Sydney Grammar School Form III Science 2021 Half-Yearly Examination

Use g = 10 m s−2 throughout the paper.

1 A toy car of mass 0.30 kg is pushed with a force of 2.5 N along a frictionless
floor and gains 6.0 J of kinetic energy. Calculate the distance it was pushed.

(A) 1.8 m

(B) 2.4 m

(C) 4.5 m

(D) 6.3 m

2 Which of the diagrams below shows a third-class lever? (n.b. F = fulcrum)

Effort Force
F
F
Effort Force
Load Force
Load Force
(A) (B)

F F Effort Force

Effort Force

Load Force Load Force

(C) (D)

3 A boy uses a simple machine to lift a mass of 24 kg a distance of 4 m

upwards. If the effort force required is 48 N, what is the mechanical advantage
of the machine?

(A) 0.5

(B) 2

(C) 5

(D) 12

3
Sydney Grammar School Form III Science 2021 Half-Yearly Examination

4 Two children sit on a see-saw, as shown in the diagram below.

Girl Boy = 30 kg

180 cm 120 cm

If the see-saw balances, what is the mass of the girl?

(A) 15 kg

(B) 20 kg

(C) 30 kg

(D) 45 kg

5 A class of Form III boys are told that a certain simple machine is a force
multiplier. During the lesson, the boys makes several statements about the
machine:

W “It has a mechanical advantage greater than one.”

X “The load force is greater than the effort force.”
Y “The load distance is greater than the effort distance”

Which of these statements about the machine is/are correct?

(A) W only

(B) W and X

(C) W and Y

(D) X and Y

4
Sydney Grammar School Form III Science 2021 Half-Yearly Examination

6 What is the name of the reaction that occurs when an acid reacts with a
base?

(A) Crystallisation

(B) Decomposition

(C) Solidification

(D) Neutralisation

7 What is the formula of aluminium sulfate?

(A) Al2(SO4)3

(B) Al2S3

(C) Al3S2

(D) Al3(SO4)2

8 Lemon juice contains citric acid. Citric acid solutions are slightly acidic.
Which of the following could be the pH of lemon juice?

(A) 1

(B) 4

(C) 7

(D) 10

9 What gas is produced when a metal reacts with an acid?

(A) Hydrogen

(B) Oxygen

(C) Carbon dioxide

(D) Chlorine

5
Sydney Grammar School Form III Science 2021 Half-Yearly Examination

10 Which of the following is an example of an effector?

(A) Pain receptor

(B) Motor neuron

(C) Hormone

(D) Sweat gland

11 What type(s) of neuron carry nerve impulses towards the central nervous
system?

(A) Inter neuron

(B) Motor neuron

(C) Sensory neuron

(D) All of the above

12 Which of the following is correct about the transmission of information along

an axon?

(A) It is in the form of an electrochemical impulse.

(B) It moves at the speed of light.

(C) It moves from the axon terminal towards the cell body.

(D) It is the movement of electrons along an electrical field.

Questions continue on next page

6
Sydney Grammar School Form III Science 2021 Half-Yearly Examination

13 Identify the structure X in the diagram below.

(A) Cerebral cortex

(B) Pituitary gland

(C) Medulla oblongata

(D) Cerebellum

7
.t

PART B: SHORT ANSWER (27 marks)

CRI,B
NAME CLASS NUMBER

Answer the questions in the spaces provided.

Show all relevant working in questions involving calculations.

Question 14 (4 marks) Marks

Calculate the mechanical advantage of the following systems. (You can assume that no
friction acts on any of the ramps).

Calculations / Answer

(i)
15 0.45 m

Effort
Jne=m?J 1

Load Force

Force

(i i)

Effort Force

20N
80ru

I
I
A
f/tA --
m a-
Ir 1

Load Force
BON

(iiD

12
li ) ,\
ft\ A --
Ztn = 6.
1

2m

9
5ydney Grammar lchool form lll lcience l0ll l{altYear}y [xanrinarion

(iv)

Effort Force

=12N

il/tA=$.-5 1

60N

t'
t

10
 iydney Granrmar ichool lorn lll !riince l0ll llaliYearlv Lxanrination

Question 15 (3 marks) Marks

Calculate the unknown effort force or load force required in the following situations.
(You can assume, in each case, that the pulley wheels are frictionless and have negligible
weight.)

