Secondary 1 / Grade 7

Full Name:

School: Index Number:

Instructions to Students:
1. Only Scientific Calculators are allowed during the contest.
2. The duration of this contest is 1 hour 30 minutes. You may not leave the contest venue
within the first hour of the paper.
3. This examination paper contains 25 questions and comprises of 13 printed pages.
4. Each question has only 4 possible answers: a, b, c and d. Shade your correct option on the
Answer Entry Sheet provided.
5. The total marks for this paper is 77 points:
a. Section A:
Question 1 to 10: +2 points for correct answer, 0 points for no answer and −1 point for
wrong answer.
b. Section B:
Question 11 to 20: +3 points for correct answer, 0 points for no answer or wrong answer.
Application Question
Question 21, 22 and 23: +3 points for correct answer, 0 points for wrong and no answer.
Question 24 and 25: +4 points for correct answer, 0 points for wrong and no answer.
6. You are not allowed to bring the question paper and answer script out of the contest venue.

Note:
1) You may assume that there is no air resistance throughout the contest unless
stated.
2) All temperatures are in Degrees Celsius.
3) Room Temperature is 25°C at 1 atmospheric pressure.
4) Gravitational Acceleration is taken to be 9.8 𝑚/𝑠 2
Rough Working
Section A (Question 1 to 10: +2 points for correct answer, 0 point for no answer and
−1 point for wrong answer)

1. Temperatures drop as we approach a higher altitude. Using this information,

deduce why do the natives of the Himalayan mountains have red cheeks?

A. Some of the blood vessels constrict and burst causing redness.

B. Their red blood cells are larger in size.
C. They do not have enough oxygen in their cheeks.
D. The temperature is high on the Himalayan mountains.

2. Scientists recently discovered a new substance called Rubax. It has a definite

shape at room temperature but is malleable when molten, and is ductile and can
conduct electricity. Which statement below most accurately states the changes that
may occur when Rubax is placed above an open flame?

A. The particles in the substance become less energetic.

B. Rubax contracts because the particles get closer together.
C. The size of Rubax’s particles increases.
D. The distance between the particles in Rubax increases.

3. At room temperature and pressure, why is nitrogen easier to compress than

vinegar.

A. The particles in nitrogen are smaller than the particles in vinegar.

B. The particles in nitrogen are larger than the particles in vinegar.
C. There is more space between the particles in nitrogen than between
particles in vinegar.
D. There is less space between the particles in nitrogen than between particles
in vinegar.

4. Eskimos live in very cold regions and stay in Igloos. An igloo is a house made
from big blocks of snow. How do igloos keep their inhabitants warm ?

A. Snow is a good conductor of heat. Heat is conducted from the snow to the
inhabitants.
B. Snow is a poor conductor of heat. Heat passes through the ice easily,
keeping inhabitants warm.
C. Snow is a poor conductor of heat. Heat remains inside the igloo and is not
conducted out of the igloo.
D. Snow is a good conductor of heat. Heat cannot pass through the ice easily
and is not conducted out of the igloo.
5. Why does a green plant quickly wither when placed under green light?

A. The green plant absorbs the green light and photosynthesis is affected.
B. The green plant absorbs the green light and respiration is affected.
C. The green plant reflects the green light and respiration is affected.
D. The green plant does not absorb the green light and photosynthesis is
affected.

Qn 6-10: In line with MOE syllabus but questions are inference base – Eg From
a table or graph or diagram and questions in this section increase in level of
difficulty.

6. The Dead Sea is a salt lake between Jordan and Israel that attracts many tourists
every year. These tourists look forward to floating effortlessly in this salt lake.
Which of the following statements best explains the buoyancy effects of the Dead
Sea?

