2017

Year 9 Paper
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Do not open this booklet until told to do so by your teacher.
2. Use only B or 2B pencil.
3. Answers must be recorded on the answer sheet provided.
There is no penalty for an incorrect answer.
4. Calculators may be used.
5. Diagrams are not necessarily drawn to scale.

TIME
50 minutes
30 Questions
All questions have equal marks

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 BEAVERS AND FLOODING
In the winter of 2015/16 there was widespread, severe flooding in parts of the United Kingdom (UK).
It has been suggested that the introduction of the beaver to the UK could help prevent such floods in
future years.
Beavers fell trees near small rivers and use them to build dams, called ‘beaver dams’. Small lakes form
upstream of the beaver dams.
Beavers have already been introduced to parts of Scotland and southern England.

1 What is the most likely way in which beaver dams could help to reduce flooding?
A The dams would slow the flow of water into flood prone areas.
B The dams would prevent water entering the sea, so there would be less rainfall.
C At times of heavy rain the beavers would quickly build dams to protect the environment.
D The removal of trees from around rivers will make it easier for water to flow downstream.

2 The water just downstream of beaver dams tends to be cleaner than the water upstream of the dams.
Do these processes explain why the water becomes cleaner downstream of beaver dams?
Select the column that provides a correct response for each process.

Would this process explain why the water becomes

A B C D
cleaner?
Particles carried in the water will sink to the bottom of the
no yes yes no
beaver dam.

Bacteria decay organic matter in still or slow moving water. yes yes no no

2017 Big Science Competition Year 9 Paper © Australian Science Innovations ABN 81731558309 2
 THE GREAT FLOOD
Recently, researchers have discovered the first geological evidence for the Great Flood. This was a
disastrous event on the Yellow River in ancient China. The Great Flood was caused by an earthquake.
Researchers have estimated the date of this flood using radiocarbon dating.
Radiocarbon dating is a technique for estimating the age of organic objects. Radiocarbon dating relies
on our understanding of the relative abundance and radioactive decay of two isotopes of carbon.
• The ratio of Carbon 12 (12C) and Carbon 14 (14C) in the air is stable.
• While plants or animals are alive, they have the same ratio of 12C to 14C in their body as in the air.
• After they die, the 14C in their body decays radioactively to become Nitrogen 14 (14N).
• It takes 5,730 years for half of 14C in the dead material to decay to 14N.

3 A sample of organic material associated with the Great Flood is analysed. It is found that 30% of
C in the sample has decayed into 14N.
14

Which conclusion is most valid to draw about the date of the flood?
A This flood occurred exactly 5,730 years ago.
B This flood occurred over 5,730 years ago.
C This flood occurred less than 5,730 years ago.
D This flood occurred exactly 1,719 years ago.

4 The age estimated for the Great Flood by radiocarbon dating did not match the record of the
flood in historical documents.
Which is the most valid conclusion from this observation and the carbon dating prediction?
A The historical record is wrong. These records often include legend or myth based on
political reasons.
B The historical record is wrong. Science is always correct and thus overrides findings from
other disciplines.
C Scientific dating is wrong. It is difficult to know the exact age even with advanced
technology given it was so long ago.
D The historical record may be correct. If it is correct it does not refer to the flood that
occurred at the time identified by the researchers.

2017 Big Science Competition Year 9 Paper © Australian Science Innovations ABN 81731558309 3
 DECOMPOSERS IN CHERNOBYL
In 1986 a major nuclear accident occurred at a nuclear power site in Chernobyl, Ukraine.
Since that time, scientists have observed that the fallen leaves around the site do not seem to decompose
as rapidly as they would have expected.
They designed this study to test the effect of the radiation on the rate of decomposition.
• 572 small mesh bags were filled with a known mass of dry leaves (leaf litter) from four species of
trees. These leaves were from trees that had not been affected by radiation from the accident.
• The bags were left in leaf litter at 20 forest sites around Chernobyl.
• The sites varied in:
• the amount of background radiation (μSv/h)
• the thickness of the leaf litter on the forest floor.
• After nine months the bags were collected. Any material remaining in the bags was dried and
weighed.
• The percentage of leaf litter that had decomposed was calculated.

5 Which of these organisms would not play an important role in the breakdown of leaf litter?
A worm
B fungi
C spider
D bacteria

6 Why would scientists use leaves from sites that had not been affected by radiation from the
accident, rather than use leaves from the study sites?
Select the column that provides a correct response for each reason.

