Centre Number Candidate Number Name

CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL EXAMINATIONS

International General Certificate of Secondary Education
COMBINED SCIENCE 0653/06, 0654/06
CO-ORDINATED SCIENCES

Paper 6 Alternative to Practical Test

October/November 2003

1 hour
Candidates answer on the Question Paper.
No Additional Materials are required

READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST

Write your Centre number, candidate number and name on all the work you hand in.
Write in dark blue or black pen in the spaces provided on the Question Paper.
You may use a soft pencil for any diagrams, graphs or rough working.
Do not use staples, paper clips, highlighters, glue or correction fluid.

Answer all questions.

At the end of the examination, fasten all your work securely together.
The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part question.

For Examiner’s Use

3
If you have been given a label, look at the
details. If any details are incorrect or 4
missing, please fill in your correct details
in the space given at the top of this page. 5

Stick your personal label here, if 6

provided.
Total

This document consists of 18 printed pages and 2 blank pages.

SP (AT/SLC) S42208/3
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1 A student did an experiment to find if alcohol has an effect on the rate of heartbeat of water
fleas. The water fleas are so small that they have to be studied using a microscope. The
heart can be seen easily in the place shown in Fig. 1.1.

eye

heart

brood
pouch

gut

Fig. 1.1

• He placed a water flea onto a microscope slide and counted the number of heart beats
in 15 seconds.
• Using a pipette he removed the water surrounding the flea and replaced it with 1%
alcohol.
• He counted the new rate for 15 seconds.
• He repeated this procedure with a different flea.
• He then did the experiment with two more fleas in alcohol solutions of different
concentrations shown in the table.
• He multiplied each reading by four to give the heart rate per minute.
• He recorded his results in the table, Fig. 1.2.

first reading of second reading of average heart

alcohol concentration / % heart rate / beats heart rate / beats rate / beats per
per minute per minute minute

0 204 216

1 188 196

2 168 180

3 140 152

4 96 88

5 44 48

6 36 32

7 20 28

8 24 12

Fig. 1.2

(a) Complete the table by calculating the average heart rate for each alcohol concentration.
[2]

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(b) Plot a graph of average heart rate against alcohol concentration on the grid provided.
average heart rate / beats per minute

alcohol concentration / %
[3]
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(c) Describe how alcohol affected the heart rate of the water fleas,

(i) at alcohol concentration between 0% and 2%,

...................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................

(ii) at alcohol concentrations between 3% and 5%.

...................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................[2]

(d) The nervous system controls the heart rate in both fleas and humans. Suggest how
drinking alcohol affects the speed of response of the human nervous system.

..........................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................[1]

(e) (i) Suggest one possible source of error in the experiment.

...................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................

(ii) Suggest one way in which the experiment could be improved.

...................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................[2]

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Question 2 can be found on page 6

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2 Three students each set up an experiment using the apparatus shown in the diagram,
Fig. 2.1.

graduated syringe

flask

powdered
metal + 5 cm3 water

Fig. 2.1

• Each of the 100 cm3 flasks contained a small mass of one of the metals X, Y or Z with
5 cm3 of water.
• At first, all the syringes were set at the 25 cm3 mark.
• The flasks were left for one week.
• The students recorded their results in the table, Fig. 2.3.

(a) Fig. 2.2 shows the scales of the syringes after one week.

experiment 1 experiment 2

20 30 40 0 10

metal X + 5 cm3 water metal Y + 5 cm3 water

experiment 3

40 50

metal Z + 5 cm3 water

Fig. 2.2

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Record the readings of the syringes in the table, Fig. 2.3.

experiment syringe reading on syringe reading after

flask contained
number day 1 / cm3 one week / cm3

1 metal X + 5 cm3 of water 25

2 metal Y + 5 cm3 of water 25

3 metal Z + 5 cm3 of water 25

[3]
Fig. 2.3

(b) Suggest the names of the metals used in the experiments 1–3. Choose from the
following list of metals. (there may be more than one correct answer each time)

calcium copper iron magnesium zinc

Explain your answers.

