PROBLEMS AND ANSWERS FOR THEORY 1

1. The picture below shows food-web in a swamp ecosystem. Which

animal has the smallest population in that ecosystem?

a. insect
b. bird
c. mouse
d. cricket
e. snake

(score: 1) b. bird

1 of 17
2. If you want to see the frequency of exhalation and inhalation of an insect,
which parts of the insect’s body should you observe?

a. head

b. antennae

c. abdomen

d. thorax

e. legs

(score: 1;)

Answer : c. abdomen

3. A man has a broken humerus. At which part of the body do you have to
apply a plaster cast in order to heal the man’s bones?

a. Upper foot

b. Neck

c. Palm and finger

d. Upper arm

e. Pelvic

(score: 1)

Answer : d . upper arm

2 of 17
4. Which of the following animals is in the same group as a dog?

(score: 1; ) Answer : b (whale)

5. From the following list, circle the correct answer to explain why scientists
repeat the measurement during the experiments?

A. check that the equipment is working

B. manipulate the equipment

C. list all the results in a table

D. minimize experimental error

E. change the experimental conditions

(score: 1) Answer : D. minimize experimental error

3 of 17
6. Paper cups catch fire easily. Explain why we can boil water in a paper
cup using a candle without burning the cup.

(score:2) Answer : The water inside the cup absorbs heat (better) from the
cup to prevent the cup from burning.

7. As hot water is poured directly into a thin glass cup, the cup may
occasionally break. However, this damage can be avoided by putting a
metal spoon into the cup before pouring the hot water. Why can the metal
spoon prevent the cup from breaking?

(score: 2) Answer : The metal spoon will absorb the heat from hot water
better than the cup and prevent the cup from breaking.

8. Before potatoes are baked inside an oven, sometimes the potatoes are
stabbed with a metal stick to allow their inner part to be well baked. Explain
how this process occurs.

(score: 2) Supply heat from inside (other correct statement/ the same
meaning)

4 of 17
9. Sometimes it is difficult to open a jar of fruit jam because the cap holds
the jar tightly. By immersing the jar into hot water for a while, we can open
the cap easily. Give your explanation.

(score: 2) Answer : With help of hot water the cap will expand faster/more
than the glass so that the cap can be removed easily

10. We are unable to hear sounds produced by a dog whistle (also known
as silent whistle or Galton's whistle).Explain why does it happen?

(score: 2)

Answer:

Because human can hear sound frequency form 20 – 20 000 Hz, score 2
(beyond the range of human hearing), (score 1).

The frequency of Galton’s whistle less than 20 Hz (range of human

hearing), (score :1).

5 of 17
11. In order to evaporate water, should we always boil it at 100 oC? Explain
if your answer yes or no.

(score: 2) Answer: No, because we can evaporate water at any

temperature, but maximum evaporation occurs at boiling point.

12. Classify the following substances either as elements, mixtures or

compounds. Give a check list mark () in the following table.

Elements Compounds Mixtures

Carbon dioxide 

Chlorine 

Hydrogen gas 

Ink 

Soft drinks 

Water 

(score: 0.25 for each correct answer)

6 of 17
13. Two balls of the same mass are produced in a workshop. One is made
of aluminum and the other is made of iron. Aluminum has a density of 2.70
g/cm3 and iron has a density of 7.86 g/cm3.

a) Which ball is larger in size? Give the reason. (score: 1)

b) If the balls were left in open air for several months, will their masses
remain a) unchanged, b) increase, or c) decrease? Choose one correct
possibility and explain why. (score: 1)

Answer

a) The aluminum ball is larger (score: 0.5). Because of the volume is ratio
of the mass and density (score: 0.5, similar statement)

b) Increase because of corrosion. Because oxygen molecules from the air

are adsorbed by metal to increase the mass. (score: 1)

14. Nails are immersed into cups A and B which contain pure water. If we
add salt into cup B and then leave both cups for a few days, the nail in
which cup will show corrosion faster? Give your explanation. (score: 2)

Answer: Nail in cup B, chemical reactions between salt and nail in cup B
causes the corrosion occurs faster (score 2).

7 of 17
15. The following actions influence the dissolving rate of sugar in a cup of
water. Give a check list mark () in the following table.

