2

1 Look at the diagram of part of the cross-section of a plant leaf.

upper layer

palisade layer

vein

spongy layer

lower layer

stoma

(a) The palisade layer contains many chloroplasts.

(i) What process happens inside chloroplasts?

[1]

(ii) Name two gases exchanged through the stoma.

2
[2]

(b) Chloroplasts contain chlorophyll.

What is the function of chlorophyll?

[1]

© UCLES 2024 S/S9/02

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2 The diagram shows a model of the atomic structure of a sodium atom and a chlorine atom.

Na Cl

A sodium atom and a chlorine atom react together to make a sodium ion, Na+, and a chloride ion,
Cl –.

(a) Describe how a sodium atom and a chlorine atom become charged ions.

sodium atom

chlorine atom

[2]

(b) Describe how ions are held together in an ionic compound.

[2]

© UCLES 2024 S/S9/02 [Turn over

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3 This question is about thermal transfer.

Decide if each sentence is true or false.

Tick () the correct box.

sentence true false

Heat is the word used to measure how hot an object is.

Thermal energy is measured in °C.

When thermal energy is transferred, more thermal

energy is created.

Thermal energy always transfers from hotter objects to

colder objects.

Heat dissipation happens when thermal energy

transfers from a hotter region to a colder region.

A liquid is a good thermal energy conductor.

Convection happens in liquids and gases only.

Radiation needs particles to transfer thermal energy.

[4]

© UCLES 2024 S/S9/02

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4 Look at the diagram of a model of the Earth’s crust and upper mantle.
crust
X

upper
mantle

(a) Name one event that happens at X.

[1]

(b) What do the arrows on the diagram represent?

[1]

© UCLES 2024 S/S9/02 [Turn over

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7 Mike investigates the temperature of a classroom every day for five days.

Look at the table of his results.

temperature
day
in °C
1 21.0

2 21.5

3 22.3

4 21.8

5 22.4

(a) Mike starts to plot the results in a bar chart.

Complete his bar chart.

23.0

22.0
temperature
in °C

21.0

20.0
1 2 3 4 5
day
[2]

(b) Carlos tells Mike to measure the temperature twice each day at the same time of day.

Explain why this improves the investigation.

[1]

© UCLES 2024 S/S9/02

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8 Scientists think the Moon was formed during a collision between the Earth and another small
planet.

This is called the collision theory for the formation of the Moon.

Describe three reasons why rocks collected from the Moon support this collision theory.

[3]

© UCLES 2024 S/S9/02 [Turn over

 10

9 The diagram shows the genetic material inside an animal cell.

D
C

E
NOT TO SCALE

© UCLES 2024 S/S9/02

 11

Look at parts A, B, C, D and E.

(a) Circle the letter that shows a chromosome.

A B C D E
[1]

(b) Circle the letter that controls a single characteristic such as eye colour.

A B C D E
[1]

(c) Write down the name of the chemical that is in a chromosome.

[1]

© UCLES 2024 S/S9/02 [Turn over

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10 Ahmed wants to find the density of dry sand.

The dry sand has a mass of 150 g and a volume of 100 cm3.

Calculate the density of the dry sand.

Include the unit of density in your answer.

density = unit
[3]

© UCLES 2024 S/S9/02

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12 (a) A scientist develops a model about climate change.

The scientist makes this prediction in 2013.

‘By the year 2100 the average temperature

at the Earth’s surface will rise by 1.5 °C.’

The same scientist changes the prediction in 2023.

‘By the year 2100 the average temperature

at the Earth’s surface will rise by 2.5 °C.’

Suggest two reasons why the scientist changes the prediction.

2
[2]

(b) The scientist plans an investigation to monitor air temperature during a period of one year.

(i) The scientist uses a thermometer to measure air temperature.

Look at the diagram showing part of the thermometer.

°C
24

23

22

What is the temperature reading on the thermometer?

°C [1]

© UCLES 2024 S/S9/02

 15

(ii) Tick () which plan gives the most appropriate evidence for the investigation.

Measure the air temperature every day for one year.

Measure the air temperature once a month for one year.

Measure the air temperature once a week for one year.

Measure the air temperature twice a day for one year.

[1]

© UCLES 2024 S/S9/02 [Turn over

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13 Pierre investigates how a lack of magnesium affects plants.

(a) The diagram shows the equipment he uses.

plant

cotton wool
lid

beaker

control solution test solution

control solution contains all test solution contains all

the dissolved minerals a plant needs the dissolved minerals a plant needs
but not magnesium

Pierre measures the chlorophyll content in the leaves of both plants every day.

(i) Pierre uses pure water to make the control solution and the test solution.

Explain why Pierre uses pure water and not water from a tap.

[1]

© UCLES 2024 S/S9/02

 17

(ii) Look at a graph of his results.

25

20

chlorophyll 15 key
content of control solution
leaves 10 test solution
in micrograms
5

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
time
in days

Write down two conclusions about how magnesium affects the chlorophyll content of
leaves.

[2]

(b) Three solutions contain different percentages of minerals.

solution A solution B solution C

nitrates 2.0% nitrates 6.0% nitrates 4.0%

magnesium 1.0% magnesium 0.2% magnesium 1.2%

Which solution increases photosynthesis the most?

Explain why.

