Biology
1.
Rachel has an injury to her spinal cord just above her waist. She cannot walk because she cannot make her legs move. A doctor tests Rachel’s knee jerk reflex and finds that it still works, even though she cannot walk. Use information about the pathways followed by nerve impulses to suggest an explanation for these observations.
2.
Scientists are investigating some properties of structures in a yeast cell. They are examining the processes of aerobic respiration and anaerobic respiration. Their results are shown in the table.
Explain how the properties of these structures help the yeast cell to respire using aerobic respiration and anaerobic respiration. structure in yeast cell cell membrane cytoplasm mitochondria nucleus property freely permeable to gases contains enzymes contain enzymes holds the genetic code
3.
Use your knowledge of the genetic code to explain where and how proteins are coded for and made.
Chemistry
1.
The table shows data about the physical properties of some elements.
Mendeleev put these elements into two groups in the Periodic Table. He used their similarities and differences to put lithium, sodium and potassium in one group. He put chlorine, bromine and iodine into another group.
Discuss which data in the table support , and which data do not support , Mendeleev’s idea of organising these elements into the two groups.
2.
Use the data sheet on page 2 to help you answer this question. Amy and Zak’s teacher tells them that neither of their conclusions are fully correct. Look at Amy and Zak’s tests and their results. Explain why neither Amy or Zak has a fully correct conclusion. Identify the correct metal and non-metal ions in the solution.
2.
Alex wants to use a titration method to make some potassium sulfate. Alex begins by measuring 25.0 cm 3 of dilute potassium hydroxide into a flask. He reacts the potassium hydroxide with dilute sulfuric acid. Alex does titrations to find out the volume of acid that exactly reacts with the 25.0 cm 3 dilute potassium hydroxide. Describe in detail how Alex does the titrations.

1.
Two cars, A and B , are crash tested by scientists. Car A has a crumple zone but car B does not.
Using the information given, and by calculating the forces on the drivers, explain why a government might choose to make crumple zones a legal requirement.
2.
Tim walks on a nylon carpet wearing shoes with rubber soles. When he touches a metal rail, he feels an electric shock. Tim is worried about the risk from these electric shocks. Explain these observations, and discuss what Tim will need to consider to decide the size of the risk.
3.
Read the following passage.
A study for the German Government was carried out by scientists from the University of Mainz.
It found that children living within 5 km of nuclear power stations were 2.19 times more likely to get cancer than children living further away. The researchers looked at a sample of 593 children under five who had leukaemia, which is a type of blood cancer, over a 23-year period. They compared them with a sample of 1766 healthy children. For each child the researchers took into account the distance from the child’s home to the nuclear power plant. Some scientists think that emissions of ionising radiation from the nuclear power stations could be causing cancer. Other scientists think that the increased risk is due to other factors.
Two government ministers talk about the study.
Use ideas about the harmful effects of radiation, together with the information about the study, to discuss whether ministers should write laws based on this study.

Biology
1.
Yeast is a single-celled microorganism. Yeast can be grown in a fermenter. The yeast cells are grown in a liquid containing nutrients. The nutrients are needed for them to grow and reproduce. Yeast can carry out both aerobic and anaerobic respiration.
Some yeast cells are put into a solution into two fermenters, A and B . The lid is closed tight so that no air can get in or out of fermenter A . Air containing oxygen is bubbled through fermenter B . A scientist counts the number of yeast cells in samples taken from both fermenters. The results show that the yeast reproduces faster in fermenter B than in fermenter A .
The scientist adds a chemical called adriamycin to the yeast culture in fermenter B after the first 4 hours of the study. Adriamycin is quick-acting and prevents the copying of chromosomes. The scientist continues to count the number of yeast cells in samples from this fermenter for a further two hours. Describe and explain how this chemical will affect the yeast cells during the next two hours of the study. Use your knowledge of the cell cycle in your answer.
2.
Dr Amrani is a researcher studying embryonic stem cells. She grows some embryonic stem cells from one embryo in a petri-dish. These cells are unspecialised.
Dr Amrani removes some of the embryonic stem cells and produces some specialised cells needed to replace damaged tissues (process A). The remaining embryonic stem cells stay unspecialised and are used to create a new cell culture (process B).
Use your knowledge of growth and development in cells to explain the differences between the cells produced by processes A and B.
3.
Different models have been proposed to explain how memory works. Describe the multi-store model for memory and show how the data collected in this investigation supports this model. You can use the space provided to draw a model if this will help your explanation.
Chemistry
1.
The table shows some information about the element hydrogen. Fay and Guy are discussing where hydrogen fits in the Periodic Table.
Use information in the table and your knowledge of Group 1 elements to evaluate the ideas of Fay and Guy.

