Exam Questions Flashcards
Give the role that genes play in life processes
They control inherited characteristics, e.g. eye colour
Give the function of the alveoli
Where gas exchange occurs (CO2 from body + O2 from air)
How does smoking affect how much oxygen is taken into the bloodstream from the lungs during gaseous exchange?
There’s less oxygen taken into the bloodstream
Give three harmful effects of smoking on the human breathing system
- Tar in tobacco smoke irritates + damages lining of bronchioles, this causes the production of too much mucous which can’t be easily cleared. This can lead to bronchitis.
- Lung cancer
- Damages alveoli
- Coughing
- Increased risk of lung infections
Distinguish between sensory + motor nerves
Sensory nerves carry impulses to the brain + spinal cord, motor nerves carry impulses from the brain + spinal cord to the muscles + glands
Give a reason why cells need energy
- to grow/develop
- to do work/be repaired
Give two examples of the use of biotechnology in industry
- yeast in baking + brewing industry (b + a)
- ‘biological’ washing powders, where the enzymes from bacteria help break down protein-based stains, e.g. blood
Give two examples of the use of biotechnology in medicine
- Bacteria + fungi used to produce antibiotics
2. Viruses + bacteria used to produce vaccines
How should the food chain be presented?
From the bottom up (e.g. grass –> hawk)
What type of consumer is a badger?
Omnivore
What is interdependence? Give an example.
Where different types of organism depend on one another for survival
- e.g. mouse on plants for food + shelter, plant on mouse for pollination/seed dispersal
What is the function of the lenses on a microscope?
To magnify things on the slide for ease of viewing
What is the function of the focus wheel on a microscope?
To focus on the object on the slide and make it clearer/sharper
Why is it important to only use a specimen of onion skin that’s one cell thick when viewing it under the microscope?
- If it was more than one cell thick, you wouldn’t be able to see the cells clearly due to overlapping
Give the parts and functions of a plant cell
- Cell wall - gives shape + support
- Cell membrane - a skin that surrounds + protects the cell + controls things that enter + leave
- Cytoplasm - watery substance containing many dissolved substances such as sugars + proteins (+ other structures); where the chemical reactions necessary for life take place
- Vacuoles - spaces in the cytoplasm which store things + give support
- Chloroplasts - hold chlorophyll, the green colour plants use to make food
- Nucleus - the control centre of the cell, which contains the DNA; controls the type of chemicals the cell will make + is involved in how it divides to make more cells
Give two differences between crystalline + non-crystalline solids
- crystalline are geometric/have a regular shape, non-crystalline have a non-regular shape
- crystalline are sparkly/shiny in appearance, non-crystalline are dull
- crystalline have high melting + boiling points, non-crystalline have low melting + boiling points
Give two different properties of the element iron compared with the compound iron sulfide
- iron is grey metal, iron sulfide is black solid
- iron is magnetic, iron sulfide isn’t
- iron conducts electricity, iron sulfide doesn’t
- iron is malleable/ductile, iron sulfide isn’t
Name the products of a reaction between potassium + water
- Potassium hydroxide (KOH)
2. Hydrogen gas (H2)
Why properties of alcohol + water make them suitable for separation using a Liebig condenser?
Alcohol has a lower boiling point than water, so they separate as it evaporates first
(70 degrees)
Give the equation for the formation of carbon dioxide, in words + symbols
Hydrochloric acid + calcium carbonate = calcium chloride + water + carbon dioxide
HCl + CaCO3 = CaCl + H2O + CO2
Distinguish between a mixture + a compound
Mixture - things have been mingled but not chemically combined
Compound - a substance made up of two or more substances which have been chemically combined
Explain the purpose of a (vacuum) pump in this investigation
To speed up the investigation as there’s a low concentration of CO2 in the air
Explain why something is a reflection
- the image is back to front
- the water acts like a mirror + the image bounces off it
Name the type of bonding in magnesium oxide (MgO)
Ionic
Give one advantage of nuclear power
- lots of energy from small amounts of fuel
- no acidic gases/carbon dioxide produced
Name the process that describes the movement of water inside the tank as it’s heated
Which pipe of hot water tank?
