GCSE Combined Science Foundation Paper 3
Covers Cell Biology, Organisation, Infection and Response and 9 more.
Questions
Question 1 [2 marks]
Electricity
The resistance of a wire depends on several factors.
State two factors that affect the resistance of a wire.
Question 2 [2 marks]
Cell Biology
Plant and animal cells share many subcellular structures, but some structures are only found in plant cells.
State two structures found in a plant cell but not in an animal cell.
Question 3 [2 marks]
Particle Model of Matter
A block of wood has a mass of 60 g and a volume of 75 cm^3.
Calculate the density of the wood. Use density = mass / volume.
Question 4 [2 marks]
Quantitative Chemistry
Magnesium oxide has the formula MgO.
Calculate the relative formula mass (Mr) of magnesium oxide. Relative atomic masses: Mg = 24, O = 16.
Question 5 [3 marks]
Infection and Response
Measles is a communicable disease caused by a virus.
State three measures that can be taken to reduce the spread of an infectious disease such as measles.
Question 6 [4 marks]
Quantitative Chemistry
Ammonia has the formula NH3.
Calculate the relative formula mass of ammonia, and calculate the number of moles in 8.5 g of ammonia. Relative atomic masses: N = 14, H = 1.
Question 7 [4 marks]
Bioenergetics
Aerobic respiration is the process that releases energy from glucose using oxygen.
Write the word equation for aerobic respiration, and state one place in a cell where aerobic respiration takes place.
Question 8 [4 marks]
Bonding, Structure and the Properties of Matter
Magnesium oxide, MgO, is an ionic compound formed from magnesium and oxygen.
Describe how magnesium and oxygen atoms form ions to make magnesium oxide, and name the particles held together by ionic bonding in the compound.
Question 9 [4 marks]
Energy
Over recent decades, an increasing proportion of the UK's electricity has been generated from renewable resources rather than fossil fuels.
State two reasons why the use of renewable energy resources has increased, and state two disadvantages of relying on renewable energy resources such as wind and solar power.
Question 10 [4 marks]
Particle Model of Matter
A fixed mass of gas has a volume of 0.80 m^3 at a pressure of 150 kPa.
The gas is compressed at constant temperature until its pressure increases to 400 kPa.
Calculate the new volume of the gas. Use p1 V1 = p2 V2.
Question 11 [4 marks]
Chemical Changes
Sulfuric acid reacts with sodium hydroxide according to the equation H2SO4 + 2NaOH -> Na2SO4 + 2H2O.
25.0 cm^3 of sodium hydroxide solution of concentration 0.40 mol/dm^3 is exactly neutralised by 20.0 cm^3 of sulfuric acid.
Calculate the concentration, in mol/dm^3, of the sulfuric acid.
Question 12 [5 marks]
Forces
A spring has an unstretched length of 12 cm.
When a force of 6 N is applied, the spring stretches to a length of 18 cm.
Calculate the extension of the spring, and calculate the spring constant of the spring. Use F = k e.
Question 13 [5 marks]
Chemical Changes
A student wants to identify the halide ion present in an unknown salt solution.
Describe a test the student could use to identify a chloride, bromide or iodide ion in solution, including the reagent used and the expected results.
Question 14 [5 marks]
Organisation
A potometer is used to measure the rate of water uptake by a leafy shoot.
In still air, the air bubble in the capillary tube moves 6.0 cm in 5 minutes.
In front of a fan, the air bubble moves 15.0 cm in 5 minutes.
Calculate the percentage increase in the rate of water uptake caused by the fan.
Question 15 [5 marks]
Atomic Structure and the Periodic Table
Magnesium has three naturally occurring isotopes: magnesium-24 with an abundance of 79%, magnesium-25 with an abundance of 10% and magnesium-26 with an abundance of 11%.
Calculate the relative atomic mass of magnesium. Give your answer to 3 significant figures.
Question 16 [5 marks]
Cell Biology
Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that can differentiate into different types of specialised cell.
Describe how stem cells from bone marrow could be used to treat a patient with a blood disorder, and describe two risks associated with this type of treatment.