Calculations / Answer

(i)

Effort Force = ?
EF= &N.:80N 1

BON

(i i)

Effort Force = 90 N

LF = qON rL = fg0N 1

Load Force'= ?

(iii)

6otu
Effort Force = ? EF= =]0N. 1

-i

60N

11
lyrinry 6ranrmlr Srliool forrn lil Science 701 I llalt-Yearly Ixanrination

Question 16 (3 marks) Marks

The diagram below shows a lever being used to lift a box of weight 300 N

0.15 m 0.90 m

Effort Force

Fulcrum

300 N

(a) Calculate the effort force required to lift the box.

flflft --
sr*
...8...
r6 2

(b) Calculate the giavitational potential energy gained by the box when it is raised
through a height of 0.25 m

h= ldh= )sDNx0,ISrrr=JSf'

12
lydney fi ranrm;rr 5chool fonn lll 5cicnce 70)l 11altYearly Ixanrinrlioit

Question 17 (4 marks) Marks

Complete the following table by filling in the appropriate name or formula for each
ion.
4
lon name Formula

acetate 0tr0- 0%/^.

Mtilh NOs-

sulfate
9,.4-
,"brnAh CO.'-

Question 18 (3 marks)

(a) Name the salt formed when calcium oxide reacts with hydrochloric acid

h)'rrmtt,/^l",iJs 1

(b) Name the acid used to produce iron(lll) nitrate from iron

,,ild*rnl 1

(c) Write the FORMULA of the salt formed when sodium reacts with phosphoric
acid.

Nn.P0" 1

Question 19 (2 marks)

Balance the following chemical equations:

(a) )CH.COOH(aq) + Ba(OH)z(aq)--- Ba(CHsCOO)z(aq) + ZHrO(/)

1

(b) |nt1oH;.1s) * 3 Hzseo+(aq) --- Alz(seo+)s(aql * 6 Hro(4

1

13
Sydney tramnrar lchool forn lll Srience ?0?l Hali-Yearly Examination

Question 20 (4 marks) Marks

A person accidentally touches a hot pan. Their hand automatically moves away from

tu
the pan. The diagram below shows the structures involved in this action.

il,0{*
nlll,rr'A
@

(a) On the diagram above, labelthe three neurons involved in the

stimulus-response pathway for this reaction.
3

(b) outline how the stimulus-response pathway would be different in a

::5-Fl:-*IJ"p todt&h$orh. -.-D

1

-F

14
lydney 6rar:ul;rr Sriiocl form iil kience 70ll i-lllt-Yearly Ixanrinatiori

Question 21 (4 marks) Marks

The diagram below shows the structure of the human eye

f)

A
B

(a) Name the structures labelled A and B

LCItl\Iz^[ 2

B upli,("rurw
\
(b) ldentify the functions of t
)
C: Foq^A $rililtut 2

eg,

D {r[ e{te

15
{
PART C: SIMPLE MACHINES (24 marks)

ts
CLASS NUMBER
NAME

Answer the questions in the spaces provided'

Show all relevant working in questions involving calculations'

Use g = 10 m s-2 throughout the paper'

Marks
Question 22 (7 marks)

pulled up an inclined plane

The diagram below shows a trolley of weight 40 N being
in this situation'
The wheels of the trolley ensure that there is no friction acting

//
*$
2m

6O

(a) Determine the mechanical advantage of the inclined plane.

c
+
'rrs!""' I

(b) Calculate the length of the ramp, x

8^'. 1

Question continued on next Page.

17
 ivdney Gramnrar 5chcol form lll Science 202 | Half-Yearly Examrnation

Question continued Marks

ln the diagram below, a box is being pulled up a different ramp. The box has no
wheels, and you can assume that friction is acting on it.

\\
/a
((\
nF

1.5 m

(c) Estimate the force of friction acting on the box.

{
o
,1...€..m.#2.....'. %u 2
?.s

E fran /t? at,}t.t

3_S C
&,
(d) Calculate the total amount of energy required to pull the box to the top of the
ramp.

.?..s lS7.St
.....k .. :i... f.tr..e!. .....i.J.
' 1

(e) Calculate the efficiency of the ramp in this situation

fv f,t*v.*h+,.). 2

3
!'

/s7.s
t

thpL --

6o
/ u.0
Q..rng S l"li7< .

tf7-S 18
 form lll 5cience 20ll Half Ixamination
Grammar 5chool

Marks
Question 23 (6 marks)

a slope that is 30 m
ln the diagram shown below, a skier of mass 75 kg skis down
high and 60 m long.