Convection
Top
How is work done calculated?
force x distance moved
How is power calculated?
work done
___________
time taken
What property of electric charge causes the streamers on the generator to stand on end + apart
Like charges repel one another
Name two electric conversions that occur when an electric car is in motion
Electric –> kinetic
Electric –> sound (radio, engine)
Define centre of gravity
The point through which the weight of an object appears to act
Give two design features of a double decker bus that would lower its centre of gravity + make it more stable when turning corners
- wide base (top deck narrower than bottom)
- large wheels
- close to ground
- light upper deck
- engine close to ground
Why will the bus topple if the rope is removed?
The vertical line through the bus’ centre of gravity falls outside its supporting base, making it unstable
Define lever
Any rigid body that’s free to turn around a fixed point/axis called a fulcrum
How do you know if a lever is balanced?
Calculate the moments acting on it (force x perpendicular distance from fulcrum)
Define Hooke’s law
The extension of a string is directly proportional to the force applied to it
What is meant by the elastic limit of a spring?
The maximum extent to which it can be stretched without permanent alteration to size/shape
Where does the energy required to stretch a trampoline’s springs come from?
The weight/jumping of a person on the trampoline
How is sound produced?
Objects vibrating which causes particles in the surrounding medium to vibrate
What is an echo?
A sound that’s reflected from a surface
Give an everyday use for an LDR
- to control street lamps
- burglar alarms
- automatic security lights
Where would you place an an ohmmeter in a circuit containing an LDR and then an LED to measure resistance?
After the LDR but before the LED
Distinguish between excretion + éventions
Excretion - the removal of wastes produced by the body cells
Egestion - the removal of indigestes/unused food, e.g. fibre
Name the chemical or reagent used to test for the presence of protein in eggs
Copper sulfate + sodium hydroxide
What colour change takes place when an egg shows a positive result when testing for protein?
Blue to purple
Give two results that were recorded after two weeks of an experiment to show the effect of gravity on the growth response of plants
- all the shoots grew upwards
- all the roots grew downwards
What advantage do plants get from their roots always growing down and shoots always growing up?
- shoots grow upwards towards light source for photosynthesis
- roots grow downwards to obtain water + minerals from soil
Name the innermost layer of the eye on the diagram
The retina
What a the function of the cornea?
A thin layer that’s transparent to light + allows light into the eye
Give the function of the ciliary muscle
Contracts to help the lens focus/changes the shape of the lens to help it focus
Give a tests that could be used to identify carbon dioxide
Limewater: turns milky white
What are producers?
Organisms that make their own food using sunlight (e.g. green plants)
Describe, using a labelled diagram, an experiment to show that starch is produced by a photosynthesising plant
- Leave plant in dark for two days to de-starch, cover part of one leaf with foil, then leave in light for few hours to photosynthesise
- Set up water bath, bring water to boil, drop leaf in for a minute to kill it (after drawing diagram showing where foil was)
- Turn off bb, half fill tt with alcohol, remove leaf from water + push into alcohol - stand tt in warm water bath for 10ish mins (warm alcohol removes chlorophyll from leaf, makes easier to see reaction of starch w/ iodine)
- Remove leaf w/ forceps (creamy white, brittle), dip into water bath to soften
- Spread on white tile, cover in iodine solution
- Draw new diagram showing where starch is present, compare to first
Give two properties of a metal which make it suitable for use in a kitchen sink (aluminium in question)
- malleable (can be hammered/pressed into shape)
- strong
- shiny when polished
- hard
- solid at room temperature
- high melting point
- won’t corrode like iron
What is the pH scale?
