Grade 6

Topical Review Answer Key

Chapter 1 to 11
 Chapter 1
1. D

2. B

3. C

4. D

5.
6.

buoyant force

weight

*Ensure that arrows are balanced

 weight
normal force

*Ensure that arrows are balanced

7.
a)
Mass of the planet
Planet Strength of gravity (N/kg)
(1024 kg)
Mercury 0.330 3.7
Venus 4.87 8.9
Earth 5.97 9.8
Jupiter 1898 23.1
11.0 (Accept all answers
Neptune 102 greater than 9.8 and
smaller than 23.1)

As the mass of the planet increases, the strength of gravity also increased.

b) 98N ÷ 9.8 N/kg = 10kg

10 kg x 3.7 N/kg = 37 N

c) 30 kg

d) The strength of gravity on the Sun is very strong since it has the largest
mass. Planets in the Solar System are pulled towards the Sun, causing them to
orbit the Sun.

8.
a)

Steel Boat Steel Ball

500 g 500 g

b) The buoyant force and the weight of the ball are unbalanced. /
The weight of the ball is greater than the buoyant force. Hence,
the ball sinks.
c)
buoyant force

weight

d) When the steel boat is placed in water, it displaces a larger volume of water,
thus experiencing a greater amount of buoyant force to make it float.
 Chapter 2
1. C

2. D

3. A

4. C

5.
a)

b)
Steps What happens
3 Our chest cavity becomes bigger, creating an area of low air pressure.
5 Air in our lungs enters the bloodstream.
2 Our ribcage moves upwards and outwards
1 Our diaphragm contracts and flattens.
Our lungs expand, allowing air to rush in through our nose, down the trachea
4
and into them.

6.
a) [A1 for 2 correct labels]
 A
Alveolus
Air in
and out
C Carbon
Dioxide

D
Oxygen

B
Blood vessel

b) Air travels from the bronchioles to the alveolus. Oxygen in the air gets
transported into the blood in the blood vessels wrapped around the alveolus
[A1]. Carbon dioxide gets transported from the blood vessels back to the
alveolus to be removed from our bodies [A1].

c) The respiratory system takes in oxygen and removes carbon dioxide, which
are transported by our blood vessels in the circulatory system to and from all
parts of our body. [A1]

7.
a) Y
b) X
c)
 X

Z
d) A double circulatory system. The blood passes through the heart twice in
each round of circulation.

e) Z

f)
1. To allow digested food, oxygen and water to pass easily into the cells.
2. To exchange carbon dioxide and waste.
 Chapter 3
1. C

2. B

3.

USIVR
Cholera
VIRUS

EAASRTPI
Common cold
PARASITE

IFGUN
Toxoplasmosis
FUNGI

CTBEAARI
Histoplasmosis
BACTERIA

4.
a) They can carry and transmit a pathogen to another living thing.

b) Remove any stagnant water in the surroundings to prevent breeding of the

Aedes mosquito. This leads to a decrease in the number of Aedes mosquito
bites, thus a lower chance of getting infected with dengue.

c) Stay indoors with doors and windows closed /

Sleep under a mosquito net treated with insecticide /
Use insect repellent frequently /
Sleep in an air-conditioned room (Accept any two)
5.
a) To prevent the transmission of pathogens through tiny droplets in the air
when his patients sneeze or cough. [A1]

b) Pathogens can be transmitted from one person to another through physical

contact with faeces or body fluids such as saliva, blood or urine. [A1]
He should wash his hands properly with soap and water after attending to his
patients. /He should avoid touching his face with unwashed or dirty hands.
[A1]

6.
a) The bacteria E. coli was transmitted through contaminated food/ spinach.

b) Stomach acid

c) The stomach acid may not be able to kill the bacteria. / There are too many
bacteria that the stomach acid cannot kill all of them.

d) We should always wash our fruits and vegetables before eating them. /
Ensure all our food is well cooked before consuming them.

7.
a) This helps to prevent the transmission of pathogens through the air.

b) Mucus

c) Mucus is secreted by our body to trap pathogens and unknown substances.

