Answers to Workbook exercises

Unit 1 Plants
Exercise 1.1 The beginning of photosynthesis
1 600 million years.
2 From fossils. We can date the rocks in which the different kinds of fossils are found.
Students may point out that this isn’t absolute proof, as we may not have found
fossils from the earliest time when a particular species was in existence, either
because it didn’t form fossils or because we haven’t discovered any.
3 Photosynthesis produced oxygen.
4 Animals cannot make their own food. They rely on food that has originally been
made by plants. Also, animals need oxygen. Without photosynthesis, there would be
no oxygen in the atmosphere.

Exercise 1.2 Drawing leaves

Students should use the checklist provided to assess their own leaf drawings.

Exercise 1.3 The effect of different colours of light

on the rate of photosynthesis
1 The colour of the light.
2 The number of bubbles produced in one minute.
3 Three out of: the light intensity (strength); the type of water the weed was in; the
amount of pond weed; the type of pond weed; the temperature.
4 For example:

Colour of light Number of bubbles per minute

1st try 2nd try 3rd try mean
white 11 13 12 12
(colourless)
red 10 12 11 11
green 4 5 6 5
blue 8 12 10 10

Copyright Cambridge University Press 2013 Cambridge Checkpoint Science 8 1

 Answers to Workbook exercises: Unit 1

14

12
mean number of bubbles

10
per minute

0 red green blue colourless

colour of light

6 Accept any valid conclusion that can be made from these results, for example: plants
photosynthesise fastest in white light; photosynthesis happens faster in blue light
than in green light.

Exercise 1.4 Plants in space – Extension

1 Accept any sensible answer, for example: so that they can be given an appropriate
balance of gases in the air; to stop water or soil from escaping and floating around
where the astronauts are living and working.
2 There is no gravity to make the water fall when it is tipped out of a container such
as a watering can.
3 a Roots grow towards the pull of gravity. If there is no gravity, they can grow in
all directions.
b The plants are spun round, producing a force that simulates gravity.
4 Sandy soils have large spaces between the soil particles. Water can move very easily
between the particles and – with no gravity to pull it downwards – would float away
into the air.
5 The plants would produce oxygen for them to breathe.
The plants could provide food.
Looking after the plants would help the astronauts to stay relaxed and happy during
the long journey.

Copyright Cambridge University Press 2013 Cambridge Checkpoint Science 8 2