PSLE Science - Answers
201 3
Booklet A
1. (2)
Generollg, both insects ond birds
reproduce bg loging eggs. Onlg insects
hove three bodg ports. ThJ Uoung
of birds look like their odulis bu-t
the goung of some insects (insects
with four-stoge life cgcles) do not
look Iike their odults. Insects hove on
exoskeleton but birds hove on outer
bodg covering of feothers.
2. (1)
From the diogrom, it con be observed
thot the frog hos webbed feet
ond o streomlined bodg. These
chorocteristics help the frog to swim
fost in the woter.
3. (3)
The butterflies benefit directlg bg
feeding on the nector. The nect-or iI
o source of food thot provides energu
for the butterflies.
4. (2)
Animol cells such os cheek cells do
not hove o cell woll while plont
cells such os root cells ond leof cells
hove o cell woll. Thus, question A
is 'Does the cell hove o lell woll?,
Plont cells such os root cells ore not
exposed to sunlight ond do not hove
chloroplosts while plont cells such
os leof cells ore exposed to sunlight
ond hove chloroplosts to corrg 6ut
photosgnthesis. Thus, question- B is
'Does the cell hove chloroplost?,
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s. (3)
There ore 3 populotions of producers
(plonts) ond 4 populotions of
consumers (onimols). Coterpillors ore
the goung of butterflies ond theg
ore considered os one populotion.
Todpoles ore the Uoung of frogs
ond theg ore considered os ori
populotion os well.
6. g)
The roots of trees bind soil porticles
together ond prevent them from
being eroded. After lorge oreos of
forests ore removed (deforestotion),
there would be fewer number oi
trees to hold the soil porticles,
leoding to more soil being eroded.
Deforestotion would olso iouse less
roin to foll, less oxugen to be given
out to the oir ond less corbon dioxide
to be obsorbed from the oir.
7. Q)
The leost number of plonts would
grow ot the port of the river where
it is the muddiest. The smoller the
volue of h, the muddier the woter.
Thus, the woter in port e of the river
is the muddiest ond the leost number
of plonts would grow in it.
8. (3)
Butterflies ore still oble to log eggs
on the leoves of plont n. fnus, ine
coterpillors (goung of butterflies)
will still be oble to eot plont A. The
deod leoves, when decomposed, oct
os o fertiliser for the soil. The block
plostic sheet reduces the exposed
surfoce oreo of the soil ond prevents
light from reoching the soil. Thus, it
reduces evoporotion of woter from
the soil ond prevents gross from
growing neor plont A.

