Junior Cycle Final Examination

Sample Paper A Solutions

Science
Common Level

Time: 2 hours
360 marks

EPJ 017
 Section A 150 marks

Question 1 15 marks
(a) A plant cell

Sample A Solutions
(b) The presence of a cell wall, chloroplasts and large vacuole

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(c) Any two of the following:
Cell Part Function
Cell wall A rigid coat of cellulose that gives the plant cell its shape and supports
and strengthens the cell.
Chloroplasts Where photosynthesis occurs. It contain chlorophyll: a green pigment
that traps the light energy from the sun.
Large vacuole Stores food or waste products

Nucleus Contains the genetic material that controls what the cell does.

Cell membrane Holds the cell together and controls what passes in and out of the cell.

Cytoplasm A jelly-like substance where chemical reactions take place.

(d) Cell – Tissue – Organ – System – Organism

Question 2 15 marks
(a) 365 days or 1 year
(b) 24 hours or 1 day
(c)

The Northern Spring The Northern

Hemisphere is Hemisphere is
facing towards Autumn facing away
the Sun from the Sun

Summer Winter

Winter Summer

Autumn
In summer, the tilt of In winter, the nights in
the Earth means that Ireland Ireland are longer than
spends more time in daylight Spring the days due to the tilt
than it does in the shadows of the Earth's axis

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Question 3 15 marks
(a)
Substance Solid, liquid or gas
Water Liquid
Tin Solid
Oxygen Gas
Butane Gas
Benzoic acid Solid

(b) Water has a boiling point of 100 °C.

(c) David is correct. David and Patrick do not have enough information to confirm that the
substance is a solid. In order to determine whether it is a liquid or a solid they would need to
know both the melting point and the boiling point.

Question 4 15 marks
(a) Food A should be selected because:
• Sugar provides energy and fuel for the body.
• Fibre will prevent constipation and maintain a healthy digestive system.
(b) Calcium forms strong bones and teeth.
(c) Weak or brittle bones
(d) Iron can be found in red meat, green vegetables and some breakfast cereals.
(e) The lemon is a source of vitamin C because it is a citrus fruit.
Note: In the first print run of Junior Cycle Science Exam Papers (Sample Paper A, Question 4 (a)),
it was stated that Food A contains a smaller variety of nutrients. It should read ‘a larger variety of
nutrients’. We apologise for this error.

Question 5 15 marks
(a) You would do more damage if you were wearing football boots because the pressure is greater.
The force of your body is being exerted through a smaller area.
(b) Snow shoes would be easier because the surface area that the force is being exerted through is
larger and therefore the pressure exerted is smaller.
15,000
(c) 170 × 4 = 680 = 22.06 N/cm2
680
700
(d) = 100 kN/m2
7
(e) 100 kN/m2 is equal to 10 N/cm2. Therefore, the tank will move more easily over soft ground as
it exerts less pressure.

Question 6 15 marks
(a) Inherited characteristics are passed on from parents to children by genes. A gene is a short
section of the DNA in a chromosome. When the male gamete (sperm) and female gamete
(egg) fuse, a zygote is formed. This zygote contains 46 chromosomes: 23 from the father and
23 from the mother.

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Science – Common Level
EPJ 017
 (b) Every human cell contains 46 chromosomes. 23 chromosomes come from the father and the
other 23 come from the mother. The child will have a unique combination of genes inherited
from both the male and female parent and will share certain characteristics with each parent.
(c) Identical twins come from the same egg. The sperm only fertilises one egg but this egg
splits into more than one embryo, which then results in more than one baby with identical
characteristics.

Sample A Solutions
(d) The genes that we are born with and the environment in which we live affect who we are.

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This is what is meant by ‘nature versus nurture’. The twins’ eye colour is identical as this
is determined by their genes. Their weight and skin colour have been affected by their
environment. Ailis works outdoors in a hot country so she will likely weigh less and her skin
colour will be darker. As Alanna works in an office in Dublin, she is likely to not be as active and
will weigh more than her sister. Her skin colour will be fairer as she doesn’t spend as much
time in direct sunlight as her sister.

Question 7 15 marks
(a) Physical change
(b) No new substance has been formed. The iodine just goes from a solid to a gas form.
(c) 27 g
(d)

Question 8 15 marks
(a)

Battery
Buzzer
Lamp

(b) It is important that scientists and electrical engineers use the same circuit symbols so they
know by looking at a circuit diagram exactly what components are in that particular circuit.
(c) complete
(d)
Conductor or insulator Function in a circuit
Copper wire Conductor Allows the current to flow in the circuit

Plastic coating Insulator To prevent contact with the electrical current and
reduce risk of an electric shock

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Science – Common Level
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Question 9 15 marks
(a) 5
(b) 11
(c) Electrons
(d) This is a model of a boron atom. Boron has an atomic number of 5 and a mass number of 11
on the periodic table.
(e) It is difficult for scientists to study atoms because they are very small.

Question 10 15 marks
(a) Solar eclipse
(b)

(c) Any two of the following:

• Do not look directly at the Sun.
• Use only approved solar filters. Do not use sunglasses, unfiltered cameras, telescopes or
binoculars.
• Use pinhole projectors.
(d) Approximately 11.16

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Science – Common Level
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 Section B 210 marks

Question 11 30 marks
(a) A proton has a mass of 1 amu (atomic mass unit), it has a positive charge and it is found in the
nucleus of the atom.

