SCIENCE
Grade 9
Paper 1 2024
Cambridge Lower Secondary Checkpoint
Name
Date
45 minutes
Question Marks
1 /6
INSTRUCTIONS
2 /6
• Read each question carefully. Answer ALL 3 /8
questions. 4 /6
• The periodic table is provided on the last 5 /4
page. 6 /3
• In the boxes above, write your name & date. 7 /4
• Write your answer neatly in good English with 8 /6
pen/pencil. 9 /3
• The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at 10 /4
the end of each question. Total /50
Page 1 of 13
1 Look at the diagram of the human excretory (renal) system.
(a) Complete the table to name the parts labelled A, B, C, D and E.
part name of part
[5]
(b) Urea ammonium nitrate is an organic fertiliser.
What do plants make using nitrates?
………………………………………………………………………………………………. [1]
Page 2 of 13
2 The table shows information about elements.
number of electrons in
atomic symbol one atom one ion of
of the the element
element
Li 3 2
Mg 12 10
Al 13 10
Cl 17 18
K 19 18
Ca 20 18
(a) (i) Which atom loses three electrons to form an ion?
Circle the correct answer.
Li Mg Al Cl K Ca [1]
(ii) Which atom forms a negative ion?
………………………………………..
Explain your answer.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………….. [2]
(iii) Two elements in the table are in Group 1.
Write down the atomic symbols of these two elements.
Use the Periodic Table on the last page to help you.
……………………………. and ……………………………. [1]
(b) Some elements make compounds with ionic bonds.
Describe what is meant by the words ionic bond.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………….. [2]
Page 3 of 13
3 This question is about heat and temperature.
(a) Describe the difference between heat and temperature.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………….. [2]
(b) Rajiv investigates how the temperature of cold water increases in two
different metal containers.
He puts the same volume of cold water in each
container. He puts the two containers in the sun.
(i) Name the equipment Rajiv uses to measure the temperature of the water.
………………………………………………………………………………………….. [1]
Page 4 of 13
(ii) Look at the graph showing how the temperature of the water in each
container increases with time.
The black container gains the most thermal energy.
Explain how you know from the graph.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………….. [1]
(iii) Explain why the black container gains more thermal energy by radiation.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………….. [1]
(c) Explain how the thermal energy travels through the metal containers.
Complete these sentences.
Thermal energy travels through the metal containers by the process of
…………………………
The particles in the metal gain thermal energy and …………………………. more.
As energy passes through the metal the particles ………………………… with each
other.
[3]
Page 5 of 13
4 Plants need magnesium and nitrates for healthy growth.
(a) (i) What substance do plants make using magnesium?
…………………………………………………………………………………………….. [1]
(ii) What type of substance do plants make using nitrates?
…………………………………………………………………………………………….. [1]
(b) The diagram shows plant A and plant B.
Plant A has green leaves and plant B has green and yellow leaves.
The plants are both the same size and belong to the same species.
(i) Both plants receive the same amount of light and water.
After one week plant A is bigger than plant B.
Explain why.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………….. [2]
(ii) Plants remove carbon dioxide from the air and replace it with another gas.
What is the name of this gas?
…………………………………………………………………………………………….. [1]
(c) A farmer grows cabbage plants in his field.
There are spaces between each cabbage plant.
Suggest one reason why it is important to have spaces between each cabbage plant.
…..…………………………………………………………………………………………….. [1]
Page 6 of 13
5 Lily reacts magnesium with copper sulfate solution.
(a) Name this type of reaction.
……………………………………………………………………………………………….. [1]
(b) Name the two products of this reaction.
………………………………… and ………………………………… [2]
(c) Lily adds zinc to magnesium sulfate solution.
There is no reaction.
Explain why there is no reaction.
……………………………………………………………………………………………….. [1]
Page 7 of 13
6 This question is about different waveforms and sounds.
(a) Look at the diagram of a waveform.
Draw a double-headed arrow ( or ) on the diagram to show the amplitude of the
waveform. [1]
(b) Aiko hears a high pitch sound and then a low pitch sound.
Write a sentence to compare the frequencies of the two sounds.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………………………….. [1]
(c) Aiko plays a sound on her phone.
Complete the sentence.
