METHODIST ENGLISH MEDIUM SCHOOL

WORK SHEET
CLASS –IX
SUBJECT –BIOLOGY
TOPIC –PLANTS AND FOOD
1. A plant leaf was exposed to radioactive carbon dioxide as shown in the diagram below.

When the plant leaf is placed in the light and exposed to radioactive carbon dioxide, the carbohydrate it makes
is radioactive.

(a) (i) Describe how carbon dioxide gets into the leaf. (2)

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(ii) Name the process that uses carbon dioxide to make the carbohydrate. (1)

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(b) The amount of carbohydrate transported to other parts of the plant can be found by measuring the amount
of radioactivity.

(i) Name the tissue that transports the carbohydrate. (1)

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(ii) Name the carbohydrate that is transported in this tissue. (1)

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(c) The table below shows the amount of radioactivity in different parts of the plant after 24 hours.

(i) What evidence in the table shows that carbohydrate is transported both up and down the plant? (1)

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(ii) Suggest why the “other leaves” contain only small amounts of radioactive carbohydrate. (1)

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(iii) Ignoring the leaf that was exposed, calculate how much more radioactive carbohydrate was found in the
seeds than in all the other plant parts added together. (1)

............................................... counts per minute

(iv) Explain why a supply of carbohydrate is needed for the uptake of minerals by roots. (3)

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2. A student set up three test tubes A, B and C to study gas exchange in aquatic organisms.

Each tube contained pond water and hydrogencarbonate indicator. The student placed two water snails in tube
A, some pondweed in tube B and two water snails and some pondweed in tube C. The tubes were then left in
bright sunlight for 12 hours.

The key below shows the colour of hydrogencarbonate indicator with different levels of carbon dioxide in the
pond water.

(a) The changes in the colour of the indicator are shown in the table below.

(i) Complete the table to show the colour you would expect hydrogencarbonate indicator to be after 12 hours in
the light. (2)

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(ii) Using your biological knowledge, give reasons for the changes in carbon dioxide level in each tube. (3)

Tube A .........................................................................................................................................................................

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Tube B .........................................................................................................................................................................

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Tube C .........................................................................................................................................................................

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(b) The experiment was repeated but the three tubes were left in the dark for 12 hours.

Complete the table below to show the colour you would expect the hydrogencarbonate indicator to be after 12
hours in the dark. (3)

3. Lee wanted to investigate the effect of different light intensities on photosynthesis.

He set up the apparatus shown in the diagram.

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(a) Name the gas that the pondweed gives off during photosynthesis. (1)

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(b) Using this apparatus, suggest how Lee could change the light intensity. (1)

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(c) Describe how the apparatus could be used to measure how fast photosynthesis was occurring. (2)

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(d) Lee carried out the experiment at a range of light intensities, from low to very high light intensities.

Predict the results you would expect. Sketch a graph using the axes below to show your prediction. (2)

(e) Name two factors other than light intensity that can affect the rate of photosynthesis. (2)

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4. Adam wanted to investigate the effect of temperature on the rate of photosynthesis in the water plant
Elodea. He used the apparatus shown in the diagram.

He decided to use five different temperatures (15°C, 20°C, 25°C, 30°C and 35°C).

He adjusted the temperature of the water to 15°C and checked it using a thermometer.

He counted the bubbles given off by the water plant in one minute. He did this three times.

He repeated this procedure for each of the other temperatures.

(a) Adam predicted that increasing the temperature from 15°C to 35°C would increase the rate of
photosynthesis. Justify his prediction using your scientific knowledge and understanding. (1)

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(b) He recorded his results in Table 1.

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He calculated the mean (average) number of bubbles given off for each temperature. He recorded the results for
this calculation in Table 2.

Calculate the mean (average) number of bubbles released per minute for the results at 25°C. Write your value in
the space in Table 2. (1)

(c) (i) Using the data from Table 2, write a suitable conclusion for Adam’s experiment. (2)

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(ii) Do these results support Adam’s prediction? Give a reason for your answer. (2)

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(d) Identify any unexpected results in Table 1. (1)

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(e) (i) Suggest and explain one way that this experiment could be modified to improve the accuracy of the
measurements made. (2)

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(ii) Suggest a further experiment you could carry out and explain how it would provide more information on the
effect of temperature on photosynthesis. (2)

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(f) (i) Adam’s experiment looked at the effect of different temperatures on the rate of photosynthesis. Name
one other key factor that could affect the rate of photosynthesis. (1)

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(ii) For the factor you have named, suggest how you could ensure that it does not affect the rate of
photosynthesis in this experiment. (1)

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5. Alison noticed that the same species of plant was found on the sunny side and on the shady side of a hill. She
decided to compare the population size of this plant on each side of the hill. The plan she wrote is shown below.

I will go to a field on the sunny side of the hill and walk into the middle.

I will then put a 1 m2 quadrat on the ground and count how many of the plants I can see in the quadrat. I will do
the same thing on the shady side of the hill.

(a) Suggest two ways in which Alison could change her plan to improve it (2)

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(b) When Alison counted the plants she found more in the quadrat on the sunny side of the hill than on the
shady side. She also thought that they looked different in size.

She concluded that plant growth might be affected by light intensity.

Describe an investigation you could carry out in the laboratory to find the effect of light intensity on the growth
of plants. You should include full experimental details in your account. (6)

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6. The photograph shows a house plant. The plant makes its food by photosynthesis.