Sample A Solutions
(b)

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23%

5%
72%

Dark energy
Dark matter
Particles

(c)

23%

5%
72%

Dark energy
Dark matter
Particles

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(d) • Galaxies appear to be moving away from us. This observation supports the theory of the
expansion of the universe, and suggests that the universe was once compacted.
• The abundance of the ‘light elements’ hydrogen and helium found in the observable
universe is thought to support the Big Bang model of origins.
• The presence of cosmic microwave background radiation supports this view. Scientists
discovered that there are microwaves coming from every direction in space. The Big Bang
theory states that this is energy that was created at the beginning of the universe, just after
the Big Bang, and it has been travelling through space ever since.

Question 12 30 marks
(a) Article A is more accurate for the following reasons:
• It references a study by Dr Lion Shahab from University College London. Article B refers to a
study but does not state where the study took place.
• The study in Article A was funded by Cancer Research UK. Cancer Research UK is a
reputable organisation that carries out research on cancer and what causes it. The study in
Article B was not backed by such an agency.
• The study in Article A was carried out on humans and involved a comparison between
smokers and non-smokers. The study in Article B examined mice and cultured human lung
and bladder cells, but not humans.
(b) Any two of the following:
• Who the author is and what their qualifications are
• If the source is reliable or if it shows bias towards a topic
• If the facts are accurate and can be verified
• How recent the data is
• If the author uses reliable sources
(c) I would recommend that a smoker swap to e-cigarettes. The study in Article A states that the
risk from chemicals in vapour is far lower than in cigarette smoke.

Question 13 30 marks
(a)
Speed of car (km/h) Thinking distance (m) Braking distance (m) Overall stopping
distance (m)
20 6 6 12
30 9 14 23
40 12 24 36
50 15 38 53
60 18 55 73
70 21 75 96

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 (b) • Thinking distance: The distance a vehicle travels in the time it takes for the driver to apply the
brakes after realising they need to stop.
• Braking distance: The distance a vehicle travels in the time after the driver has applied the brake.
• Overall stopping distance: The thinking distance + the braking distance
(c)
Speed of car versus

Sample A Solutions
overall stopping distance
120

Educate.ie
Overall stopping distance (m)

100

80

60

40

20

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Speed of car (km/h)

(d) From the graph it can be seen that as the speed increases so too does the overall stopping distance.
This suggests that the variables are proportional to each other. They are not directly proportional as
the graph is not a straight line but a curve.
(e)
Scenario Prediction
The tyres are bald. The overall stopping distances will increase as there is less friction
between the tyres and the road.
The road is wet. The overall stopping distances will increase as there is less friction
between the tyres and the road.
The road is sloping The overall stopping distances will increase as the force of gravity will
downwards. work against you and increase the braking distance.

Question 14 30 marks
(a) The graph shows that from 2015 to 2022 there will be an increase in the number of people using
smartphones.
(b) Smartphone use could have the following positive impacts on society:
• They make it easier to communicate with people.
• They present an opportunity to learn new things.
• They help develop businesses.
• They can predict personal health issues.
(c) Smartphone use could have the following negative impacts on society:
• They contribute to sleep disturbance issues.
• They are replacing person-to-person communication.
• They expose children to unsafe content on the world wide web.

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(d) Any three of the following:
• Gamma rays
• X-rays
• Ultraviolet rays
• Microwaves
(e) Radio waves can travel through matter because radio waves are electromagnetic radiation.
(f) Radio waves can travel through a vacuum because radio waves are electromagnetic radiation.
(g) There is a lack of sufficient scientific knowledge currently available about the subject.

Question 15 45 marks
(a) The Sun
(b) Saturn
(c) Jupiter
(d) They are listed in order of mass and in order of radius as the figures in each data set are in
decreasing order.
(e) Overall, I would agree with Alex because as the mass of the object decreases, so too does the
surface gravity of that object. Io, however, is an exception to this trend.
(f) A person would not have the same weight on Earth as on Mars because the surface gravity for
the two planets is not the same.
(g) Scientists change their ideas about the world around us as new information becomes available,
and as technologies for exploring the world improve.
(h) Any one of the following:
• If we should spend valuable resources to explore the solar system rather than using those
resources on Earth
• The impact we could have on the ecosystem of any part of the solar system we explore and
how we could damage it
• The safety of those we send to explore the solar system

Question 16 45 marks
(a) sunlight
carbon dioxide + water  glucose + oxygen
chlorophyll

(b) glucose + oxygen  energy + carbon dioxide + water

(c) • Collect the necessary equipment and set up the apparatus as shown in the diagram in part (d).
• Position the lamp 1 m away from the Elodea (Canadian Pond Weed).
• Turn on the lamp. Wait for three minutes and then record the number of bubbles that drift
up through the boiling tube over the next 60 seconds.
• Move the lamp 0.75 m away from the Elodea. Wait three minutes and then record the
number of bubbles that drift up through the boiling tube over the next 60 seconds.
• Repeat three more times until you reach a distance of 0.10 m between the Elodea and the
lamp.
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 (d)
Oxygen Oxygen
bubbles

Water trough

Water
Funnel

Sample A Solutions
Light
Elodea

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Paper clip

Lamp
Sodium bicarbonate

Metre stick

Modelling clay

(e) The distance between the lamp and the Elodea

(f) The rate of photosynthesis or the number of bubbles produced
(g) Any two of the following:
• The same light source
• The same Elodea
• The same temperature
• The same equipment
(h) They need to be careful of any spillages of water and clean them up immediately. They must
be careful of the lamp as it may get very hot during the investigation.
(i)
Distance from light source and
number of bubbles produced
of bubbles per minute

35
Average number

30
25
20
15
10
5
0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2
Distance of lamp from Elodea (m)

(j) As the distance between the light source and the Elodea decreases, the number of bubbles of
oxygen produced increases. They are indirectly proportional to each other.

Junior Cycle Final Examination [41]

Science – Common Level
EPJ 017