Is this a reason for scientists to use leaves that have

A B C D
not been affected by the radiation?
To ensure that each mesh bag was not exposed to
yes yes no no
different levels of radiation during the study.
To ensure that the leaves had not be altered by radiation
no yes yes no
before the start of the study.

2017 Big Science Competition Year 9 Paper © Australian Science Innovations ABN 81731558309 4
Figure 1 shows the percentage of leaf litter that has decomposed for different radiation levels (μSv/h).
Each dot represents one site.

7 Which of these pairs best summarises the data shown in Figure 1?

As background radiation Decomposition of leaf litter
A increases increases
B increases decreases
C decreases no change
D decreases decreases

2017 Big Science Competition Year 9 Paper © Australian Science Innovations ABN 81731558309 5
 A THORNY PROBLEM
Crown of Thorns Starfish (COTS) are one of the largest starfish in the world. COTS are native to many
coral reefs, including Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. COTS feed on growing coral.

Crown of Thorns Starfish on a coral reef

On healthy reefs you find about one COTS for every hectare (10,000 m2) of reef. However, once
the numbers of COTS exceeds 15 per hectare the reef begins to be damaged. Since the 1960s there
have been four major outbreaks of COTS that have resulted in damage to the Great Barrier Reef. The
numbers of COTS on the Great Barrier Reef are counted regularly. Many scientists believe that a fifth
outbreak is starting.

8 The COTS are counted by a diver who is towed behind a boat for two minutes.
What information can be most confidently calculated from data gathered in this way?
A The exact number of COTS on the reef being studied.
B The exact number of COTS on the area of reef being studied.
C An estimate of the change in COTS numbers since they were last counted in that area.
D An estimate of how COTS numbers in the whole reef have changed since the last count.

9 It has been discovered that certain chemicals can kill the COTS. These chemicals do this by
causing a severe allergic reaction.
Which system in the COTS would cause this allergic reaction?
A nervous system
B immune system
C digestive system
D reproductive system

2017 Big Science Competition Year 9 Paper © Australian Science Innovations ABN 81731558309 6
 The chemicals that cause the fatal allergic reaction are injected into the COTS. Two chemicals
known to produce the fatal reactions are vinegar and bile salts in solution. Bile salts are
produced in the liver of mammals and are involved in fat digestion.

10 At present vinegar is considered the best chemical to use in the control of COTS.
What is the likely benefit of using vinegar to control COTS rather than bile salts?
Select the column that provides a correct response for each statement.

Is this a likely benefit of using vinegar rather than

A B C D
bile salts?

easier to obtain than bile salts yes no yes no

no possible introduced disease issues yes yes no no

easier to apply to the COTS than bile salts no yes yes no

11 A small robot submarine (drone) has been designed that could be used to inject vinegar into the
COTS. The drone can navigate itself and make the decision to inject any COTS it detects. This
is thought to be one of the first drones where the ‘kill decision’ is made by the machine rather
than a human.
Which aspect of the drone design is likely to have been most difficult?
A providing the drone with energy
B providing the drone with a self-navigation system
C ensuring that the drone is strong enough to function in a marine environment
D training the drone’s computer systems to be able to recognise COTS in the wild

2017 Big Science Competition Year 9 Paper © Australian Science Innovations ABN 81731558309 7
 HONEY CRYSTALS
‘Colony collapse disorder’ (CCD) is a serious new threat to the fruit and honey industries worldwide.
When a bee hive experiences CCD, the worker bees abandon the hive and the honey it contains.
Beekeepers often throw away honey from hives that have suffered from CCD because sugar crystals
form in the honey after it has been standing for a while.
Honey is an important source of the sugars fructose and glucose. Glucose is less soluble than fructose.
Raw honey also contains some beeswax and pollen.
The table compares honeys made from the nectar of different kinds of plants.

Type of plant % Glucose % Fructose % Water Forms crystals

Alfalfa 33 39 17 fast
Blackberry 26 38 19 slow
Cotton 37 39 16 fast
Holly 26 39 20 very slow
Sage 28 40 21 very slow
Sunflower 37 39 17 fast

12 Which method of separating honey from beeswax would work best?

A evaporation
B filtration
C decanting
D distillation

13 Which factors most likely prevent crystals forming in honey?

A more glucose, more fructose
B more glucose, more water
C less glucose, more fructose
D less glucose, more water

14 After standing for some weeks, crystals form in the bottom of a jar of honey.
Which is the best conclusion from this observation?
A Fructose crystals sink in water.
B Fructose crystals dissolve in water.
C The top of the jar now contains more glucose.
D The bottom of the jar now contains more glucose.