9. (4)
The grosshopper corried out
respirotion. When the grosshopper
respired, it took in oxggen ond gove
out corbon dioxide. In order to
meosure the omount of oxggen token
in bg the grosshopper occurotelg the
corbon dioxide given out hos to be
obsorbed. Thus, the gos obsorbed bg
substonce M wos corbon dioxide.
10. (3)
A: onther
B: ovorg
C: ovorg
D: womb/uterus
Ovories ore femole reproductive ports.
B represents the ovoru of o plont
while C represents the ovorg of o
femole humon.
11. (4)
Orgonism D is the producer in this
hobitot. It supports oll other orgonisms
in the hobitot directlg or indirectlg.
Since ollthe other orgonisms decreosed
in number when orgonism G wos
introduced into the hobitot, G fed on
orgonism D.
12. (1)
In the presence of light. the plont
corried out photosgnthesis. It took
in corbon dioxide ond woter ond
converted them into food ond oxugen
using its chlorophgll. Since woter
wos token in bg the plont, the wqter
in the gloss tube moved towords
the plont (+-). The plont took in
corbon dioxide from the surrounding
oir through its stomoto ond not from
the woter.
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PSLE Science - Answers
13. (2)
Arrow B wos not drown correctlg
becouse oxggenoted blood does
not flow directlg frorn the lungs to
the heod ond orms. Arrow C wos
olso not drown correctlg becouse
deoxggenoted blood does not flow
directlg from the heod ond orms to
the lungs. Oxggenoted blood flows
from the lungs to the heort before it
is pumped to other ports of the bodg.
Deoxggenoted blood flows from
other ports of the bodg to the heort
before it is pumped to the lungs.
14. (1)
The onimol woste contoins nutrients.
Bocterio ond flooting woter plonts
con moke use of the nutrients for
groMh ond reproduction. Thus, there
will be more nutrients, bocterio ond
flooting woter plonts ot point Q thon
ot point P. As bocterio con reproduce
ropidlg its populotion will increose
drosticollg ot point Q ond theg will
compete with the fish in the woter for
oxugen. Thus, less fish will be found ot
point Q thon ot point P.
1s. (1)
Both leoves A ond B were oble to
corru out photosgnthesis os theg
were ploced in cleor plostic bogs
thot ollowed light to poss through
them. The two leoves took in corbon
dioxide ond gove out oxggen during
photosgnthesis. However, the plostic
bog used to wrop leof A contoined
more corbon dioxide os corbon
dioxide from the surroundings wos
oble to enter it through the ting holes.
There wos o limited omount of corbon
dioxide in the seoled plostic bog used
to wrop leof B. Thus, the plostic bog
PSLE Science - Answers
used to wrop leof A contoined more
corbon dioxide thon the plostic bog
used to wrop leof B. In the obsence
of light, leof C wos not oble to corrg
out photosgnthesis. It wos onlg oble
to corrg out resPirotion. During
respirotion, it took in oxggen ond
gove out corbon dioxide. Thus, the
block plostic bog used to wroP leof
C contoined the greotest omount of
corbon dioxide.
15. (3)
Non-motter is ongthing thot hos no
moss ond no volume. Light does not
hove moss ond does not occupg spoce.
Thus, it is not motter.
17. (1)
The bulb blew most proboblg becouse
there wos too much current flowing
through it. Therefore, fewer botteries
would hove reduced the current in
the circuit, hence preventing the bulb
from blowing.
18. (4)
Strength is the obilitg of o moteriql to
support o heovg lood without breoking
or teoring. In the exPeriment, the
moss of the lood wos increosed to
test the obilitg of the rubber bond
to withstond the force of Pulling
from the lood. Thus, the oim of the
experiment wqs to find out how
strong the rubber bond wos.
1e. (3)
Opening the door would let more
wind flow into the bothroom ond
ollow the woter to evoPorote more
quicklg. Using o hoirdrger to blow the
towel would increose thetemperoture,
which would olso increose the rote of
woter evoporotion. Folding the towel
in holf would reduce the surfoce oreo
of the towel, which would lower the
rote of woter evoporotion insteod.
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20. (4)
The moteriol of the hondle should be
o poor conductor of heot so thot it
con be hondled sofelg.In oddition, in
order to lift the Pon, it connot bend
eosilg.
21. (1)
Among the three moteriols, onlg iron
is on electricol conductor. Since the
three rods ore orronged in porollel
in circuit A, the current could flow
through the iron rod ond light up the
bulb. HoweveL no motter how the
iron rod is orronged in circuit B, the
circuit connot be closed os the current
connot f low through the wooden rod
ond the plostic rod.
22. (4)
Mognet Q moved uP the sloPe ond
touched mognet P becouse of the
mognetic ottroction between the two
mognets. Frictionol force
- o force
produced when one surfoce moves
over onother surfoce
- is Produced
when mognet Q moves uP the sloPe.
Grovitotionol force
- o force exerted
bg the Eorth on oll the objects on it
octs on mognet Q oll the time.
-
23. (3)
With the some length of sPring
compressed, the lighter tog would
be pushed higher bg the sPring os it
weighs less thon the heovier tog.
24. (4)
Since substonce A is o solid ot 30"C
ond o liquid ot 200'C, its melting
point should be between 30"C ond
2OO'C, while its boiling point should
be higher thon 200"C' Thus, onlg
option (4) is Possible,
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 PSLE Science - Answers