30m

the bottom of
(a) Assuming there is no friction acting , predict the skier's speed at
the slope.
2
2zsas.-
oh 3
....... -!..*.v.....,:.
2 u"" @
r'r. .,4
.......v... tok (vl : 6qe ) .

/r r0i 30 2+' S,tr-l

speed is actually
ln fact, when the skier reaches the bottom of the slope, their
18 m s-1.

the slope'
(b) Estimate the force of friction acting on the skier while they are on

. ...€*,#r1.....?. (?{ n re.n.:Le .)

,\* : ('4*"?t'r"l"s"': ) "' 3

.?....... 1.2..s..n.................- .-- -... l. ?.. l..f p

.a'.. :..E 1.g.. L..........-

r
I FrA Cdrr. t €fnrr.r."- to 3So 3 172.5 -
€
Drxr +-l 6o
19
 Sydney Granrmar lchool lorm lll 5cience 2021 ilali-Yearly ixamination

Question 24 (6 marks) Marks

The diagram below shows a pulley system being used to lift a 200 N load

Fixed to the roof

200 N

Assuming that there is no friction acting, and that the weight of the pulley wheels is
so small it can be ignored, calculate:

(a) the mechanical advantage of the pulley system.

?
./0
1

(b) the effort force, P, required to lift the 200 N load.

.fo^, I

(c) the length of rope pulled through the pulley (i.e. the effort distance) to lift the load
2m.

8o I

4*** O,tf rn€ fun-

Question
-Tr".<on<n L (g) + @ :
continued on next page
No L)Mr,tq Rerun*.1
20
 foim lll Science 20)l Halt txamination
Grammar School

Marks
Question continued

ln the second pulley system shown below, there is still no

friction' but the pulley
wheels are quiie heavy, and their weight cannot be ignored.

f;

Effort Force, F,
ft, Weight of m = 2000 N
= 1200 N

(d) calculate the effective mechanical advantage of this pulley system

situation
in this
o
I:6?' 1

/a--"

(e) Calculate the weight of the lower pulley wheel'

+
{ e At- 2
..&..A.,..fi.#. ,vl?
.. .... .. .. .. .:. ... ..k.;.......* -.....(,"r!.. b.r*

h'e.t rt %r . ta^,
-.

21
 Sydney Grammar lchool Form lll Science 2021 llalt-Yearly Examination

Question 25 (5 marks)

ln a factory, boxes of mass M are pulled to the top of a slope by a rope which exerts
an effort force, F, on them, as shown in the diagram below. (You can assume friction
is negligible.)

Speed at top
+
,16$

(
2m

One day an engineer runs some tests on the machine. She varies the effort force, F,
and measures the speed the boxes have at the top of the slope. This information is
recorded in the table below.

Effort Force Speed Speed Squared

(N) (m s-t) (m, s-1

100 1.4 2.0

120 2.0 4.0

140 2.5 6.2

180 3.2 10.2

220 3.7 13.8

Question continued on next page

22
'\i
 Form lll icience 202 I Half-Y lxantination
Granrmar !chool

l**r-)cl 'r *ez ri D*-u t- ,"o"4 fr

^Jorz Marks
Question continued

(a) Plot a graph of the speed squared (on the Y-axis) against the effort force
n
,-G\.
the x-axis). , I- 3lo,-'n, 6'ner 6gr r.ror le-"tl-t*> 2

@. ?--S Pr.-* 6rw

16

14

12

N
I
a 1 0
N
E

o
L
(U
f,
o
a
!
o 6
o
o-
a
4

0
60 BO 100 va 140 160 180 200 220 244

Effort Force (N)

(b) Estimate the mass, M, of the boxes.

o
ll -.4.,.. &tnp-...:..... ,/2
/;
l, In.rr:t ^-,.*;l. ' rt)
..

...14n...... ktre lb#E s (" + .yo

a
h,m...M..... : . 8Qr /:.5.. .Zm*.....
2A k-
';afliritu' ?
6) " fyo^ t
I
*
h".
nA\
FnA \*u"'
Question 25 - continued

Note: there are multiple ways to do this question, but there is an inconsrstency in the
data, so that the final mass you get will depend on the data-points chosen'

Because of that, all answers were marked on their merits, but note:

lf you used the x-intercept of the graph, where the effort force equals 80 N, then it is valid to
say, Ferronr x distance = ffi.9.h, which gives 80x5 = filX10x2, so m = 20 kg.