A scale from 0-14 which tells you how acidic/alkaline a substance is
Give the name and formula of a compound of sulfur formed when a sulfur-containing fossil fuel burns in air
Name the acid formed when this sulfur compound dissolves in + reacts with water in the atmosphere
Sulfur dioxide (SO2) Sulfuric acid
Name two, what they’re made up of + the uses of all 4
Bronze –> tin + copper, statues
Steel –> iron + carbon, the construction of buildings, car bodies, etc.
Brass –> instruments (trumpets, saxophones)
Solder –> joining wires in electrical circuits
What is an element?
A substance which can’t be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means
By which name are group two elements known?
Alkaline earth metals
What two substances react to form oxygen quickly?
Hydrogen peroxide + manganese dioxide
How could a student show they had collected oxygen?
It would delight a glowing splint
Write a balanced chemical equation for the preparation of O2 gas in the school lab
2H2O2 –MnO2-> O2 + 2H2O
What is a molecule?
Two or more different atoms chemically joined together
The smallest part of an Elect or compound that can exist independently
Define a covalent bond
A bond that consists of shared electrons
Single bond is one pair, double bond is two
Why is some acid added to the water during electrolysis?
To increase its conductivity
Describe a test which distinguishes between hard + soft water
Shake water with soap flakes
Hard water needs lot to form lather (forms a scum)
Soft water needs small amount to form lather (doesn’t form a scum)
In chromatography, why are the ink dots put above the level of liquid in the jar?
So the ink dots won’t dissolve in the liquid if they’re solvable
What are vernier callipers used for?
- for measuring small thicknesses/lengths
- or measuring diameters (e.g. of pipes)
Give two differences between heat + temperature
- heat if a form of energy, temperature is a measure of how hot/cold a body is
- heat is measure in J, temperature measured in C/F/K
Define pressure
The force per unit area
Force (n)
__________
Area (m2)
What effect does an increase in pressure have on the boiling point of water in the pressure cooker?
It increases
Identify two methods of heat transfer demonstrated by the experiment with the ice
- convection
- conduction
Identify two features of a formula 1 car that make it stable when cornering at high speeds
- large rear spoiler
- low suspension
- close to ground
- low front spoiler
- engine low to ground
What is the unit of density?
What is the formula used to calculate density?
G/cm3
Mass/volume
Why does a stone sink in some water?
It’s more dense than the water
What happens to a compass when a switch is closed in a circuit beside it?
The needle of it is turned around/deflected
What conclusion can be drawn from the compass/circuit experiment?
Electric currents generate magnetic fields around their circuits
Name two effects of an electric current and an everyday application of each
- Heating effect –> electric fires, iron, hair dryer
2. Chemical effect –> electrolysis, electroplating
What is the function of a prism in an experiment to investigate the dispersion of light?
- To split the white light into the visible spectrum
What is the unit of acceleration? How is it calculated?
Metres/second/second//m/s2
Speed/time
Name the wires in a 3-pin plug and the colour of each
Neutral - blue
Earth - yellow + green
Live - brown
How does the fuse in a 3-pin plug work for our protection?
If the circuit overheats due to too much current flowing, the fuse will melt safely in its casing + break the circuit, thus preventing a fire
Give one method of varying the brightness of light falling on an LDR
- use different strength bulbs/light sources
- put black plastic bag over, gently pull back
What will happen to an LED in a circuit when the LDR covered with black plastic?