Model solutions
| Question 1[2 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| the length of the wire (a longer wire has more resistance) | B1 |
| the cross-sectional area (thickness) of the wire (a thinner wire has more resistance) | B1 |
| Final answer: Length of the wire and its cross-sectional area (thickness) both affect its resistance | |
| Question 2[2 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| cell wall | B1 |
| chloroplast or (permanent) vacuole | B1 |
| Final answer: Cell wall and chloroplast (or permanent vacuole) | |
| Question 3[2 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| substituting 60 / 75 | M1 |
| 0.8 g/cm^3 | A1 |
| Question 4[2 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| adding the relative atomic masses of Mg and O | M1 |
| 40 | A1 |
| Question 5[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| vaccination, reducing the number of people susceptible to the disease | B1 |
| isolating infected individuals from other people | B1 |
| good hygiene, such as hand washing or covering the mouth when coughing or sneezing | B1 |
| Final answer: Vaccination, isolating infected people, and good hygiene such as hand washing or covering coughs | |
| Question 6[4 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| adding the relative atomic masses, 14 + (1 x 3) | M1 |
| a relative formula mass of 17 | A1 |
| moles = mass / relative formula mass, 8.5 / 17 | M1 |
| 0.5 mol | A1 |
| Final answer: Relative formula mass 17; 0.5 mol in 8.5 g | |
| Question 7[4 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| glucose + oxygen as the reactants | B1 |
| carbon dioxide + water as the products | B1 |
| stating energy is released (transferred) in the reaction | B1 |
| stating aerobic respiration takes place in the mitochondria | B1 |
| Final answer: glucose + oxygen -> carbon dioxide + water (releasing energy), in the mitochondria | |
| Question 8[4 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| magnesium atoms losing 2 electrons to form Mg2+ ions | B1 |
| oxygen atoms gaining 2 electrons to form O2- ions | B1 |
| the oppositely charged ions being strongly attracted to each other | B1 |
| stating the particles held together are ions (Mg2+ and O2- ions) | B1 |
| Final answer: Mg2+ and O2- ions form by electron transfer and are held together by strong ionic bonding | |
| Question 9[4 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| fossil fuels being a finite resource that will eventually run out | B1 |
| burning fossil fuels releasing carbon dioxide and contributing to climate change, while most renewables produce little or no carbon dioxide | B1 |
| a valid disadvantage, e.g. wind and solar power generation depends on the weather and is not always reliable | B1 |
| a second valid disadvantage, e.g. large-scale storage of the electricity generated is still difficult, or the initial cost of building renewable generators is high | B1 |
| Final answer: Fossil fuels are finite and burning them causes climate change, so renewables (which produce little CO2) have grown; but their supply is weather-dependent and storage/costs remain a challenge | |
| Question 10[4 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| using p1 V1 = p2 V2 | M1 |
| substituting 150 x 0.80 = 400 x V2 | M1 |
| rearranging to V2 = (150 x 0.80) / 400 | M1 |
| 0.30 m^3 | A1 |
| Question 11[4 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| moles of NaOH = 0.40 x (25 / 1000) | M1 |
| using the 2:1 mole ratio between NaOH and H2SO4 from the equation | M1 |
| concentration = moles / volume, substituting 0.005 / (20 / 1000) | M1 |
| 0.25 mol/dm^3 | A1 |
| Question 12[5 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| extension = 18 - 12 | M1 |
| 6 cm (0.06 m) | A1 |
| rearranging F = k e to k = F / e | M1 |
| substituting 6 / 0.06 | M1 |
| 100 N/m | A1 |
| Final answer: 6 cm (0.06 m) extension; spring constant 100 N/m | |
| Question 13[5 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| adding dilute nitric acid to the solution | B1 |
| then adding silver nitrate solution | B1 |
| a chloride ion giving a white precipitate | B1 |
| a bromide ion giving a cream precipitate | B1 |
| an iodide ion giving a yellow precipitate | B1 |
| Final answer: Add nitric acid then silver nitrate solution: white precipitate = chloride, cream = bromide, yellow = iodide | |
| Question 14[5 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| finding the rate in still air, 6.0 / 5 = 1.2 cm per minute | M1 |
| finding the rate in front of the fan, 15.0 / 5 = 3.0 cm per minute | M1 |
| finding the increase in rate, 3.0 - 1.2 = 1.8 cm per minute | M1 |
| (1.8 / 1.2) x 100 | M1 |
| 150% | A1 |
| Final answer: 150% increase in the rate of water uptake | |
| Question 15[5 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| multiplying each isotope's mass by its percentage abundance | M1 |
| (24 x 79) + (25 x 10) + (26 x 11) | M1 |
| a total of 2432 | A1 |
| dividing the total by 100 | M1 |
| 24.3 | A1 |
| Question 16[5 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| stem cells being removed from the bone marrow of a healthy donor | B1 |
| the stem cells being transplanted into the patient | B1 |
| the stem cells differentiating into the type of blood cell the patient lacks | B1 |
| the risk that the transplanted cells could be rejected by the patient's immune system | B1 |
| the risk of transferring a viral infection from the donor to the patient | B1 |
| Final answer: Donor stem cells are transplanted and differentiate into the needed blood cells; risks include rejection and infection transfer | |