Bul, if you used any other data point thrc rc not valid. The correct equation is:
FerroRr x distance = rngh + mv2/2 - So you had to use this to get full marks.

For example, many people chose Frrponr = 100 N, and said

Ferroar x distance = m.9.h
100x5=mxl0x2
m=25k9
this is not correct, and scores 1 mark.

The correct approach would be to say:

FErronrX distance - mgh + mv2/2
100x5=mx10x2+mx2/2
500 = 21m
m = 25.8 kg
which gains full marks.

I have gone over all answers three times, but it is possible I failed to spot a valid approach.
Masters, please return any scripts to me if you think I may have missed something...
PART D: ACIDS, BASES AND SALTS (25 marks)

NAME CLASS NUMBER

Answer the questions in the spaces provided.

Show all relevant working in questions involving calculations.

Question 26 (5 marks) Marks

A student wants to investigate the reactivity of magnesium by adding a magnesium

strip to various dilute solutions in the school laboratory.

They took a piece of magnesium ribbon and placed it in a beaker containing dilute
nitric acid.

(a) Describe and explain what the student should observe when they add the
magnesium to the acid.

M1 Bubbles/magnesium disappears ..................................................................... 2

M2 Hydrogen gas evolved .....................................................................................

ACCEPT A gas is produced if hydrogen gas is included in equation for Q 26(b) ..

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

(b) Write a word equation for the reaction that occurred when the student added
magnesium to the nitric acid.

magnesium + nitric acid --> magnesium nitrate + hydrogen ................................. 1

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

(c) Write a balanced chemical equation for this reaction.

Mg (s) + 2 HNO3 (aq) --> Mg(NO3)2 (aq) + H2 (g) .................................................... 2

M1: Correct formulae

M2: Correct balancing

IGNORE states ......................................................................................................

25
Sydney Grammar School Form III Science 2021 Half-Yearly Examination

Question 27 (4 marks) Marks

A student wants to determine the pH of a bottle of vinegar using some indicators

and a pH chart (provided below).

pH 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Phenolphthalein colourless pink

Methyl Orange red yellow

Thymol Blue red yellow blue

(a) Describe how the student could determine the approximate pH of the vinegar
using these indicators.

M1: Add phenolphthalein, methyl orange and thymol blue to vinegar AND observe/record
colour of solution produced ................................................................................... 2

M2: Compare/align colours with colours on chart .................................................

ACCEPT Any example of boys following this process...........................................

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

When the same indicators are added to a different solution, the results shown in the
table below are obtained.

Indicator Color of solution when indicator is added

Phenolphthalein pink

Methyl Orange yellow

Thymol Blue yellow

(b) Using these results, state the pH range of the solution.

pH 8-9 .................................................................................................................... 1

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

(c) After doing some research, the student found out that vinegar contains acetic
acid (ethanoic acid). Give the formula of acetic acid.

CH3COOH

IGNORE state ......................................................................................................... 1

26
Sydney Grammar School Form III Science 2021 Half-Yearly Examination

Question 28 (4 marks) Marks

A student has a solution of dilute sulfuric acid and wishes to isolate some solid
sodium sulfate by evaporating water from a solution containing only sodium sulfate
and water.

Suggest three substances that he could add to the dilute sulfuric acid
solution, each of which will produce an aqueous solution of sodium sulfate when
they react with the sulfuric acid. Give a balanced chemical equation to justify one of
your answers.

M1-3 Any three of the following reactants:

Sodium oxide (Na2O) .................................................................................................... 4

Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) ...........................................................................................

Sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) ........................................................................................

Sodium hydrogencarbonate (NaHCO3) ........................................................................

Sodium (Na) .................................................................................................................

NOT ACCEPTED: sodium nitrate, sodium chloride .....................................................

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

M4 Correct equation

IGNORE states .............................................................................................................

27
Sydney Grammar School Form III Science 2021 Half-Yearly Examination

Question 29 (9 marks) Marks

When a solution of hydrochloric acid is added to solid sodium hydrogencarbonate in

a conical flask, a chemical reaction occurs. If this reaction is performed in an open
conical flask, the contents of the flask decrease in mass as the reaction proceeds.

