Science: Living Things, Matter, Forces and Earth
Core content
Science questions come from three strands. Biology covers the cell (plant versus animal cells; nucleus, cytoplasm, cell membrane, cell wall, chloroplast), classification of living things, human body systems (digestive, respiratory, circulatory, excretory, nervous and reproductive), photosynthesis and respiration, food chains and webs, adaptation, and health and hygiene. Chemistry covers states of matter and changes of state, elements, compounds and mixtures, the atom (protons, neutrons, electrons), the periodic table basics, acids and bases with simple indicators, and everyday reactions such as burning and rusting. Physics covers force and motion, speed, distance and time, energy forms and transfer, simple machines, electricity and magnetism, and light and sound. Earth and space adds rocks and soil, the water cycle, weather, and the solar system.
Traps to expect
- Mixture versus compound: a mixture can be separated by physical means and keeps the properties of its parts.
- Mass stays the same during a change of state; weight is a force and would differ on another planet.
- Confusing conduction (through solids), convection (in liquids and gases) and radiation (needs no medium).
- Forgetting units, or mixing kilometres and metres in a speed calculation.
- 'Which is NOT…' questions in classification, where three options fit and one does not.
Worked example
A car travels 150 km in 3 hours. Speed = distance ÷ time = 150 ÷ 3 = 50 km/h. If the question then asks how long it takes to cover 200 km at that speed, rearrange: time = distance ÷ speed = 200 ÷ 50 = 4 hours.
Rule of thumb: write the formula, list the known values with their units, substitute, then state the unit in the answer. In classification, test one organism feature by feature instead of guessing whole answers.