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GABECE study materials
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GABECE: Integrated Science: Matter, Energy, Life and Health

GABECE · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.

All guide sections

Integrated Science: Matter, Energy, Life and Health

The GABECE Integrated Science paper tests scientific knowledge and process skills across matter, energy, life systems, earth and space, and health. Questions often ask you to explain, compare, calculate, or apply a concept to a familiar Ghanaian situation, so use correct scientific terms and units.

Core rules and concepts

  • Scientific method: observation, question, hypothesis, fair test, data collection, conclusion. A fair test changes one variable and keeps others constant.
  • Matter: solids, liquids and gases differ in particle arrangement and movement. Density is mass divided by volume. Mixtures can be separated by filtration, evaporation, distillation, magnetism or sieving according to their properties.
  • Energy: identify forms such as heat, light, sound, electrical, chemical and kinetic. Energy is transferred and transformed, not destroyed. In a simple circuit, current flows only in a closed loop.
  • Life processes: plant cells make food by photosynthesis using carbon dioxide, water, light and chlorophyll, producing glucose and oxygen. Respiration releases energy from food. Food chains show energy transfer; decomposers recycle nutrients.
  • Earth and space: the water cycle involves evaporation, condensation, precipitation and run-off. Soil contains mineral particles, humus, air and water.
  • Health: personal hygiene, safe water, balanced diet, vaccination, and first aid for cuts, burns and fractures. Distinguish communicable from non-communicable diseases.

Worked example

A car travels 150 km in 2.5 hours. Calculate its average speed. Speed equals distance divided by time: 150 km divided by 2.5 h equals 60 km/h. The unit is km/h because distance is in kilometres and time in hours. If the question asks for m/s, convert: 60 times 1000 divided by 3600 equals about 16.7 m/s. Show the formula, substitution and unit; each can earn method marks.

Traps that cost marks

  • Confusing mass in kilograms with weight in newtons.
  • Saying photosynthesis takes in oxygen instead of carbon dioxide.
  • Treating speed and velocity as always the same.
  • Forgetting to balance a simple equation or circuit description.
  • Giving a numerical answer without the correct unit.
  • Describing a food chain without starting with a producer.