2017 Big Science Competition Year 9 Paper © Australian Science Innovations ABN 81731558309 8
 LIPO BATTERIES
Lithium polymer (LiPo) batteries have proved to be a revolution in battery technology. They have
almost entirely replaced all other types of batteries in portable items such as power tools and mobile
phones.

Element Atomic number Atomic mass Electron structure

Lithium 3 6.9 2, 1

Aluminium 13 27.0 2, 8, 3

Details of some elements used in batteries

When used in a battery, lithium and aluminium will form their common ions of Li+1 and Al+3.

15 What property of lithium best explains why it is often more useful as a battery component than
aluminium?
A It is a metal.
B It has lower density.
C It can conduct electricity.
D It is a solid at room temperature.

16 What advantage does aluminium have over lithium as a component of batteries?

A Aluminium is more reactive than lithium.
B Aluminium atoms are larger than lithium atoms.
C Aluminium forms more negative ions than lithium.
D Aluminium atoms can release three electrons compared to lithium’s one.

2017 Big Science Competition Year 9 Paper © Australian Science Innovations ABN 81731558309 9
 SOLAR STORAGE POND
Solar energy can be trapped and stored in a solar storage pond. The heat is trapped in the salty water
layer at the bottom of the pond.
• The solar storage pond has two layers of water: very salty at the bottom and fresh at the top.
• The layers in the pond do not mix.
• The bottom is covered with a black plastic sheet.
• Plastic rings float on top so that waves do not form.
• Brine shrimp are kept in the pond to feed on green algae growing in the water.
Fresh water is added to the cold top layer from time to time. The hot water in the bottom layer can be
pumped out to do useful work.

17 Brine shrimp are kept in the pond to feed on green algae growing in the water.
Algae cannot grow in very salty water.
Which is the best scientific conclusion about the behaviour of brine shrimp?
A They cannot live in fresh water.
B They cannot live in very salty water.
C They feed only on algae in the top layer.
D They feed only on algae in the bottom layer.

2017 Big Science Competition Year 9 Paper © Australian Science Innovations ABN 81731558309 10
18 Floating rings improve the function of the pond.
What is the purpose of the floating rings?
A prevent evaporation of water
B prevent evaporation of salt
C prevent mixing of water layers
D prevent absorption of solar energy

19 What happens to the water when it is used for doing useful work?
A It gets hotter.
B It gets colder.
C It gets less salty.
D It gets more salty.

20 Which best explains why the bottom layer stays hotter than the top layer?
Select the column that provides a correct response for each explanation.

Does this explain why the bottom layer stays hotter

A B C D
than the top layer?

Hot water rises. no no yes yes

Salt water sinks. yes no yes no

Algae absorb sunlight. no yes yes no

Waves cause mixing of layers. no yes no yes

2017 Big Science Competition Year 9 Paper © Australian Science Innovations ABN 81731558309 11
 LEAD-ABSORBING MICROBOT
Recently, researchers have developed new microbots that can absorb and remove lead from industrial
wastewater. Lead is a toxic heavy metal. Microbots are molecular-sized robots.

Figure 1. Industrial Wastewater (lead content)

21 Humans depend on water to live.

What types of human activity are affected significantly by water pollution?
Select the column that provides a correct response for each field.
Are these types of human activity affected
A B C D
significantly by water pollution?
agriculture yes yes no no

forestry yes no yes no

industrial computers no yes yes no

fisheries yes yes no no

2017 Big Science Competition Year 9 Paper © Australian Science Innovations ABN 81731558309 12
 These microbots have three layers: graphene oxide, nickel and platinum.
• The graphene oxide layer absorbs the lead from the water.
• The nickel layer is used to change the direction of the microbots. This can be done manually
or by using magnets.
• Platinum helps the microbots to move by causing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to decompose
when it is added into the wastewater.
Chemical reaction: 2H2O2 2 H2O + O2

With these layers, microbots have the ability to self-propel themselves through water and absorb lead.
Once the microbots have finished absorbing lead, they can be removed from the water with magnets.