Booklet B
25- (2)
ilre fewest number of bulbs to be lit
os the

4
31.
is two when switch B is oPened
circuit to the right of switch is not
B
closed. Y l-71
26. (2)
iiivo similor rubber bonds would Young Plont P is scottered neorer
produce o lorger elostic force when
the cube wos releosed from the some
to thI Porent Plont os comPored to
goung Plont
position. Uoung plont Q. Thus,
F it likelg to be scottered bg
'ior"
explosive oction thon bg wind os the
27. (2) fruit con onlg
explosive oction of the
An object exPonds when heoted' diiperse the seeds o short distonce'
Therefore, when the ring wos heoted'
it exponded to ollow the boll to poss - Fruit#seedsdispersedbgexplosive
oction ore usuollg neorer to the
through it. porent Plont thon fruits/seeds
disPersed bg wind' The fruit on
28. (4)
the left is disPersed bg wind while
ioint A is ot o higher Position thon the fruit on the right is disPersed
point B. Thus, thetog bus Possessed
'less bg exPlosive oction'
potentiol energg ot B compo.red
to A. In oddition, the tog bus
32. (o) The of plont R ore spreod
leoves
possessed o certoin omount of kinetic
out on the trunk of the tree' This
energu ot A os it wos moving while the exPosed surfoce
increoses
it hol- no kinetic energu ot B os it oreo of the leoves ond ollows
wos stotionorg. Thus, it possessed less sunlight
them to obsorb more
kinetic energu ot B comPored to A'
for Photosgnthesis'
- The greoter the exPosed surfoce
29. (3) qreoi of the leoves, the higher
ihe woll wos opoque, so the light the rote of Photosgnthesis'
reflected bg the stool wos not oble (b) The stem of both Plont R ond
to poss through the woll into Gopol's
eues. Plont S is weok'
stem need
- Plqnts with o weoko suPPort
to twine oround to
30. (1) sunlight while
reoch for more
nccorOing to the groPh, th9 ore
temperotuie of the liquid Y il I Plonts with o strong stem
oble to grow uPright on their
decreosed more quicklg thon thot in B
o better conductor
own.
indicoting thot Q is
of heot Ifron P. However, since Aziz
wonted to keeP the food hot ond
the drinks cold, P is more suitoble for
the contoiners os it is oble to prevent
the heot from being releosed to or
obsorbed from the surroundings
quicklg.

