Science

Stage 7
Paper 2 2023

45 minutes

No additional materials are needed.

INSTRUCTIONS
• Answer all questions.
• Write your answer to each question in the space provided.
• You should show all your working on the question paper.

INFORMATION
• The total mark for this paper is 50.
• The number of marks for each question or part question is shown in brackets [ ].

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1 There are seven characteristics of living organisms.

(a) Complete Mia’s quiz.

One question has been done for you.

The characteristics of living organisms

1. What is the process of getting rid of waste?

excretion
...........................................................................................................

2. What is the process of increasing the size or mass of an organism?

...........................................................................................................

3. What is the process of making more of the same type organism?

...........................................................................................................

4. What is the process of detecting changes in the surroundings?

...........................................................................................................

5. What is the process of getting energy from food?

...........................................................................................................

[4]

(b) Write down one reason why viruses could be considered non-living.

[1]

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2 Look at the diagrams showing the particles in a solid and a gas.

a solid a gas

(a) Gases are easily compressed (squashed) but solids are not easily compressed.

Explain why.

[2]

(b) Solids keep their own shape but gases fill the container they are put in.

Explain why.

[2]

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3 Carlos tests some gases.

The table shows the tests Carlos uses and his results.

result for
test
gas A gas B gas C

put a lighted splint splint burns burns with a

into the gas splint goes out
brighter squeaky pop
pass the gas limewater stays limewater stays limewater turns
through limewater colourless colourless cloudy
put a glowing
splint into the gas splint relights splint goes out splint goes out

Identify gases A, B and C.

Gas A is .

Gas B is .

Gas C is .
[3]

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4 Pierre investigates current in a series circuit.

He uses the electrical circuit shown in the diagram.

(a) Draw the circuit diagram for Pierre’s circuit.

Use the correct symbols for each component.

[2]

(b) Pierre adds a component to the circuit to measure current.

Write down the name of this component.

[1]

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(c) Pierre adds lamps to the circuit and records the current each time.

Look at the table of his results.

current
number of
lamps
in

1 12

2 9

3 7

4 5

5 2

Write down the unit for current in the table. [1]

(d) Draw a line graph of his results.

You should:

• label the axes

• plot the results
• draw a straight line of best fit.

12

10

...................................... 8

...................................... 6

0
0 1 2 3 4 5

......................................

......................................

[3]

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(e) Describe the relationship between the number of lamps and the current in the circuit.

[1]

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5 Hassan makes a model to show the water cycle.

Hassan:

• pours hot water into a beaker

• covers the top of the beaker with a plastic sheet
• places some ice cubes on top of the plastic sheet
• observes for five minutes.

ice cubes

plastic sheet

elastic band

hot water

(a) (i) Droplets of water form on the underside of the plastic sheet.

Name the process that forms these droplets of water.

[1]

(ii) Hassan repeats the experiment.

He replaces the hot water with cold water.

Fewer water droplets are formed on the underside of the plastic sheet.

Write down two reasons why fewer water droplets are formed.

[2]

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(b) Write down two ways Hassan’s model does not show the complete water cycle.

2
[2]

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6 This question is about the human respiratory system.

Draw a straight line to match each description to its correct diagram.

description diagram

group of cells working together

to do the same function

group of tissues working together

to do the same function

group of organs working together

NOT TO SCALE
[2]

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7 Lily investigates forces.

Lily:

• drops a stone and a feather at the same time in a tube of air

• drops the same stone and feather at the same time in a vacuum.

feather

stone

air vacuum

Write down what Lily observes.

Explain her observations.

Use ideas about forces.

[3]

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8 The Earth and the Moon are held in orbit in the Solar System.

(a) Name the force that holds the Earth in orbit around the Sun.

[1]

(b) Tidal forces occur on Earth because of the positions of the Sun, Earth and Moon.

Look at diagrams A, B, C and D showing four different positions of the Sun, Earth and Moon.

Sun Earth Moon Sun

Earth

Moon
A B

Moon
Sun Moon Earth Sun

Earth

C D

NOT TO SCALE

Which diagram shows the positions of the Sun, Earth and Moon that gives the greatest tidal
force?

Explain your answer.

diagram

explanation

[2]

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(c) Look at the diagram showing the Moon orbiting the Earth and light rays from the Sun.

A
B
Earth
Sun X C

Moon’s orbit
Moon

NOT TO SCALE

A person stands at point X on the Earth.

At which position on the Moon’s orbit would the person see a total lunar eclipse?

Circle the correct position.

A B C D

Explain your answer.

[2]

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9 Organisms have important jobs in ecology.

Look at the section through a composter.

large pieces of dead plant material such as leaves

newer material

older material

compost made of small particles rich in minerals

(a) (i) What process causes the change from the newer material to the older material
inside the composter?

[1]

(ii) Write down the type of organism that causes this change.

[1]

(b) Jamila investigates how temperature changes inside two different composters.