(a) (i) Use words from the list to complete the equation for photosynthesis. (3)

(ii) Why do plants need chlorophyll to carry out photosynthesis? (1)

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(b) Kieran wanted to find out if the leaves of the house plant could make starch by photosynthesis. Describe
what he should do to find out if the leaves contained starch. (4)

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7. An investigation was carried out to find out how temperature affected the rate of photosynthesis in a water
plant kept at high and low light intensity.

The apparatus shown below was used. The temperature of the water was changed gradually from 5 °C to 50 °C
at low light intensity. The experiment was then repeated at high light intensity.

The graph shows the results of the investigation.

(a) (i) Look at the results for low light intensity.

What effect does changing the temperature from 5 °C to 45 °C have on the rate of photosynthesis?

Explain this effect. (2)

Effect ...........................................................................................................................................................................

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Explanation .................................................................................................................................................................

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(ii) Look at the results for high light intensity.

What effect does changing the temperature from 35 °C to 50 °C have on the rate of photosynthesis?

Explain these effects. (4)

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(b) Name two factors that need to be kept the same for any comparison of the results of the investigation to be
valid. (2)

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8. Patrick wanted to investigate the effect of light intensity on photosynthesis.

He set up the apparatus shown in the diagram.

(a) Name the gas contained in the bubbles. (1)

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(b) Suggest how Patrick could change the light intensity in this investigation. (1)

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(c) Name three variables that Patrick would need to keep constant. (3)

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(d) Patrick counted the number of bubbles of gas released in one minute at low, medium and high light
intensities. He did the experiment three times at each light intensity and calculated an average. He forgot to
calculate the average result for the medium light intensity. He wrote his results as shown below.

Low first time 10 bubbles second time 12 bubbles third time 11 bubbles

Average 11 bubbles

High first time 37 bubbles second time 51 bubbles third time 50 bubbles

Average 46 bubbles

Medium first time 33 bubbles second time 29 bubbles third time 28 bubbles

(i) Calculate the average result for the medium light intensity. (1)

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(ii) In the space below draw a suitable table and use it to show Patrick’s results. (4)

(iii) Which result in the table is anomalous? (1)

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(e) Describe and explain the effect of light intensity on the numbers of bubbles of gas produced in Patrick’s
experiment. (2)

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(f) Patrick measured the rate of gas production by counting the bubbles released in a minute. Suggest a more
accurate way of measuring the rate of gas production. (1)

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9. The diagram shows a section through a leaf with parts labelled A to F.

(a) Complete the table by writing the correct label letter for each part.

The first one has been done for you. (5)

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(b) The leaf is an important organ for photosynthesis in a plant.

Complete the word equation for photosynthesis by choosing the correct words from the list. (4)

carbon dioxide glucose oxygen nitrogen water hydrogen

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(c) Suggest how the rate of photosynthesis will change as

(i) the temperature increases (1)

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(ii) the light intensity decreases. (1)

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10. Rivers are sometimes polluted by warm water from power station outflows. This is known as thermal
pollution and can affect the growth of plants.

Design an experiment to investigate the effect of water temperature on the growth of plants. (6)

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11. (a) The diagram shows a section through a leaf.

(i) Name the structures labelled A and B. (2)

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(ii) Give the function of the waxy cuticle. (1)

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(iii) Some of the leaf cells carry out photosynthesis. Write a word equation for this process. (2)

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(iv) Plants, like all living organisms, need to excrete waste products.

Explain how the excretory product of photosynthesis is removed from the leaf. (2)

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 (b) Some plants lose their leaves in cooler months. This can be described as an excretory mechanism. Suggest
two other reasons why some plants lose their leaves in cooler months. (2)

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(c) Name one excretory organ in humans and name the substance it excretes. (2)

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substance ....................................................................................................................................................................

12. Plants obtain their food by the process of photosynthesis.

Explain how the structure of the leaf is adapted for its role as the organ of photosynthesis. (6)

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13. The photograph shows a water plant growing on the surface of a lake.

This water plant grows by increasing the number of its leaves. Many mineral ions help plants to grow.

(a) Describe how one named mineral ion helps plants to grow. (2)

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(b) Copper ions inhibit the growth of this water plant.

To investigate this effect, a student put four plants with a total of 10 leaves into a beaker containing 400 cm3 of
mineral ion solution together with a copper coin.

She repeated this with 400 cm3 of the mineral ion solution without a copper coin. She counted the number of
living leaves each day for the next eight days. The table shows her results.

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(i) Plot a line graph on the grid below to show the results of her investigation.

Use a ruler to join the points with straight lines. (6)

(ii) In this investigation, the concentrations and volumes of the mineral ion solution and the species of water
plant were kept the same.

Name three other variables that need to be kept the same for the results of this investigation to be valid. (3)

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14. Ian wanted to investigate how gas exchange in a flowering plant changed with light intensity.

He set up an experiment using four tubes. Each of the tubes contained orange hydrogencarbonate indicator
solution and was sealed with a cork. Ian added a fresh leaf to tubes A, B and C. Tube D had no leaf.

The tubes were then left in the following conditions:

• Tube A was placed in direct sunlight.

He left the tubes in the laboratory for one hour and then returned to look at the colour of the indicator solution
in the tubes.

(a) Suggest a hypothesis for Ian’s investigation. (2)

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(b) Give two variables that Ian should keep constant in his investigation. (2)

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(c) State the purpose of Tube D in the investigation. (1)

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(d) Ian recorded his results in a table.

(i) Explain the change in colour of the indicator in Tube A. (2)

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(ii) Explain the change in colour of the indicator in Tube B. (2)

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(e) Suggest why the indicator did not change colour in:

(i) Tube C (1)

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(ii) Tube D (1)

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