Actions Fast Slow No influence

Heating water 

Stirring 

Adding more water 

Adding air bubbles 

(cancelled)

Blowing the water surface 

(score: 0.5 for each correct answer)

16. The following figure shows the change of water phases.

8 of 17
a) State the type of phase change labeled 1, 2, and 3. (Total score: 0.75)

b) At which phase will the water molecules be at the closest distance?

(Score: 0.5)

c) Explain why all phase changes are called physical changes. (Score:
0.75)

answer :

a) Process 1: melting

Process 2: condensation

Process 3: Freezing / solidify

b) Liquid at 4C

c) New material was not formed, or

Composition of materials has not changed, or the other statements

have the same meaning.

17. All animals and plants need oxygen from air for their respiration.
Explain how gases exchange occurs in this animal. (score: 2)

9 of 17
Answer : It absorbs oxygen through its skin. (score: 2)

18. A kid shouts in front of a wall at a distance of 60 meters. If the velocity

of sound is 300 m/s, the kid will hear the echo after .......... second

a.

b. 5s

c. 18000 s

d.

e. 2.5 s

(score: 1)

Answer : Time = distance/velocity = 2 x 60 / 300 = 2/5 s (d)

10 of 17
19. A picture below shows a student’s experimental apparatus. If the
student puts a worm on the X at the bottom of the box, to which corner
would you expect it to move?

(score: 1) Answer : dark and wet

20. The following picture is a simple electric circuit.

Lamp

Metal

Wire
Batteries

Solution

The lamp does not light if the solution is …….. (score:1)

11 of 17
a. Hydrochloric acid

b. Sulfuric acid

c. Lime water

d. Distilled water

e. Lemon juice

answer : d. distilled water

21. Four identical lamps A, B, C, and D are connected as shown in the

following scheme.

Choose the correct answer that explains the process which occurs in the
lamps.
12 of 17
a. Current in A is larger than current in B

b. Current in B is larger than current in C

c. Current in C is larger than current in A

d. Current in C is larger than current in D

e. Each lamp has the same current

(score: 1)

22. What organism is used to convert soybean to soy sauce?

(score: 1)

Answer : fungi (microorganism)

23. The volume of Jupiter is approximately 1300 times that of the Earth
and the mass of Jupiter is about 317 times that of the Earth. Calculate the
ratio of mass density of Jupiter and the Earth.

(score: 2)

Answer : 317/1300 = 0.24

13 of 17
24. The following diagram shows four groups of animals. In which group
does catfish belong to?

Land animal Water animal

Have bones A B

Does not have

C D
bones

(score: 1) Answer : B

25. The pictures below show several types of bird feet living in different
habitats. If the forces done by bird feet are the same, which bird’s foot
exerts the smallest pressures?

(score: 1) Answer : Pressure = Force/ area

Picture d have the largest area the  the minimum pressure.

14 of 17
26. How long must you wait for downloading a file of 512 kB (kilobyte)
using an internet connection of 64 kBps (kilobyte per second)?

(score: 1)

Answer: time = size / speed = 512 kB/ 64 kBps = 8 s.

27. A cell is the basic unit of a living organism. A group of the same cells
living together is defined as a (1)……….. One example of this group is (2)
…………..

A group of individual organism of the same species living in the same area
is called (3)……………… One example of this group is (4)…………..
(score: 0.5 for each correct answer)

Answer :

1 Tissue,:

2 skin, cuticle, bark, etc ;

3 Population :

4 herd of cows etc

28. The picture below shows a rainforest. Five objects have been labelled.
Explain why the Sun and the tree are important in maintaining the
ecosystem of the rainforest.

15 of 17
 Sun

Tree

Monkey
Bird

Frog

(score: 2) Answer:

Sun  needed for photosynthesis (0.5)

/ to provide energy light

Tree produce oxygen

← / to provide food

←  /animal shelter

29. It is known that Yogyakarta is located at GMT+7 and Berlin is at GMT

+1. If the current time in Yogyakarta is 10.00 AM, what is the current time in
Berlin?

16 of 17
(score: 1) Answer. The time difference is 6 hour, it means that it is 04.00
AM in Berlin.

30. An astronaut is working while in orbit. When

the astronaut assembles a piece of equipment,
will the astronaut notice the difference between
working with component with a large mass as
opposed to those with a small mass?

(score: 1)

Answer : No difference (score 1), because zero

gravitation (bonus 0.5).

17 of 17