A. There is massive salt to water ratio in the Dead Sea.

B. The tourists float easily because they are light.
C. The high density of the tourists allows them to float in the Dead Sea easily.
D. There is an anti-gravity force in the Dead Sea that allows the tourists to float
easily.
7. Scientists recently discovered a new pink crystal. Using the latest technology, the
pink crystal was broken down into three different pure substances as shown in the
diagram below. At room temperature and pressure, what can be inferred from the
diagram given?

A. The dull brittle solid is a metal and can conduct electricity.

B. The pink crystal is a mixture and the greenish-yellow gas is an element.
C. The silvery liquid is a non-metal and the pink crystal is a compound.
D. The silvery liquid is a metal and the greenish-yellow gas is a molecule.

8. Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) is used as a solvent for substances that cannot

dissolve in water. The table below shows the solubility of four different
substances P, Q, R and S in 100 cm3 of CCl4.

Substance Mass dissolved in 100 cm3 of CCl4

(g)
P 80
Q 90
R 65
S 55

Which arrangement shows the solubility, from most soluble to least soluble, of
the substances in CCl4?

A. S>R>P>Q
B. S<R<P<Q
C. Q<P<R<S
D. Q>P>S>R
9. Measuring cylinder A contains water while measuring cylinder B contains
mercury. What is the volume of liquid in the two measuring cylinders when a
stone of 20 cm3 is placed inside?

Volume of water in A (cm3) Volume of mercury in B (cm3)

A. 15 10
B. 15 15
C. 35 35
D. 35 30

10. Pandas consume mainly bamboo shoots. Bamboos grow in cooler environments.
Due to recent climate changes, bamboos are slowly becoming a scarcity in the
native forest habitats of pandas. Taking into consideration that adult pandas do not
actually have natural predators and neglecting effects of human poaching, what is
the most logical explanation that the adult panda population is still stable?

A. Adult pandas are moving into an omnivorous diet.

B. Pandas are adverse towards traveling further to find food.
C. Pandas are sleeping more often so as to not feel hungry.
D. Pandas started depending on other consumers in the ecosystem for
survival.
Section B

Question 11 to 20: +3 points for correct answer, 0 points for no answer or wrong
answer. Questions in this section are experiment based. Questions may be in and
out of syllabus.

Qn 11-15: Questions that are out of syllabus but students can infer the answer
from information given by using their problem-solving skills.

11. Which diagram correctly shows the addition of two forces Y and Z to produce a
resultant force, X?
12. Soap is usually made from triglycerides (animal or vegetable fat). It is used to
remove grease. Soap molecules have a hydrophilic head and a hydrophobic tail.
The hydrophilic head binds with water while the hydrophobic tail binds with
grease. The soap molecules arrange themselves into micelles (which is an
aggregate of molecules in a colloidial solution) when grease is mixed with soapy
water. Which of the following correctly represents a micelle?
13. Exothermic processes are processes that release heat into the environment while
endothermic processes are those that absorb heat from the environment. Choose
the correct option given that:

(i) Water becoming ice loses heat.

(ii) Food getting cooked gains heat.

Melting Freezing Evaporation Condensation Sublimation

A. Endothermic Endothermic Exothermic Endothermic Exothermic
B. Endothermic Exothermic Endothermic Exothermic Endothermic
C. Exothermic Exothermic Endothermic Exothermic Endothermic
D. Exothermic Endothermic Exothermic Endothermic Exothermic

14. Scientist observed that eagles displayed these habits; they, unlike other birds, only
flap their wings during take-off, thereafter spreading their wings and remaining at
a certain altitude. Eagles were also observed to nest at a greater height near
sources of water. It is believed that an eagle’s behavioural habits are due to their
biological survival instinct. Which of the following statement best explains an
eagle’s habits?

A. Eagles are astigmatic. Eagles nest on higher grounds for better vision.
B. Eagles trap uprising vapours under their wings to ensure they stay at a
specific altitude.
C. Eagles nest upon higher grounds to escape their natural predators.
D. Eagles are prideful birds, they assume dominance by nesting near
water.