Figure 2. Moving microbots in the water Figure 3. Model of microbots

(Sectional view)

22 Suppose a microbot is moving forward and a hydrogen peroxide molecule enters the central hole
of the microbot.
Which explanation would best describe the motion of this microbot after the hydrogen
peroxide reacts?
A The flow of water around this microbot changes and it begins to spin.
B The oxygen produced makes the microbot float upward.
C The oxygen produced goes through the central hole of the microbot causing it to be
pushed forward.
D Platinum takes part in this reaction and is used up. This makes the microbot lighter so it
moves upward.

2017 Big Science Competition Year 9 Paper © Australian Science Innovations ABN 81731558309 13
 MEASURING UP

Scientific inquiry relies on our ability to observe

and measure.
The International System of Units (SI) is the most
widely used system of measurements.
The way in which a number of the SI units are
defined is currently being reviewed.

23 Which of the following is not an SI unit?

A mile
B metre
C second
D kilogram

24 Why does using SI units increase the effectiveness of scientific inquiries?

A makes measurement more reliable
B makes measurement more accurate
C makes falsifying the results of inquiries harder
D makes sharing findings between scientists easier

25 The SI unit for electrical current is the ampere – often shortened to the ‘amp’.
This is a recent (2017) definition of the ampere.
One ampere is:
The constant current which, if maintained in two straight parallel conductors of infinite length
and negligible circular cross section, would produce a force between the conductors equal to
2 × 10−7 newtons per metre of length when placed one metre apart in a vacuum.
Why is this definition of limited value?
A The definition is too complex to be understood.
B It uses mathematical notation (symbols) in a scientific definition.
C It would be impossible to make the measurement described in the definition.
D The definition makes no reference to either voltage or resistance of the circuit described.

2017 Big Science Competition Year 9 Paper © Australian Science Innovations ABN 81731558309 14
 SUPER SCOPE
In China, a 500-metre wide radio telescope has recently been built. This telescope reflects radio waves
onto an antenna suspended above the reflecting dish. The antenna can be moved to allow different areas
of the sky to be studied. The design is significantly different to optical telescopes, where visible light is
focused by glass lenses.

26 Do these statements accurately describe the function of both radio and optical telescopes?
Select the column that provides a correct response for each ability.

Is this an ability that both telescopes have? A B C D

observe stars during the day yes no no no

concentrate electromagnetic radiation yes no yes no

observe objects thousands of light years away no yes yes no

27 The telescope has been built in southern China.

What benefit would there have been if the telescope had been built closer to the equator?
A Over the course of a year, more of the sky can be seen.
B Over the course of a month, more of the sky can be seen.
C Over the course of a day, more of the sky can be seen.
D The telescope would always point at the same part of the sky, allowing a very large image
to be formed.

2017 Big Science Competition Year 9 Paper © Australian Science Innovations ABN 81731558309 15
 ISOTOPIC INVESTIGATION
Chemical substances that come from living organisms can be tracked by measuring their unique
‘isotopic fingerprint’.
Living things take in chemical elements in the nutrients and water that they use to grow. For example,
the atoms in your hair were once part of the food you ate and water you drank.
The exact amount of each isotope in plant matter depends on the isotopes present in the soil, air and
water where the plant grew. If that plant is eaten, that unique combination of isotopes is transferred to
the animal that eats the plant.
This process can be used to determine where a plant was grown by comparing it to known samples.

28 What is the difference between the isotopes of hydrogen found in a water sample?
A the atomic number is different
B the number of neutrons is different
C the number of protons is different
D the number of electrons is different

29 Which of these is an example of how this technique could be used?

A An elephants tusk could be used to find out which elephant a tusk came from.
B A sample of a person’s hair could be used to find out where the person buys their fruit
and vegetables.
C A wooden chair could be used to find out where the tree grew.
D A glass of water could be used to find out where it fell as rain.

30 This technique is mainly used to measure isotopes that have been absorbed from soil, rather than
inhaled in air or drunk in water.
Why is it mostly used with isotopes that have come from the soil, rather than air or water?
Select the column that provides a correct response for each reason.

Reason A B C D

because air and water tend to get mixed more than soil yes yes no yes
there is less movement of soil over large distances
no yes no yes
than air or water
more substances make up soil than air or water no no yes yes

2017 Big Science Competition Year 9 Paper © Australian Science Innovations ABN 81731558309 16