food (starch) it needs chlorophyll (green area) AND light. Areas covered by black paper receive no light, so they make no food. Only the area that is both green and uncovered can photosynthesise. Area B is the green, uncovered region — so food is mostly found in B.

Question 15

A potted plant was given sufficient amount of water and placed in a black air-tight plastic box for a day in a garden as shown below. Which one of the following graphs shows the changes in the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide present in the box during the day?

Accepted Answer

A. Oxygen line decreases and carbon dioxide line increases over time (0700-1800).. The box is black and air-tight, so no light reaches the plant and it cannot photosynthesise. The plant only respires: it takes in oxygen and gives out carbon dioxide. Therefore oxygen in the box decreases while carbon dioxide increases, which is shown in graph (1)/option A.

Question 16

The flow chart below shows how four different objects, P, Q, R and S, are classified. Start → 'Is it able to withstand scratches?' (Yes → 'Is it able to bend without breaking?': Yes → P, No → Q; No → 'Is it waterproof?': Yes → R, No → S). Based on the flow chart above, which of the objects, P, Q, R or S, best represents a towel?

Accepted Answer

D. S. A towel is not able to withstand scratches (it is soft cloth) so the first answer is 'No', leading to 'Is it waterproof?'. A towel is not waterproof (it absorbs water), so the answer is 'No', which leads to S. Therefore a towel best represents object S.

Question 17

Thomas carried out an experiment to test the strength of four materials, A, B, C and D, used to make fishing lines. He added weights of 5 kg at a time to each of the four materials. He recorded the number of weights needed for each material to break: A=4, B=9, C=6, D=2. Which of the materials should he choose that would allow him to catch a fish of about 40 kg?

Accepted Answer

A. B only. Each weight is 5 kg, and the value recorded is the number of weights added just before the material broke, so the material can hold that many weights without breaking. To hold a 40 kg fish it must support at least 40 kg = 8 weights of 5 kg. Only B (9 weights = holds up to 45 kg) can support 40 kg. A holds 20 kg, C holds 30 kg, D holds 10 kg. So only B is suitable.

Question 18

The table below shows the state of four substances, A, B, C and D, at different temperatures. At 20°C / 40°C / 60°C — A: solid, solid, solid; B: solid, liquid, liquid; C: solid, solid, liquid; D: liquid, liquid, liquid. Which one of the following statements is correct?

Accepted Answer

D. Substance A has the highest freezing point.. Substance A is still solid at 60°C, so its melting/freezing point is above 60°C — the highest of the four substances (D correct). C changes from solid to liquid between 40°C and 60°C, so its melting point (not boiling point) is between those temperatures (A wrong). We cannot tell D's boiling point from the data (B wrong). B melts between 20°C and 40°C, so its freezing point is between those, not 60°C (C wrong).

Question 19

Kelvin conducted an experiment using the set-up shown below: a sealed container holding 50 cm³ of air above 150 cm³ of water, with a pump and a tap. He turned on the tap to drain out 20 cm³ of water. Next, he used the pump to pump in 15 cm³ of air into the sealed container. What was the final volume of air in the sealed container?

Accepted Answer

C. 70 cm³. Draining out 20 cm³ of water leaves that space filled by air, so air increases by 20 cm³ (50 + 20 = 70 cm³). Then pumping in 15 cm³ more air gives 70 + 15 = 85 cm³ of air. However, the container is sealed and the total volume is fixed at 200 cm³; after draining 20 cm³ water, water = 130 cm³ and air occupies the rest = 70 cm³ (the 15 cm³ pumped in only increases the pressure, not the volume in the fixed sealed space). Final volume of air = 70 cm³.

Question 20

The diagram below shows the water cycle, with land, sea, clouds and labelled processes/states A, B and C. Which states of matter of water do A, B and C represent?

Accepted Answer

C. A: gas / B: liquid / C: liquid. A is water vapour rising by evaporation, which is a gas. B is the cloud, made of tiny liquid water droplets (condensed water vapour), so it is liquid. C is rain falling, which is liquid. Therefore A = gas, B = liquid, C = liquid.

Question 21

Felicia set up five bulbs, P, Q, R, S and T, in the circuit as shown below. How many bulbs will remain lit when bulb Q fuses?

Accepted Answer

C. 3. The circuit has parallel branches. Bulbs R and Q are in series on one branch, so when Q fuses, that branch is broken and both R and Q go off. The other branches (containing T and P in one path, and S in another parallel path) remain complete, so T, P and S stay lit — 3 bulbs remain lit.

Question 22

Han Yu had three rods, A, B and C, made of different materials. He wanted to test the electrical conductivity of the rods using an electrical circuit by placing them at various positions as shown in the diagram. His observations: bulb B1 lit (Yes), B2 did not light (No), B3 lit (Yes), B4 lit (Yes). Which one of the following correctly shows the electrical conductivity of the rods A, B and C?

Accepted Answer

B. A: Conductor / B: Conductor / C: Insulator. Rod C is in series with bulb B2, which did not light, so C does not conduct — C is an insulator. Rod B is in series with bulb B4, which lit, so B conducts — B is a conductor. Rod A is at Position 2 in the main line; since bulbs B1 and B3 lit, current flows through rod A, so A conducts — A is a conductor. Therefore A: Conductor, B: Conductor, C: Insulator.

Question 23

The circuit diagrams below show four circuits, P, Q, R and S. The batteries and bulbs used are identical and are all working properly. (Circuit P: one battery with two bulbs in parallel; Circuit Q: two bulbs in series in one branch and two bulbs in the other; Circuit R: one battery and one bulb; Circuit S: one battery with two bulbs.) Which of the following statements about the brightness of the bulbs is/are correct? A: Each bulb in circuit P is as bright as the bulb in circuit S. B: Each bulb in circuit P is as bright as the bulb in circuit R. C: Each bulb in circuit S is as bright as the bulb in circuit Q.