It’ll turn off
What will happen to the LED in the circuit when the LDR is exposed to bright light
It’ll turn on
Give two functions of human skin
- temperature regulation
- excretion
- protection
- it’s a sensory organ
Give the function of a motor nerve
Carries impulses from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles (and glands)
Give the function of a sensory nerve
Carries impulses to the brain and spinal cord from the senses/skin/eyes
Give the role of the rings of cartilage around the trachea
- to keep the trachea/airways open
- to support/strengthen the trachea
Name the parts of the stamen
- filaments + anther
Give the role of the anther in the sexual reproduction of plants
To produce the male gamete
Give one harmful effect of fungi
Cause food spoilage, e.g. bread to go mouldy
Give on beneficial effect of fungi
Used in producing antibiotics
Give one example of adaption
Sparrow hawks have large feet with sharp talons for catching prey
Explain why plants b + c are genetically identical
B is the sole parent of C
Explain why asexual reproduction may be advantageous to offspring
They keep the advantageous traits of their parent, as they’re genetically identical to them
Why are dead peas used in flask b?
As a control to show that only living things should respire + produce heat energy
Explain why thermos flasks were used in the experiment
To prevent heat gain/loss, which would give inaccurate results
What structural feature of the heart allows you to distinguish the right side from the left
The wall/muscle of the left ventricle is larger
Describe a fused joint
Does allow the bones to move in relation to one another (fixed)
Name the type of joint found in the human skull
Fused
Describe the composition of blood entering the kidneys
Waste rich, oxygenated
Describe the composition of blood leaving the kidneys
Has wastes removed, deoxygenated
Why does the flame of a Bunsen burner turn blue when the air hole is opened?
More gas is burned/the flame is fuelled by more oxygen
Describe two safety procedures you’d take when smelling an unknown substance in a test tube in a school lab
- don’t put your nose in directly
- waft hand to raise odour to nose
- wear safety glasses/lab coat
What is the method of separation using a Liebig condenser called?
Distillation
Give two physical properties of alkali metals
- easy to cut with knife (soft)
- shiny when cut
- good conductors
Give the formula of a common base
- NaOH (sodium hydroxide)
- CaCO3 (calcium carbonate)
What is a hydrocarbon?
A compound consisting of hydrogen + carbon atoms only
Name two products produced (other than heat) during the combustion of a hydrocarbon
- water vapour
- carbon dioxide gas
When carbon dioxide is produced what you you expect the ph reading of a meter measuring it to do?
Decrease
What test can you carry out to ensure that gas collected is carbon dioxide?
Bubble it through lime water - it goes from colourless to milky
Why was a pipette used?
To ensure an accurate volume each time
What conclusion can be drawn about the deionised water?
- its soft water
- it’s not hard water
Give a reason why steps two and three were repeated
- to ensure the results were accurate
- to reduce errors
- to obtain an average
Why did the mass of a flask being used for the preparation of oxygen in a lab decrease during the experiment?
- oxygen gas is being released
- hydrogen peroxide is being used up
Explain the difference between an atom and a molecule
- an atom is the smallest particle of an element which still retains the properties of that element
- a molecule is a group of atoms joined together chemically, and the smallest part of an element/compound that can exist independently
List two properties of ionic compounds
- conduct electricity when melted/dissolves in water
- usually solid at room temperature
- usually have high melting + blinking points
- usually solvable in water
What type of change is involved in rusting?
Chemical change
Explain why painting is an effective method of preventing rusting of iron
- it stops the chemical reaction between iron + oxygen + water
Name the mode of heat transfer that occurs if a sunshield is not placed in a car window
Radiation
How does using a sunshield prevent radiation?
It will reflect the heat away from the glass
State two features of the design of a bus that prevent it from toppling when it goes around a sharp corner
- wide base (wheels)
- low centre of gravity
Would an anti-static strip reduce static build up on the body of a car?
Why?
Yes
It would earth the static electricity, meaning electrons would move off the car into the ground
Define velocity (6)
Speed/distance travelled in unit time in a given direction
What is radiation?
The rapid transfer of heat from a hot object without needing a medium (e.g. heat from the sun, as space is empty)
Give two weather conditions you’d expect for Ireland during an anticyclone?