15. A student conducted a simple experiment to represent a transverse wave. He tied

one end of a ribbon to a door knob and held the other end in his hand. He was able
to create a transverse wave by moving his hand up and down. Given that the
transverse wave was travelling from left to right as seen in the diagram below,
which of the following correctly describes the movement of a particle at positon
A, B and C in the wave at that particular instant?

A B C
A. Moving downwards Moving upwards Moving upwards
B. Moving upwards Moving upwards Moving upwards
C. Moving downwards Moving downwards Moving downwards
D. Moving downwards Moving downwards Moving upwards
Each question has 4 numbered options. Response is based on the following table:
A B C D
I is correct only II and III correct II and IV correct I,II,III,IV are
only only correct

16. Boris was given two balloons that contained two different gases. After a few
hours, Boris observed that both balloons decreased in size but the extent of
deflation was significantly different. What can Boris infer and/or conclude about
the two gases?

I. The gas particles in the balloons have diffused out of the balloon.
II. The size of the gas particles in balloon A are larger than that in balloon B.
III. It is possible to see similar results if the gases in balloons A and B Helium and
Xenon are respectively.
IV. The gas particles in balloon B absorbs heat from the surrounding and hence it
expanded.

A B C D
I is correct only II and III correct II and IV correct I,II,III,IV are
only only correct
17. Functional hydrocarbons are generally produced by fractional distillation.
Fractional distillation uses the concept of boiling points to separate crude oil into
many different products. Shorter hydrocarbon chains are found in the top fractions
while longer hydrocarbon chains are found in the bottom fractions. However, due
to the high demand for fuel, cracking is also used to break long hydrocarbon
chains into shorter chains of hydrocarbon which are functional. One example is
the cracking of hexane (C6H14) to butane (C4H10) and ethene (C2H4). What can be
inferred from the information given above?

I. Some atoms are cut into half during cracking.

II. Hydrocarbons are molecules made up of carbon and hydrogen atoms.
III. Cracking causes the atoms in large hydrocarbon chains to become smaller.
IV. Crude oil is a mixture.

A B C D
I is correct only II and III correct II and IV correct I,II,III,IV are
only only correct

18. A student was asked to do an experiment on density and he made the following
inferences based on his observations. Container of liquid is not drawn to scale.

Which of the following statements are correct?

I. It is impossible to identify which has lower density, Solid A or Solid B
II. Solid A will float in liquid B.
III. We are certain that liquid A is Oil and liquid B is Water.
IV. It is possible that liquid B and Solid B have the same mass.

A B C D

I is correct only II and III correct only II and IV correct only I,II,III,IV are correct
19. John wanted to compare the effect of different coloured lights on green plants.
The results of his experiment after a week is shown in the table below.

Set-up Colour of light Picture of plant

A White

B Red Only

C Green Only

D Blue Only

Choose the correct statement(s) to explain this phenomenon.

I. The plant in Set-up C withered because green light was reflected off the plant.
II. Red and blue lights in Set-ups B and D were reflected off the plants for them
to photosynthesise.
III. The plant in Set-up A was healthy when white light was used because all
colours were absorbed for photosynthesis.
IV. The plant in Set-up C withered because even though green light was absorbed
by the plant, it does not utilise green light to photosynthesise.

A B C D

I is correct only II and III correct only II and IV correct only I,II,III,IV are correct
20. The experiment below was used to demonstrate a certain Physics concept.
Initially, the student was not able to see the coin. When the beaker is filled, the
student was able to see the coin without moving his line-of -sight. Choose the
statements that best explain this phenomenon.

1. The student was able to see the coin because of the bending of light away from
the normal into the student’s line-of-sight.
2. The student was able to see the coin when water was present because of the
reflection of light from one medium to another.
3. The student was able to see the coin because speed of light increases as it
travels from water to air.
4. The student was able to see the coin because air has a higher optical density
than water.