2.
Sam does some research about the properties of diamond and graphite. The table shows what he finds out.
Sam notices that some of the properties are similar and some are different. He finds diagrams that show the structures of diamond and graphite.
The table shows some similarities and differences in the properties of diamond and graphite. Use ideas about their structures to explain these similarities and differences.
3.
Alex predicts that the more concentrated the acid, the faster the reaction. He plans some experiments to find out if his prediction is right. He has this equipment.
He has three different concentrations of hydrochloric acid.
1.
Look at the two graphs showing motorcycle rider deaths and helmet use.
A politician looks at the graphs. And says…
The number of deaths dropped in 2009, and in that year fewer riders used helmets.
We think motorcycle helmets save lives, but this data proves they do not. I think that motorcycle helmets stop your head moving in a shorter time during a collision.
The politician has misunderstood the ideas of correlation and cause, and does not understand how motorcycle helmets work.
Explain why he is wrong , using the data and your knowledge of physics.
Describe how Alex could use the equipment and his results to show that the more concentrated the acid, the faster the reaction.

2.
Diane investigates how the resistance of a wire changes with the length of wire. She uses this circuit. Here are her results.
Diane says …..
I expected resistance to be proportional to length of wire. My graph does not show this. I noticed the wire got hot when it was short.
Discuss Diane’s comments and explain the shape of her graph.
3.
Zoe has a problem with her chest. Her doctor suggests that she has a series of CAT scans over a period of time. CAT scans do not use radioactive sources, but do produce ionising radiation. Zoe researches CAT scans on the internet and finds this information.
Use the data to help you discuss the issues that need to be thought about when Zoe makes a decision about whether or not to have the CAT scan.

Biology
1.
A group of students are doing fieldwork. Anton wants to find out if the amount of light affects the distribution of plants. He does this by comparing the plants growing in the middle of a field with those growing under a hedge surrounding the field. Explain how he will use a quadrat, light meter and identification key to do his investigation.
2.
Plant hormones are produced naturally by the growing tips of plant shoots. A researcher is studying the effect of plant hormones on the directional growth of plant shoots.
She cuts the tips off three plant shoots A , B and C . Blocks of agar jelly, containing a plant hormone, are placed on the cut surfaces of the plant shoots. The plant shoots are placed in a dark box for 12 hours. After 12 hours, the shoots are removed from the box and the appearance of each shoot, A , B and C is recorded.
Describe and explain the differences in the three shoots, A , B and C after 12 hours.
3.
Jimmy’s teacher tells him that a synapse is found between a sensory neuron and a relay neuron in a spinal reflex arc. An electrical impulse travels along the sensory neuron and reaches the synapse.
Describe what happens at the synapse and suggest why the impulse cannot travel back from the relay neuron to the sensory neuron.
1.
Alex plans to write an article about flame colours for a school science magazine. He researches the flame colours of some compounds of metals from Group 1 in the Periodic Table. He talks about his findings with other science students in an internet chat room.
Alex Hi everyone. Have any of you done any research into flame test colours for Group 1?
I have found out that potassium and rubidium both give purple flames. I think that each group has its own flame colour.
Bea I’ve checked out your research and I agree about the flame colours for potassium and rubidium. I just looked up caesium and that’s purple too!
Carl I flame tested some Group 2 elements, none of them were purple. They were all different colours.
Dan Sodium is in Group 1 and gives a yellow flame.
Elly I’ve looked on the internet and I can’t find any elements that give purple flame colours except the ones in Group 1.
Fay Lithium doesn’t have a purple flame.
Alex’s ideas are that in flame tests:
• all the elements in a group of the Periodic Table have the same flame colour
• each group has its own flame colour.
Explain how each piece of evidence in the chat supports or does not support Alex’s ideas.

2.
Carbon dioxide and silicon dioxide are compounds that occur naturally on
Earth. The table shows some information about the two compounds.
Use ideas about structure and bonding to explain the similarities and differences between the properties of carbon dioxide and silicon dioxide.
3.
Lithium chloride, sodium chloride and potassium chloride are all soluble in water. The diagrams show the energy change when each salt dissolves in water.
Tom does an experiment. He dissolves each compound in water and measures the temperature change that happens when the compound dissolves. He uses the same amount of each compound and water each time.
Use the energy level diagrams to help you to explain the results Tom should expect from his experiment.
1.
Some scientists believe that nuclear fusion will be a major source of energy.
Currently, nuclear power stations use nuclear fission to generate electricity.
• Fission of uranium-235 releases 3.2 x 10 -11 J per event.
• Fusion of hydrogen-1 releases 2.8 x 10 -12 J per event.
Compare how nuclear fusion and nuclear fission release energy.
2.
Motors and generators both contain magnets and coils of wire. Explain the similarities and differences between a motor and a generator.
3.
A simple roller coaster has one line of track on which a vehicle travels backwards and forwards.
• The vehicle is pulled up the left side of the track, and is then released.
• It travels down the track, speeding up as it moves.
• It rises up the right side of the track, slowing down as it moves upwards.
• It rolls back down.
• It moves backwards and forwards on the track several times, with each move becoming
lower and lower and the top speed becoming slower and slower.
Use ideas of energy to explain the motion of the vehicle.