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PSLE Science - Answers
33. (o) Animol N protects itself from
predotors bg hiding in its hord
shell when it is not feeding.
- The hord shell provides o shield
for onimol N.
(b) When corried to other ploces,
onimol N con colonise new oreos
ond reduce the competition for
food omong the some species.
- Colonising new oreos increoses
the chonces of survivol of o
species.
(c) The ting green plonts compete
oxugen with onimol N. / The ting
green plonts compete for spoce
with onimol N. (Choose ong one)
- Living orgonisms compete with
eoch other for resources such
os oxugen ond spoce.
34. (o) As the distonce from the lomp
increoses, the light intensitg
decreoses. As o result, the
chloroplosts photosgnthesise ot
o lower rote ond the time token
for the mixture to turn green
i ncreoses.
The higher the light intensitg
- the tree ond bird D.
the foster the chloroplosts corru
out photosgnthesis.
(b) John's oim wos to find out how
light intensitg offects the rote
of photosgnthesis. Thus, he
conducted the experiment in o
dork room to moke sure thot the
lomp is the onlg source of light.
- If other sources of light ore
present, theg mog offect the
results of the experiment ond
moke it unfoir.
(c) W hod o lorger omount of
chloroplosts. This is becouse
the mixture in tube W turned
green foster thon the mixture in
tube S when the distonce from
the lomp wos the some for both
tubes.
1
- When there were more
chloroplosts, photosgnthesis
could toke ploce ot o higher
rote, cousing the mixture to
turn green in o shorter omount
of time.
3s. (o) This process is decomposition.
- Bocterio ore decomposers thot
breok down woste into simpler
substonces.
(b) Temperoture will offect the speed
for of the process.
- The higher the temperoture,
the foster the speed of
decomposition.
(c) The soil-like substonce con be
fertilisers for plonts.
- Plonts ore oble to re-use the
nutrients.
35. (o) Plont M con reoch for more
sunlight thon if it grows on the
ground. Plont M con olso obsorb
nutrients from the tree through
the bronch.
- Plont M is interdependent on
(b) Plont M provides fruits os food
for bird D.
- Fruits contoin sugors thot ore
needed for respirotion to
releose energU.
(c) Stickg seeds con stick to the beok
of bird D ond be spreod further
owog from the porent plont.
This ovoids overcrowding of the
Uoung plonts.
- As bird D flies oround, it is
importont for the seeds to be
stickg so thot theg will not drop
off eosilg.
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37. (o) (i) The plont in pot G lost wqter
in the form of woter vopour
through its stomoto, leoding
to o decreose in moss for pot
G.
(ii) The woter vopour lost bg the
plont in pot H remoined in the
plostic bog, so there wos no
chonge in moss for pot H.
- The plonts lose woter
in the process known os
tronspirotion.
(b) The chonge in moss would be
smoller os it onlg lost woter
through its stomoto found on the
upper surfoces of the leoves.
- Stomoto ore found on both
surfoces of leoves. Howevel
more stomoto con be found
on the lower surfoces of leoves
thon on the upper surfoces of
Ieoves.
38. (o) Motter occupies spoce. The hole
ot point P ollows the oir inside
the bottle to escope while the
hole ot point e ollows woter to
fill the bottle.
- Motter hos moss ond occupies
spoce. Since oir is lighter thon
woter, it escopes from the
bottle while woter fills the
bottle.
(b) No. Minghon connot conclude
thot theg were mode of the some
moteriol becouse there ore mong
moteriols thot ore oble to sink in
woter.
- For exomple, both metols ond
rocks sink in woter. However,
theg ore different moteriols.
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PSLE Science - Answers
39. (o)
- Ch""rilt-l cnonged rnto
I potentiot
l-----------+ | xmt | + J Ligt I
energg in the block energu energu
- During the process, chemicol
energU in the block wos
converted into heot energu
ond light energu of the flome.
(b) Good insulotor of heot
- When one end of the block
wos lit, the temperoture of this
end increosed to o high level.
Howeve6 the temperoture of
the other end of the block
(Q) remoined the some os
the room temperoture, which
indicotes thot moteriol M is o
bod conductor of heot.
40. (o) Use onlg o wooden surfoce or
gloss surfoce in the experiment.
- To moke sure thot the
experiment is o foir test, onlg
the vorioble (the moss of the
object) con be chonged. The
others, including the moteriol
of the surfoce, should be kept
the some.
(b) Port of the kinetic energg of
the trog with the lood hod been
converted into heot energg from
friction.
- There wos frictionol force
exerted on the trog bg the
surfoce when it wos moving
on the surfoce. Frictionol force
would couse two surfoces thot
ore in contoct with eoch other
to become hot.
PSLE Science - Answers
41. (o)
slowest<- rqte of evoPorqtion
Liquid Y x
The liquid thot took the leost
- definite volume ond con flow'
time to evoporote comPletelg
hos the fostest rote of
evoPorotion.
(b) (i) This ensures thot oll the
beokers hove the some
exPosed surfoce oreo'
which offects the rote of
evoPorotion.
- Liquid evoPorotes more
quicklg from o lorger
exPosed surfoce oreo'
(ii) This ensures thot oll the
beokers hove the
conditions of temPeroture'
humiditg ond Presence of
wind which offect the rote
of evoPorotion'
more
- Liquid evoporoteshigher
quicklg with o
temPeroture or lower
humiditg. Liquid olso
evoporotes more quicklg if
there is wind blowing'
42. (o) 70 cm3
Totol volume of the contoiner
- mogneiM is stronger ot its ends
= 50 cm3 + 150 cm3
= 200 cm3
Volume of woter left in the
contoiner
= 150 cm3 - 20 cm3
= 130 cm3
Finol volume of oir in
contoiner
= 200 cm3 - 130 cm3
= 70 cm3
\
(b) Woter hos o definite volume ond
con flow. Air hos no definite
* fo*d volume ond tokes the volume of
z its contoiner.
- When the toP wos oPened,
woter flowed out os it hos o
When the PumP wos oPened,
oir flowed into the contoiner
ond occuPied the volume
left os it tokes the shoPe ond
volume of its contoiner'
43. (o) When on object is ottrocted to
o mognet, it con be either o
'
mognet or o mognetic mote.riol'
- A mognetic moteriol will beA
ottrocted to o mognet'
some mognet will olso be ottrocted
to onother mognet when their
oPPosite Poles ore focing eoch
other.
(b) He con Ploce end D of
obiect Y close to mognet M' If
objea Y is rePelled bg mognet
M, it is o mognet. Otherwise, it
is o mognetic moteriol but not
o mognet.
- Onlg mognets will rePel eoch
other when their like Poles ore
focing eoch other.
(c) The mognetic force Produced bg
ond weoker ot its centre'
- For o bor mognet such os
force
mognet M, the mognetic
pro-duced is stronger ot its ends
ond weoker qt its centre'
the
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 PSLE Science - Answers

44. (o) When the iron bollwos ot point

A, the circuit wos closed so there
wos current flowing through the
bulb, cousing it to light up.
- The current con onlg flow
through the device in on
electricol circuit when it is
closed.
(b) The iron bor become on
electromognet when there wos
current flowing through the
wires oround it. Thus, it ottrocted
the iron boll.
- When the iron bollwos ot point
A, o closed circuit wos formed.
This mode the iron bor on
electromognet.
(c) When the iron boll wos ot point
B, the circuit broke. No current
flowed through the wires oround
the iron bor ond it become
demognetised. Thus, the iron boll
fell bock down to position A.
- When the circuit wos not closed,
there wos no current flowing
through the wires oround the
iron bor which demognetised
it, ollowing the iron boll to foll
down to position A, closing the
circuit ogoin ond repeoting the
whole cgcle.

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