- dry/no rain
- sunny/no wind
- no cloud/clear skies
Why is the image produced by reflection? (Trees on a lake)
The water is a smooth, flat, reflective surface that acts like a mirror
Identify component X ( rectangle with diagonal arrow through it)
A variable resistor (rheostat)
Define the moment of a force
The measure of the turning effect of the force
Force x perpendicular distance from the fulcrum
Would a person use a longer or shorter spanner to loosen some wheel nuts?
Why?
Longer one
The distance from the applied force to the fulcrum is greater, so the turning effect of the force applied by the person is increased
Give the unit of a moment
N cm
What two pieces of information can be drawn from the graph (just a friction vs. weight graph) about the relationship between the weight added on the block and the force of friction?
- the force of friction increases with weight
- the increase in the force of friction is proportional (to the increase in weight added to the block)
Define density
Mass per unit volume of a substance
Mass/volume
Give the unit of density
G/cm3
Describe an experiment to show the magnetic effect of a current
- Allow compass needle to come to rest in normal direction
- Hold straight wire parallel to compass needle
- Connect wire in circuit to battery + switch
- Close the switch for a few second, observe what happens
- The compass needle is deflected by the wire/moves perpendicular to the wire - this is because the current in the wire has produced a magnetic field
Name the blood vessel that brings waste-filled blood into the kidneys
The renal artery
What is maltase?
What is maltose?
An enzyme
The product of the enzyme amylase acting on the substrate starch
Identify a possible control that could be used in an experiment to test for starch in some food samples (spotting tile)
- deionised water
- sample containing starch (e.g. pasta)
Describe the events that follow pollination
- tube grows out of pollen grain
- Tube grows down to the ovary + enter it
- Male zygote passes from the pollen tube into the ovule, which contains the egg cell, and they fuse
- Single cell called zygote formed
- Zygote then develops into new plant
Identify two feature that could influence the frequency of buttercups in a field
- light intensity
- soil pH
- soil moisture
- soil nutrients
- competition from other plants
Name two variables which were kept constant in burning food, warming water, energy content of food experiment
- mass of food used was same each time
- mass of water used was same each time
- experiment carried out until food burned out each time
How is the energy content of food displayed differently on food labels to how it’s shown in the above table?
- on food labels energy content of food is per 100g, above its given per g
What type of muscle is the heart made from?
Cardiac muscle (never gets tired)
State two reasons animals rely on photosynthesis for survival
- for energy (food)
- for oxygen
Give two physical properties of alkali metals
- easy to cut through with knife (soft)
- shiny when cut
- good conductors
- low densities (float in water)
- low melting points compared with other metals
If given a beaker of dilute copper sulfate solution and a Bunsen burner, how could one make the solution more concentrated?
- evaporate some water from the solution
What is a saturated solution?
A solution which contains the maximum amount of solute possible to dissolve in a solvent at a certain temperature
What is the unit of mass used for atoms?
Atomic Mass Unit(s)
A.M.U.
Give two properties of copper that make it ideal for this use
- conducts electricity well
- ductile (can be stretched + made into wires)
What are the technical names given to the substances after filtration
The filtrate + the residue
State the name of the following strong acid: H2SO4
Sulfuric acid
Define the term isotope
Atoms of the same element with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons
What are the two rods poking up into the tubes during electrolysis called?
Electrodes (anode + cathode) (platinum/carbon)
What is formed when magnesium is burned in oxygen? What does it look like?
A white powder called magnesium oxide
How could one confirm that magnesium oxide is a basic oxide?
- red litmus turns blue
- blue change confirms it’s a base
How is water vapour collected as liquid in an investigation into the products of combustion of a hydrocarbon?
- condensation as it passes through the u-tube (surround by ice + water)
Identify the black deposit on something above a Bunsen burner burning a hydrocarbon
- carbon/soot
List magnesium, zinc, copper + calcium in order of increasing reactivity (1. = least)
- Copper
- Zinc
- Magnesium
- Calcium
What is biotechnology?
The use of living things/parts of living things to produce useful products