(i) Metal X could be .......................................................................................................

explanation ...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................[1]

(ii) Metal Y could be .......................................................................................................

explanation ...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................[2]

(iii) Metal Z could be .......................................................................................................

explanation ...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................[2]

(c) Name the gas made by the reaction in experiment 3.

......................................................................................................................................[1]

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3 A student did an experiment to investigate the solubility of potassium nitrate in water at
different temperatures.
The student placed 7.0 g of potassium nitrate and 4.0 cm3 of water in a large test-tube.

• He heated the test-tube in a water bath until all the crystals had dissolved.
• He allowed the test-tube to cool and gently stirred the contents with the thermometer.
• When he saw small shiny crystals in the solution, he recorded the temperature in the
results table, Fig. 3.2.
• He added 1.0 cm3 of water to the test-tube and stirred the mixture.

Then the steps shown above were repeated to find another temperature at which crystals
began to appear.

He added 1.0 cm3 portions of water to the tube until the total volume of water was 12.0 cm3.
Each time he found the temperature at which crystals began to appear.

Fig. 3.1 shows the scale of the thermometer for three of the experiments.

80 80 80

70 70 70

60 60 60

50 50 50

experiment 2 experiment 3 experiment 4

Fig. 3.1

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(a) Read the thermometers in Fig. 3.1 and record the results in the table, Fig. 3.2.

mass of mass of potassium

experiment total volume
of water / cm3 potassium nitrate per 100 cm3 temperature / °C
number
nitrate / g of water / g

1 4.0 7.0 175.0 78

2 5.0 7.0

3 6.0 7.0 117.0

4 7.0 7.0 100.0

5 8.0 7.0 87.5 50

6 12.0 7.0 58.3 38

[3]
Fig. 3.2

(b) Complete Fig. 3.2 by calculating the missing value for the mass of potassium nitrate in
100 g water. [1]

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(c) On the graph grid provided, Fig. 3.3, plot a graph of mass of potassium nitrate per 100 g
water (vertical axis) against temperature. Draw a smooth curve. [3]

180

160

mass of 140
potassium
nitrate
per 100 g
water / g 120

100

80

60

P
40

20

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
temperature / °C

Fig. 3.3

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(d) A point P has already been marked on the graph grid. Study the graph and then
complete the following sentence about point P.

The point P represents a solution of ............ g potassium nitrate in ............ g of

water at a temperature of ............ °C. [1]

(e) The student wants to get solid potassium nitrate from the solution. Explain carefully how
he can do this.

..........................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................[2]

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4 This question is about heat loss in animals. During cold weather some animals group
together (huddle) to keep warm.
A student did an experiment to find how effective such huddling is.
She used test-tubes of hot water to represent the animals.

• She half-filled eight test-tubes with hot water.

• She used an elastic band to make a bundle of seven tubes with test-tube A surrounded
by six other test-tubes.
• She put a thermometer into test-tube A.
• She also put a thermometer into the eighth test-tube, B, which she kept separate.
• She then put the tubes in beakers as shown in the diagram, Fig. 4.1.
• Then she took the initial temperature of the water in both test-tubes. She continued to
take the temperature every minute for ten minutes.

view of tubes from above

tube A

elastic band

bundle of seven
test-tubes

elastic band
beaker
water in water
tube B

Fig. 4.1

(a) results for test-tube A

initial temperature = 60 °C

readings / °C
59 58 reading (i) 57 57 56 55 55 54 54

results for test-tube B

initial temperature = 61 °C

readings / °C
58 55 53 51 49 47 46 44 reading (ii) 42

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Read the thermometers (i) and (ii) in Fig. 4.2 below to complete the sets of results.
Write your answers in the spaces provided.

°C °C

70 50

60 40

50 30

40 20

30 10

20 0

Fig. 4.2

(i) .............................. °C (ii) .............................. °C [2]

(b) Construct a table showing times and temperatures to display all the results clearly.

[2]
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(c) Which test-tube, A or B, took longer to cool down?