The louder the sound the larger the …………………………………….. [1]
Page 8 of 13
7 Offspring inherit characteristics from their parents when a sperm and an egg fuse
together.
(a) Name the process that happens when a sperm and an egg fuse together.
……………………………………………………………………………………………….. [1]
(b) The sperm and the egg that fuse together determine the sex of the offspring.
Look at the diagram showing the chromosomes in the sperm and the egg which
determine the sex of the offspring.
Explain why there is a 50% chance of the offspring being male.
Use the diagram to help you.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………...
…………………………………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………………………….. [2]
(c) The offspring produced look similar but not identical to their parents.
Explain why the offspring produced will not look identical to their parents.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………………………….. [1]
Page 9 of 13
8 Draw a straight line from the name of the component to its correct symbol and
function.
One has been done for you.
[6]
Page 10 of 13
9 Complete the sentences about nebulae.
Nebulae are enormous clouds of ……………………………… and ……………………….. .
Some nebulae act as stellar nurseries for new ……………………………………………. [3]
10 The diagram shows how the appearance of a deer population changes over time.
(a) Look at the diagram.
The deer show variation.
Describe one example of variation shown in the diagram.
……………………………………………………………………………………………….. [1]
Page 11 of 13
(b) The appearance of the deer population changes over time from P to S.
The theory of natural selection explains this change in appearance.
Match each statement about natural selection to the correct letter in the diagram.
You may use each letter once, more than once or not at all.
statement about natural selection letter
Some adaptations give advantages in one environment and not in another.
Genes controlling features which help survival pass into offspring.
Individuals with adaptations less advantageous to the environment die
before they reproduce.
[3]
END OF QUESTION PAPER
Page 12 of 13
The Periodic Table of Elements
Group
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 2
H He
hydrogen helium
Key 1 4
3 4 atomic number 5 6 7 8 9 10
Li Be atomic symbol B C N O F Ne
lithium beryllium name boron carbon nitrogen oxygen fluorine neon
7 9 relative atomic mass 11 12 14 16 19 20
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Na Mg Al Si P S Cl Ar
sodium magnesium aluminium silicon phosphorus sulfur chlorine argon
23 24 27 28 31 32 35.5 40
19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36
K Ca Sc Ti V Cr Mn Fe Co Ni Cu Zn Ga Ge As Se Br Kr
potassium calcium scandium titanium vanadium chromium manganese iron cobalt nickel copper zinc gallium germanium arsenic selenium bromine krypton
39 40 45 48 51 52 55 56 59 59 64 65 70 73 75 79 80 84
37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54
Rb Sr Y Zr Nb Mo Tc Ru Rh Pd Ag Cd In Sn Sb Te I Xe
rubidium strontium yttrium zirconium niobium molybdenum technetium ruthenium rhodium palladium silver cadmium indium tin antimony tellurium iodine xenon
85 88 89 91 93 96 – 101 103 106 108 112 115 119 122 128 127 131
55 56 57–71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86
Cs Ba lanthanoids
Hf Ta W Re Os Ir Pt Au Hg Tl Pb Bi Po At Rn
caesium barium hafnium tantalum tungsten rhenium osmium iridium platinum gold mercury thallium lead bismuth polonium astatine radon
133 137 178 181 184 186 190 192 195 197 201 204 207 209 – – –
87 88 89–103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118
Fr Ra actinoids
Rf Db Sg Bh Hs Mt Ds Rg Cn Nh Fl Mc Lv Ts Og
francium radium rutherfordium dubnium seaborgium bohrium hassium meitnerium darmstadtium roentgenium copernicium nihonium flerovium moscovium livermorium tennessine oganesson
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71
lanthanoids La Ce Pr Nd Pm Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy Ho Er Tm Yb Lu
lanthanum cerium praseodymium neodymium promethium samarium europium gadolinium terbium dysprosium holmium erbium thulium ytterbium lutetium
139 140 141 144 – 150 152 157 159 163 165 167 169 173 175
89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103
actinoids Ac Th Pa U Np Pu Am Cm Bk Cf Es Fm Md No Lr
actinium thorium protactinium uranium neptunium plutonium americium curium berkelium californium einsteinium fermium mendelevium nobelium lawrencium
– 232 231 238 – – – – – – – – – – –
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Page 13 of 13