A B C D

1 is correct only 1 and 3 correct only 2 and 4 correct only 1,2,3,4 are correct
Section C
Question 21, 22 and 23: +𝟑 points for correct answer, 0 points for wrong and no
answer.
Question 24 and 25: +𝟒 points for correct answer, 0 points for wrong and no
answer.
Questions in this section are Application Based Questions.

21. Gas chromatography (GC) can be used to achieve the same purpose as paper
chromatography, except that in GC, a mixture of substances is placed in a syringe
and injected into the machine. The components of the mixture are heated and
instantly vaporize. As they travel through the machine, they are adsorbed and
separated. The machine records a bar in the chart of the chromatogram, each time
a component is separated.
The Rf value and number of spots present in paper chromatography is
comparable to the length of the bar recorded in the chart and the number of
peaks recorded on the gas chromatogram respectively. Which of the following
statements is correct?

A. The number of peaks identifies the number of components in the sample.

B. The time to which a peak appear represents the number of components in the
sample.
C. Number of peaks could be used to identify the type of components in the
sample.
D. The time to which a peak appear quantifies each component in the sample.

22. There are some improvements one could employ to increase the rate at which a
solute dissolves in the solvent. Jacob is trying to dissolve a Vitamin C
effervescent tablet in water. He placed a mini fan above the cup to increase its rate
of reaction. Is this a viable way to increase the rate at which the solute dissolves in
the solvent?
A. Yes. The moving air introduces a convection current which is a wave
movement of the water.
B. No. The fan disturbs the air above the cup and possibly the molecules on the
surface of the mixture only.
C. Yes. The moving air above the cup, encourages the evaporation of the
mixture, increasing the rate of reaction.
D. No. The wind from the fan does not introduce any heat.
23. Euglena is a unicellular organism that has plant, animal and bacteria features. It
has a tiny eyespot which detects sunlight so that the cell can swim towards the
sunlight for photosynthesis to occur. Label the diagram below using the
information provided.

2
4
3
5

1 2 3 4 5
A. Nucleus Eyespot Flagellum Chloroplast Cell wall
B. Nucleus Eyespot Flagellum Chloroplast Cell
membrane
C. Eyespot Nucleus Chloroplast Flagellum Cell wall
D. Eyespot Nucleus Chloroplast Flagellum Cell
membrane

24. When white light passes through a prism, dispersion of light occurs. The extent to
which a colour in the white light spectrum bends, depends on its wavelength, ,
and frequency, .
A shorter wavelength would mean a higher frequency (assuming the same
distance travelled). Wavelength and frequency eventually affect its speed. A
colour bends more when it has a shorter wavelength. The wavelength and its
energy is inversely proportional. Using the table below, determine which
𝑐
colour of the rainbow has the highest energy given that E = h and  = .


E Energy
h Planck’s constant
c Speed of light
 Frequency
 Wavelength

A. Red
B. Violet
C. Indigo
D. Orange
25. Two plants with variegated leaves were supplied with radioactive carbon dioxide
as shown in the diagram below. Plant A was placed in a transparent box while
Plant B was placed in a black box. The radioactivity levels of the green and
yellow sections of a leaf from each plant were measured after a few days. The
average readings are indicated in the boxes in the diagram.
Which statement best explains why the radioactivity levels of Plant A was
significantly higher than that of Plant B?

A. The higher radioactivity levels are due to greater rate of photosynthesis

occurring in both the green and yellow sections of the leaf in Plant A.
B. The higher radioactivity levels are due to radioactive carbon dioxide actively
diffusing down the concentration gradient from the green section of the leaf to
the yellow section of the leaf in Plant A.
C. The higher radioactivity levels are due the products of photosynthesis
produced in the green section and then being transported to the yellow section
of the leaf in Plant A.
D. The higher radioactivity levels are due to Plant A being placed in a transparent
box, hence it having a greater rate of photosynthesis which leads to an
accumulation of radioactive sugar being stored as starch in the plant.
Rough Working