......................................................................................................................................[1]

(d) Is huddling effective? Use your results and your knowledge of heat transfer to explain
your answer.

..........................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................[3]

(e) Suggest two ways in which you could improve the accuracy of the experiment.

..........................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................[2]

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5 A student is given substance X, which is a mixture of a salt and a metal oxide. Substance X
is a black solid.
She does the following tests and writes her observations.

(a) Complete the table, Fig. 5.1, by writing the conclusions.

test observation conclusion

1. To a small amount of X, add blue solution formed

5 cm3 dilute nitric acid and
warm. [1]

2. Warm a portion of X with black residue in filter

15 cm3 water in a large paper and a colourless
test-tube. Filter the mixture filtrate
and use 2 cm3 of the filtrate
for each of the tests 3–5.

3. To 2 cm3 of the filtrate from colourless solution, no

test 2, 5 cm3 hydrochloric bubbling seen
acid was added. [1]

4. To 2 cm3 of the filtrate from white precipitate

test 2, a few drops of nitric
acid were added, followed
by silver nitrate solution. [1]

5. To 2 cm3 of the filtrate from pungent-smelling gas

test 2, about 1 cm3 given off, turns red
aqueous sodium hydroxide litmus blue
was added. The mixture
was warmed. [1]

6. About 10 cm3 warm dilute blue solution formed

nitric acid was poured on to
the residue from test 2. The
filtrate was collected.

Fig. 5.1

(b) Suggest another test the student might use to confirm the presence of the gas from test 5.
What result can she expect for your test?

test ...................................................................................................................................

result ............................................................................................................................[2]

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(c) The student thinks that the filtrate from test 6 might contain copper ions. She tries
adding ammonia solution to some of the filtrate.

(i) What will she see when she adds a few drops of ammonia solution, if copper is
present?

...................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................

(ii) What will she see when she adds an excess of ammonia solution, if copper is
present?

...................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................[3]

(d) Suggest what substances are present in substance X.

......................................................... and .....................................................................[2]

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6 Two students do an experiment to determine the speed of sound in air.
The first student fires a gun at point X, 1000 metres away from the second student at point Y.

point X point Y

input C

gun with
microphone
dish with
cathode ray
microphone input
oscilloscope
B

input A
radio radio
transmitter receiver

1000 metres

Fig. 6.1

• A microphone on the gun picks up the sound. It sends a signal to a radio transmitter.
This signal is sent to the radio receiver at point Y. The receiver sends input A to a
cathode ray oscilloscope (c.r.o.).
• A dish at point Y reflects the sound to a microphone in the dish. This sends input B to
the c.r.o.
• The sound of the gun travels through the air. When the second student hears the sound
of the gun at point Y, he presses a switch to send input C to the c.r.o.

(a) The inputs to the c.r.o. are pulses of energy.

State how the energy travels from point X to point Y in each case.

(i) input A .....................................................................................................................

(ii) input B .................................................................................................................[2]

(b) Explain why the microphone at point Y needs a reflector dish but the microphone at
point X does not need one.

..........................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................[1]

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(c) The screen of the c.r.o. is saved and displayed. This is shown in Fig. 6.2.

input A

input B

input C
0

1 cm = 0.5 s (horizontal axis)

Fig. 6.2

The c.r.o. is set so that 1 cm on the horizontal axis = 0.5 seconds.

Use the information in Fig. 6.2 to determine

(i) the length of time, t1, between input A and input B,

t1 = ..............................................s [1]

(ii) the length of time, t2, between input A and input C,

t2 = ..............................................s [1]

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(d) Calculate the speed of sound in metres per second as it travels from point X to point Y

(i) using t1 from (c)(i),

speed of sound = .....................................m / s [1]

(ii) using t2 from (c)(ii),

speed of sound = .....................................m / s [1]

(e) Which result, (d)(i) or (d)(ii), for the speed of sound is more reliable? Explain your
answer.

..........................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................[2]

(f) How can all of the results from this experiment be made more reliable?

..........................................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................[1]

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