Accepted Answer

C. B and C only. In circuit P the two bulbs are in parallel, so each gets the full battery voltage and is as bright as the single bulb in circuit R (B correct). In circuits S and Q the relevant bulbs are arranged so each carries the same reduced current, making them equally bright (C correct). Statement A is wrong because a parallel bulb in P is brighter than a bulb in the series arrangement of S. So only B and C are correct.

Question 24

Tricia carried out an experiment to find out the magnetic strength of the three magnets, P, Q and R, using the set-up shown. She slowly moved magnet P towards some iron pins until the magnet first attracted the pins from a distance, X. She then repeated the procedure twice and calculated the average distance. The experiment was then repeated with two other magnets, Q and R. Average distance 'x' (cm): P = 3.8, Q = 1.5, R = 2.4. Which one of the following shows the correct order of the magnetic strength of the magnets, P, Q and R, from the strongest to the weakest?

Accepted Answer

A. P, R, Q. The stronger a magnet, the greater the distance from which it can attract the iron pins. Average distances: P = 3.8 cm (largest), R = 2.4 cm, Q = 1.5 cm (smallest). So the order from strongest to weakest is P, R, Q.

Question 25

A group of children took a roller coaster ride. The diagram shows the track with positions X (on a rise/low section), Y (at the top of the highest hill) and Z (on a downward slope). Which one of the following correctly identifies the forces that are present at positions X, Y and Z?

Accepted Answer

D. X: Frictional and Gravitational forces / Y: Frictional and Gravitational forces / Z: Frictional and Gravitational forces. Gravitational force acts on the roller coaster at every point on the track. Frictional force also acts wherever the coaster is in contact with and moving along the track, which is at all three positions X, Y and Z. Therefore both frictional and gravitational forces are present at X, Y and Z.

Question 26

An astronaut in a rocket was travelling from the Earth to the Moon. Which one of the following graphs correctly shows how his weight changes as he travelled from the Earth to the Moon?

Accepted Answer

C. A falling line — weight decreases with distance from Earth.. Weight depends on gravitational pull. As the astronaut moves away from Earth, Earth's gravitational pull on him decreases, so his weight decreases. The graph showing weight decreasing as distance from Earth increases (option 3/C) is correct.

Question 27

A luge is a small one-or-two-person sled on which one sleds facing up and feet first. The diagram below shows a luge athlete on a luge going down a slope. Which one of the following statements is true about how gravitational force acting on the athlete changes while he sleds down the slope?

Accepted Answer

C. The gravitational force acting on the athlete remains the same while he sleds down the slope.. The gravitational force (weight) acting on the athlete depends on his mass and the Earth's gravity, both of which stay the same as he goes down the slope. The small change in height on a slope does not noticeably change gravity, so the gravitational force remains the same.

Question 28

The experiment shown below is carried out in a dark room. Sheets A, B, C and D are arranged in a straight line. Sheet A is nearest the lighted candle; sheet B has a hole; then sheet C then sheet D. When the candle is lighted, a bright circular patch of light is seen on sheet C only. Which one of the following correctly describes the properties of the materials that sheets A, B, C and D are made of?

Accepted Answer

B. Allows light to pass through: B / Does not allow light to pass through: A and C / Unable to tell: D. Light passes through the hole in sheet B (or B lets light through) and forms a patch on sheet C, so B allows light to pass. The patch is seen on C only — light stops at C, so C does not allow light to pass through. Sheet A must also block light (a patch would otherwise appear elsewhere) — A does not allow light through. Since no light reaches D, we cannot tell D's property. This matches option B: B allows light; A and C do not; D unable to tell.

Question 29

The diagrams below show the process of how James plays a game of gateball, using a stick to hit a ball. Which one of the following best shows the energy conversions when James uses the stick to hit the ball?

Accepted Answer

D. chemical potential energy (James) → kinetic energy (stick) → kinetic energy (ball) + sound energy (ball) + heat energy (ball). The energy originates as chemical potential energy stored in James, which is converted to kinetic energy of the moving stick. When the stick hits the ball, this becomes kinetic energy of the ball plus sound energy and heat energy produced at impact. Option D shows the complete and correct chain: chemical potential → kinetic (stick) → kinetic + sound + heat (ball).

Question 30

Alice, Bryan, Calvin and Davy took turns to release a marble from Point W as shown in the diagram below. It rolled down the slope, moved along the carpeted floor and stopped at Point Z. Points X and Y are on the slope; the angle of inclination is shown. The following statements were made by the four pupils. Alice: At Points X and Y, the ball only has kinetic energy. Bryan: The ball has the greatest amount of gravitational potential energy at Point W. Calvin: The ball would have rolled further if the experiment had been done on a marbled floor. Davy: The ball would have rolled faster if the angle of inclination had been greater. Who had made the correct statement?

Accepted Answer

D. Bryan, Calvin and Davy only. Bryan is correct: Point W is highest, so the ball has the greatest gravitational potential energy there. Calvin is correct: a smooth marbled floor has less friction than carpet, so the ball rolls further. Davy is correct: a steeper slope makes the ball roll faster. Alice is wrong: on the slope at X and Y the ball still has some gravitational potential energy as well as kinetic energy, not kinetic energy only. So Bryan, Calvin and Davy are correct.

P6 Science SA2 2014 — Catholic High

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P6 Science SA2 2014 — Catholic High

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