[A1] The trapped pathogens can make us cough or sneeze, allowing us to blow
the pathogens out of our body together with the mucus. [A1]
 Chapter 4
1. D

2. A

3. C

4. a)
Time after ice is taken Temperature taken Observations
out from the freezer (ºC)
(min)
0 –3 Bowl is full of ice. Ice has not started
melting.
5 0 Ice is starting to melt.
10 0 Small chunks of ice are found floating
on top of the water.
15 Accept all answers Only water is observed in the bowl.
between 2 and 85.
20 85 Water is observed in the bowl.
25 100 Water is bubbling.
30 100 Water is bubbling. The water level
decreases.
35 110 No more water is left in the bowl.

b) During melting, the temperature of ice cubes remains at 0 ºC.

c) During boiling, the temperature of the water remains at 100 ºC.

d) The bubbles in the boiling water are water vapour. At 100 ºC, water boils,
becomes water vapour and escapes to the surroundings.
5.
Ö Ö

Cracking walnut Boiling soup Broken glass

Melting ice cream Mixing fruit salad Broken egg

6.
a) Yes, she was causing a physical change. [A1] Each of the chopped carrot
was still carrot and no new substances were formed. [A1] Only the shape of
the carrot changed.

b) No, she is not correct. [A1] Although this is a physical change, this change is
not easily reversed. [A1]

7.
a) Mist. [A1] During boiling, water turns into gas, rises to the water surface and
escapes into the surrounding air as hot water vapour. When the hot water
vapour loses heat to the cool surrounding air, it condenses to form tiny water
droplets [A1], forming mist.

b) The thermometer will show 100 ºC.

c) Evaporation.
d)
Boiling Evaporation

Occurs at a fixed temperature Occurs at any temperature below

called the boiling point. the boiling point.

Occurs on the surface of the

Occurs throughout the liquid.
liquid.
 Chapter 5
1. C

2. C

3. D

4. B

5. A

6.
a)

b)

c) hotter, colder
7.

8.
a) Circuit D

b)
1. The lamps are in a parallel arrangement so if one lamp blows, the other
lamps can still light up.
2. Each switch controls only one lamp, so Daniel can turn on and off each lamp
individually.

c) The electrician can add more cells.

d)
9.
a)

(Accept if the buzzer is placed beside the second lamp)

b) No. The cells are not attached in the correct orientation.

 Chapter 6
1. A

2. B

3. C

4. A

5.
a) The plane mirror.

b) The plane mirror is smooth, allowing light rays to be reflected in the same
direction [A1], allowing us to see a clear image. However, on the rough wall,
light rays are reflected in different directions [A1], thus we are unable to see a
clear image.

6.
a) [A1]

b) No, the mother will not be able to see her baby. Light travels in a straight
line. [A1] The light rays reflecting off the baby are blocked by the wall and do
not reach the mother’s eyes. [A1]
7.
a) [A4]

b) At this position, the Earth is in between the Sun and the Moon. The entire
bright side of the Moon faces the Earth, while the dark side of the Moon faces
away from the Earth.

c) At these positions, we can see more than half of the bright side of the Moon
from Earth.

d) The entire dark side of the Moon faces the Earth, while the side of the Moon
that is lit up faces away from the Earth.
8.
a) [A1]
Glass of water

b) Light is refracted twice [A1] when travelling through the cylindrical glass of
water. Due to the shape of the glass, the light rays bend so much that they
cross paths [A1] when they exit the glass of water. Thus, the heart we see
becomes reversed.
 Chapter 7
1. B

2. D

3. B

4.
a) iron + oxygen + water à rust
b) baking soda + vinegar à carbon dioxide + Sodium acetate
c) sugar + oxygen à carbon dioxide + water + Energy
d) oxygen + wood à carbon dioxide + water vapour

5.
a) A chemical change occurred. Bubbles were observed, indicating the
formation of gas.
b) magnesium + water à hydrogen gas + magnesium hydroxide
c) Reactants: magnesium, water
Products: hydrogen gas, magnesium hydroxide

6.
a) Apple B
b) 1. Colour change
2. Odour change

7.
a) Physical change: Our teeth break down bread into smaller pieces.
Chemical change: Our saliva breaks down carbohydrate to sugars.

b) Reactants: saliva, carbohydrates

Products: sugars

c) saliva + carbohydrates à sugars

 Chapter 8
1. C

2. D

3. D

4.
a) Sugar
b) When the solution is left to cool, less solute (sugar) can dissolve in the same
amount of solvent (water), hence sugar residue can be seen.

5.
a)
1. amount / mass / type of salt
2. amount / volume of water
3. number of times/amount of force he stirs the beaker of water/whether he
stirs the beaker of water

b) Independent variable: Temperature of water

Dependent variable: Time taken for salt to dissolve

c)
Temperature of water (ºC) Time taken for salt to dissolve (s)
10 50
30 40
Accept all answers below 40 and
50
above 15
70 15
90 Accept all answers below 15

d) As the temperature of water increases, the time taken for salt to dissolve
decreases.
e) As temperature increases, the salt particles and water particles gain more
energy. With more energy, the water particles move faster and collide with
the salt particles more frequently [A1]. This allows more chances for the water
particles to pull the salt particles apart [A1]. So, the salt can be broken apart in
a shorter time, causing the salt to dissolve faster at higher temperatures.