(a) Explain why the contents of the flask decrease in mass. Include a balanced
chemical equation in your answer.

M1 CO2 gas escapes ............................................................................................. 2

M2 NaHCO3 (s) + HCl (aq) --> NaCl (aq) + H2O (l) + CO2 (g) ..................................

IGNORE states .......................................................................................................

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

Various volumes of hydrochloric acid are added to conical flasks containing 1.2 g of
sodium hydrogencarbonate. The mass lost from each conical flask is measured and
recorded in the table below.

Volume of hydrochloric acid Mass lost from flask

(mL) (g)

0.0 0.00

2.0 0.18

4.0 0.38

6.0 0.54

8.0 0.63

10.0 0.63

12.0 0.63

Question continued on next page

28
 Sydney Grammar School Form III Science 2021 Half-Yearly Examination

Question continued Marks

(c) Plot a graph of the mass lost from each flask (on the y-axis) against the
volume of hydrochloric acid (on the x-axis).
4
0.7
0.6
Mass lost from flask (g)
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Volume of HCl (mL)

4 MARKS: Correct labelling of axes (including units), appropriate scale, all points
plotted, 2 straight lines or curved line of best fit

1 mark deduced for each mistake.

29
Sydney Grammar School Form III Science 2021 Half-Yearly Examination

(d) Estimate the mass lost from a flask containing 2.1 g of sodium hydrogencarbonate
when 2.0 mL of the same hydrochloric acid solution as above is added.

0.18 g .................................................................................................................. 1

(e) Estimate the mass lost from a flask containing 2.1 g of sodium hydrogencarbonate
when 15.0 mL of the same hydrochloric acid solution is added. Justify your
answer.

M1 1.10 g ............................................................................................................... 2

M2 There is no more NaHCO3 to react with HCl....................................................

30
Sydney Grammar School Form III Science 2021 Half-Yearly Examination

Question 30 (3 marks) Marks

This limestone gargoyle, on Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, is covered in tiny holes
and has rounded edges, which are results of acid rain.

Acid rain results when nitrogen dioxide and some other gases are emitted into the
air. Nitrogen dioxide can then react with water vapour in the air to produce nitric
acid and nitrogen monoxide.

(a) Balance the chemical equation below to show the production of nitric acid.
1

3 NO2(g) + 1 H2O(g) → 2 HNO3 (aq) + 1 NO (g)

Limestone is made of calcium carbonate.

(b) Write a balanced chemical equation for the reaction that occurs when the acid
rain (containing nitric acid) falls on the surface of the gargoyle. You should
include state symbols.

CaCO3 (s) + 2 HNO3 (aq) --> Ca(NO3)2 (aq) + CO2 (g) + H2O (l)............................... 2

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

31
PART E: COORDINATION (23 marks)

NAME CLASS NUMBER

Answer the questions in the spaces provided.

Show all relevant working in questions involving calculations.

Question 31 (3 marks) Marks

The diagram below shows a model of how an air conditioner maintains “normal”
room air temperature (24 °C) on a hot day.

Complete the table below to compare this model with how human body temperature
is maintained in a hot environment. In your answer, identify the specific structures
and mechanisms involved.
3
Room air conditioning Human body

thermoreceptor (or temperature

Receptor thermometer
receptor)

Control centre thermostat hypothalamus (or CNS)

Effector air conditioner Muscle in blood vessel or sweat gland

31
Sydney Grammar School Form III Science 2021 Half-Yearly Examination

Question 32 (5 marks) Marks

Two students investigated the effect of the type of stimulus on reaction time. They
used the following method:
1. Student B holds a ruler above student A’s hand.
2. Student B drops the ruler.
3. Student A catches the ruler as quickly as he can.
4. This process is repeated another four times.
5. The experiment is repeated, but this time Student A is blindfolded and
Student B blows a whistle when the ruler is dropped.
6. The distance the ruler falls before being caught is recorded.

The table below shows the data collected.

Trial Visual stimuli (mm) Auditory stimuli (mm)

1 35 25

2 40 128

3 38 25

4 35 20

5 35 20

(a) Analyse the data in the table to determine if student A reacts faster to
visual or auditory stimuli. Justify your answer.