Jamila:

• uses one pile of dead plant material

• divides the pile into two equal masses of dead plant material
• places one sample into composter A and the other sample into composter B
• measures the temperature in each composter every 10 days.

(i) Write down the piece of equipment Jamila uses to measure the temperature.

[1]

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(ii) Here is Jamila’s results table.

temperature inside the composter

in oC
time
composter A composter B
in days

0 25 25

10 69 29

20 52 35

30 41 42

40 31 50

Explain why Jamila is not able to conclude which composter has the higher maximum
temperature.

[1]

(iii) Suggest how Jamila changes the investigation to be certain which composter has the
higher maximum temperature.

[1]

(iv) Explain why it is a good idea for Jamila to repeat her investigation.

[1]

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10 Angelique investigates what happens when some powders are heated.

powder

heat

Look at her results.

colour before colour after other

powder observations
heating heating

D pink black none

E white white none

F white white gas given off

Which powder or powders react when heated?

Explain how you know.

[3]

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11 Rajiv makes a model to show how we hear sounds.

grains of rice

elastic band

rubber sheet

cup

Rajiv:

• places a rubber sheet over a cup

• holds the rubber sheet in place using an elastic band
• places grains of uncooked rice on the top of the rubber sheet
• claps his hands near to the cup.

Describe what Rajiv sees when he claps his hands.

Explain why this happens.

description

explanation

[2]

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12 Chen and Aiko investigate the properties of metals and non-metals.

They look at some data about element X.

property property of element X

appearance dull

density low

ductility poor

electrical conductivity good

malleability brittle

melting point high

solubility in water insoluble

state at room temperature solid

(a) Chen makes this hypothesis,

‘Element X is a metal because it has the properties of a metal.’

Write down two pieces of evidence that support his hypothesis.

2
[2]
(b) Aiko makes this hypothesis,

‘Element X is a non-metal because it has the properties of a non-metal.’

Write down two pieces of evidence that support her hypothesis.

2
[2]

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publisher will be pleased to make amends at the earliest possible opportunity.

To avoid the issue of disclosure of answer-related information to candidates, all copyright acknowledgements are reproduced online in the Cambridge
Assessment International Education Copyright Acknowledgements Booklet. This is produced annually and is available to download at
https://lowersecondary.cambridgeinternational.org/

Cambridge Assessment International Education is part of Cambridge Assessment. Cambridge Assessment is the brand name of the University of Cambridge
Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), which is a department of the University of Cambridge.

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 The Periodic Table of Elements

© UCLES 2023
Group
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 2
H He
hydrogen helium
Key 1 4
3 4 atomic number 5 6 7 8 9 10
Li Be atomic symbol B C N O F Ne
lithium beryllium name boron carbon nitrogen oxygen fluorine neon
7 9 relative atomic mass 11 12 14 16 19 20
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Na Mg Al Si P S Cl Ar
sodium magnesium aluminium silicon phosphorus sulfur chlorine argon
23 24 27 28 31 32 35.5 40
19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36
K Ca Sc Ti V Cr Mn Fe Co Ni Cu Zn Ga Ge As Se Br Kr
potassium calcium scandium titanium vanadium chromium manganese iron cobalt nickel copper zinc gallium germanium arsenic selenium bromine krypton
39 40 45 48 51 52 55 56 59 59 64 65 70 73 75 79 80 84
37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54
20

Rb Sr Y Zr Nb Mo Tc Ru Rh Pd Ag Cd In Sn Sb Te I Xe

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rubidium strontium yttrium zirconium niobium molybdenum technetium ruthenium rhodium palladium silver cadmium indium tin antimony tellurium iodine xenon
85 88 89 91 93 96 – 101 103 106 108 112 115 119 122 128 127 131
55 56 57–71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86
lanthanoids
Cs Ba Hf Ta W Re Os Ir Pt Au Hg Tl Pb Bi Po At Rn
caesium barium hafnium tantalum tungsten rhenium osmium iridium platinum gold mercury thallium lead bismuth polonium astatine radon
133 137 178 181 184 186 190 192 195 197 201 204 207 209 – – –
87 88 89–103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118
actinoids
Fr Ra Rf Db Sg Bh Hs Mt Ds Rg Cn Nh Fl Mc Lv Ts Og
francium radium rutherfordium dubnium seaborgium bohrium hassium meitnerium darmstadtium roentgenium copernicium nihonium flerovium moscovium livermorium tennessine oganesson
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71
lanthanoids La Ce Pr Nd Pm Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy Ho Er Tm Yb Lu
lanthanum cerium praseodymium neodymium promethium samarium europium gadolinium terbium dysprosium holmium erbium thulium ytterbium lutetium
139 140 141 144 – 150 152 157 159 163 165 167 169 173 175
89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103
actinoids Ac Th Pa U Np Pu Am Cm Bk Cf Es Fm Md No Lr
actinium thorium protactinium uranium neptunium plutonium americium curium berkelium californium einsteinium fermium mendelevium nobelium lawrencium
– 232 231 238 – – – – – – – – – – –