6.
a) She will observe some undissolved solid solute in the water.

b) No, it is not a fair experiment. The volume of water used is not constant,
which can affect the amount of salt that can dissolve.

c) Use the same volume/ amount of water for each cup.

d)

e) As the temperature of water increases, the amount of salt that can dissolve
also increases.
f) [A2]

Water particles Adding salt to Salt completely

water at the start dissolved in water
g) As temperature increases, the salt particles and the water particles gain
more energy. With more energy, the salt particles
vibrate faster and are less held together. With more energy, the water
particles move faster and collide with more salt particles. [A1] This allows the
water particles to pull more salt particles apart [A1], causing a greater amount
of salt to be dissolved.
 Chapter 9
1. C

2. D

3. D

4. C

5. C

6.
a) No, Tim is not correct. These rocks are all metamorphic rocks and are
formed the same way. [A1]

b) Metamorphic rocks are formed from igneous, sedimentary or other

metamorphic rocks [A1] under strong heat and high pressure [A1] from Earth’s
movement.

c) The high heat and pressure cause layers in the rock to curve and bend [A1],
thus forming these wavy bands.

7.
a) [A2] [Deduct 1 mark for every wrong answer]

b)
Metamorphic rock: Marble/ Gneiss/ Slate (Accept any two) [A1]
Igneous rock: Granite/ Basalt/ Pumice/ Obsidian (Accept any two) [A1]
Sedimentary rock: Shale/ Sandstone/ Siltstone (Accept any two) [A1]

8.
a) No, her garden is not suitable for growing rice crops. Rice crops require a lot
of water to grow well. [A1] Loamy soil can hold water, but it does not hold
enough water for rice crops. [A1]

b)
(i) [A1 for all 4 correct labels]

Humus

Clay

Silt

Sand

(ii) Sandy soil [A1]

(iii) Sandy soil is suitable for growing plants that do not require a lot
of water such as cacti/ palm trees [A1] as sandy soil cannot hold water well and
allows water to pass through it easily [A1].
 Chapter 10
1. C

2. C

3. D

4. B

5. A

6.
7.
a)

b) The number of deer will decrease. This is because pine trees are the only
food source for deer.

8.
a) [A2] [Deduct 1 mark for every wrong food chain]
Crop A à B à C à E
Crop A à D à C à E
Crop A à D à E

b) [A1]
Primary consumer: B and D
Secondary consumer: C
Tertiary consumer: E

c) 10% of 200 units = 20 units [M1]

10% of 20 units = 2 units [A1]

d) The amount of toxic substance in the pesticide accumulates in the food

chain from the producer to the consumers [A1]. The concentration of the toxic
substance is the highest in Animal E as it is highest up in the food chain [A1].
These toxic substance result in the death of Animal E.

e) Bioaccumulation [A1]
 Chapter 11
1. B

2. B

3.
a) [A1 for all organs labelled correctly]
A
Uterus
B
Oviduct

C
Ovary
D
Vagina

b) It produces egg and sex hormones and releases an egg every month when
the egg matures. [A1]

c) The male reproductive organ enters the female body through the vagina to
deposit sperms. / It is a birth passage for a fully developed baby to leave the
mother’s body. [A1]

d) The lining of the uterus thickens. [A1] This happens to prepare the uterus to
support the growth of a baby if fertilisation occurs. [A1]

e) Menstruation occurs, where the unfertilised egg and the lining of the uterus
are discharged through the vagina. [A1] This is important as the unfertilised
egg can cause health problems if it remains in the body. [A1]

4.
a) [A1 for all organs labelled correctly]
 A
Sperm duct

B
Penis
C
Testis

b) The penis is inserted into the female body through the vagina to deposit
sperms. It also helps the body to pass out urine [A1 for both functions correctly
described].

c) Sperms are produced in the testis. [A1] The sperms travel to the penis
through the sperm duct and are passed out of the body through the penis.
[A1]

5.
a) Pimples /spots are growing on his face.
b) Puberty
c) Growth of facial hair below or above the mouth./ Voice breaks and
deepens suddenly or over a long period./ Shoulders become
broader./Muscles develop all over the body and strength increases./ Testes
and penis become bigger.

6.
a) A sanitary pad.
b) No, she was having her menstruation.
c) Sex hormones
d) Breasts develop and become bigger. / Hips become wider.