Analysis of data: mean distances are 36.6 mm for visual and 22.5 mm for auditory (1) 3

The value of 128 mm for trial 2 for auditory was a clear outlier (not consistent with other
values) and removed from the calculation of the mean. (1)

As the ruler was caught inuditory stimulia shorter distance in response to auditory stimulus
than a visual stimulus, the auditory response was fastest. (1)

(b) Suggest how the experimental design of this experiment could be

improved. Explain your answer.

Provides a suggestion to improve the ruler drop experiment (1) and explains how the
design change would be beneficial (1).

Examples: Standardise the starting point of the ruler above the hand to increase accuracy
or alternate between tests for visual and auditory stimuli to remove practice effects (bias) or
do tests on both students (or more) to increase reliability.

32
Sydney Grammar School Form III Science 2021 Half-Yearly Examination

Question 33 (6 marks) Marks

A student ate a meal containing carbohydrates at 07:00, then ate nothing else for
the next 5 hours. The table shows the concentration of glucose in their blood at
hourly intervals after the meal.

Time of day Concentration of glucose in blood (mg/100 mL)

07:00 90
08:00 120
09:00 70
10:00 85
11:00 110
12:00 80

(a) Explain the rise in the concentration of glucose between 07:00 and 08:00.

The carbohydrates in the meal were broken down into glucose in the digestive system and
absorbed into the blood stream (1)

(b) The concentration of glucose in the blood fell between 08:00 and 09:00.
Explain why.

The receptors in the pancreas detected that glucose levels were too high following the
meal and secreted insulin (1) which resulted in an increased uptake of glucose into liver
and muscle cells where the glucose can be converted into glycogen for storage (1)

(c) Describe the role of hormones in the fluctuation of glucose concentration

between 09:00 and 12:00.

Blood glucose levels are kept at relatively constant levels (homeostasis) by the hormones
insulin and glucagon that are produced by the pancreas. (1)

At 09:00 receptors in the pancreas detected that the glucose levels were too low and
therefore released glucagon which resulted in glycogen being converted back into glucose
and returned to the blood. (1)

At 11:00 receptors in the pancreas detected that glucose levels were too high again and,
via negative feedback, stopped producing glucagon, and started producing insulin again to
lower the blood glucose back to normal levels. (1)

33
Sydney Grammar School Form III Science 2021 Half-Yearly Examination

Question 34 (5 marks) Marks

Screening tests for hearing loss involve exposing subjects to a series of pure tones
of increasing frequency (pitch) and measuring the minimum volume (dB) of the tone
that can be heard. The higher the volume required to hear the tone, the greater is
the hearing loss. The graphs below show data on hearing loss collected for males
and females at different ages.

(a) Calculate the hearing loss (in dB) in males between 30 and 60 years of age
at a frequency of 4000Hz.

36 – 10 = 26 dB (accepted 25 to 27 dB)

(b) Compare the degree of hearing loss in males and females at 60 years of
age.

At 60 years of age:

females have slightly more or similar hearing loss compared to males at the lower
frequencies (500 – 1000 Hz). (1)

However, at 2000 Hz and above, males have a greater hearing loss compared to females,
with the difference increasing as frequency increases. (1)

34
Sydney Grammar School Form III Science 2021 Half-Yearly Examination

The following diagram maps the frequency of sound to where it is detected in

the cochlea.

(c) Using the data on the previous page, which receptors are most likely to be
damaged with increasing age: those at the base of the cochlea (next to
oval window) or those at the apex of the cochlea? Explain your answer.

The receptors at the base of the cochlea are more likely to be damaged (1) as this is
where high frequency sounds are detected and the data on sound loss in humans indicates
that it is the ability to hear the higher frequencies of sound that decrease most with age (1)

35
Sydney Grammar School Form III Science 2021 Half-Yearly Examination

Question 35 (4 marks) Marks

The diagram below shows the density distribution of rods and cones across
the human retina.

If an astronomer is trying to detect the very faint light from a distant star,
explain what viewing angle on the retina would it be best to have the image fall
on. Include in your answer the specific roles of the rods and cones.

Identifies correct viewing angle of about 20o (1)

This is because this is where the highest density of rods are found in the retina (150,000 per
mm2) (1)

Rods are very sensitive to light (due to retinal convergence) and are produce black and white
vision in low light conditions, such as at night, and would be best suited to detect the faint light
of a distant star. (1)

In contrast, cones which have their highest density at 0o are used for colour vision, giving
higher resolution images, but require good light conditions (e.g. day light) to be activated. (1)

END OF EXAMINATION

36