[1]

© UCLES 2024 S/S9/02 [Turn over

 19

15 Polar bears live in the Arctic.

Their main habitat is sea ice.

Polar bears use the sea ice when they are hunting for food.

This sea ice is melting.

Suggest how sea ice melting affects the polar bear population.

Give two reasons for your answer.

polar bear population

reason 1

reason 2

[3]

Permission to reproduce items where third-party owned material protected by copyright is included has been sought and cleared where possible. Every
reasonable effort has been made by the publisher (UCLES) to trace copyright holders, but if any items requiring clearance have unwittingly been included, the
publisher will be pleased to make amends at the earliest possible opportunity.

To avoid the issue of disclosure of answer-related information to candidates, all copyright acknowledgements are reproduced online in the Cambridge Assessment
International Education Copyright Acknowledgements Booklet. This is produced annually and is available to download at
https://lowersecondary.cambridgeinternational.org/

Cambridge Assessment International Education is part of Cambridge Assessment. Cambridge Assessment is the brand name of the University of Cambridge
Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), which is a department of the University of Cambridge.

© UCLES 2024 S/S9/02 [Turn over

 3

2 (a) Complete the sentences about chemical bonding.

(i) The type of bond made when a pair of electrons is shared by two atoms is called

a bond. [1]

(ii) When an atom an electron, a positive ion is made. [1]

(b) What is an ionic bond?

[1]

3 Look at the diagram of sound waveform A.

sound waveform A

Draw on the grid a sound waveform B that completely cancels out sound waveform A.

sound waveform B
[1]

© UCLES 2025 S/S9/02 [Turn over

 6

5 Complete these sentences about how plants make glucose.

(a) Plants use energy from light, and

to make glucose and .

[3]

(b) Plants make glucose using the process of .

This process takes place in structures in some leaf cells.

These structures are called .

[2]

© UCLES 2025 S/S9/02

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16 Jamila and Safia investigate convection.

Jamila:

• adds blue dye to cold water

• pours the cold blue water into water at room temperature.

Safia:

• adds red dye to hot water

• pours the hot red water into water at room temperature.

Jamila Safia

cold blue
water
hot red
water

water at room
temperature

© UCLES 2025 S/S9/02

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(a) Look at Safia in the picture.

She has not made a risk assessment.

Complete the table to identify two risks and describe how to control these risks.

risk how to control the risk

…………………………………….. …………………………………………..

…………………………………….. …………………………………………..

…………………………………….. …………………………………………..

…………………………………….. …………………………………………..

[2]
(b) Predict what happens to the cold blue water and the hot red water.

Explain your answers.

Use ideas about density and convection.

prediction for cold blue water

explanation

prediction for hot red water

explanation

[3]

Permission to reproduce items where third-party owned material protected by copyright is included has been sought and cleared where possible. Every
reasonable effort has been made by the publisher (UCLES) to trace copyright holders, but if any items requiring clearance have unwittingly been included, the
publisher will be pleased to make amends at the earliest possible opportunity.

To avoid the issue of disclosure of answer-related information to candidates, all copyright acknowledgements are reproduced online in the Cambridge Assessment
International Education Copyright Acknowledgements Booklet. This is produced annually and is available to download at
https://lowersecondary.cambridgeinternational.org/

Cambridge Assessment International Education is part of Cambridge Assessment. Cambridge Assessment is the brand name of the University of Cambridge
Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), which is a department of the University of Cambridge.

© UCLES 2025 S/S9/02 [Turn over

 The Periodic Table of Elements

© UCLES 2024
Group
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 2
H He
hydrogen helium
Key 1 4
3 4 atomic number 5 6 7 8 9 10
Li Be atomic symbol B C N O F Ne
lithium beryllium name boron carbon nitrogen oxygen fluorine neon
7 9 relative atomic mass 11 12 14 16 19 20
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Na Mg Al Si P S Cl Ar
sodium magnesium aluminium silicon phosphorus sulfur chlorine argon
23 24 27 28 31 32 35.5 40
19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36
K Ca Sc Ti V Cr Mn Fe Co Ni Cu Zn Ga Ge As Se Br Kr
potassium calcium scandium titanium vanadium chromium manganese iron cobalt nickel copper zinc gallium germanium arsenic selenium bromine krypton
39 40 45 48 51 52 55 56 59 59 64 65 70 73 75 79 80 84
37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54
20

Rb Sr Y Zr Nb Mo Tc Ru Rh Pd Ag Cd In Sn Sb Te I Xe

S/S9/02
rubidium strontium yttrium zirconium niobium molybdenum technetium ruthenium rhodium palladium silver cadmium indium tin antimony tellurium iodine xenon
85 88 89 91 93 96 – 101 103 106 108 112 115 119 122 128 127 131
55 56 57–71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86
lanthanoids
Cs Ba Hf Ta W Re Os Ir Pt Au Hg Tl Pb Bi Po At Rn
caesium barium hafnium tantalum tungsten rhenium osmium iridium platinum gold mercury thallium lead bismuth polonium astatine radon
133 137 178 181 184 186 190 192 195 197 201 204 207 209 – – –
87 88 89–103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118
actinoids
Fr Ra Rf Db Sg Bh Hs Mt Ds Rg Cn Nh Fl Mc Lv Ts Og
francium radium rutherfordium dubnium seaborgium bohrium hassium meitnerium darmstadtium roentgenium copernicium nihonium flerovium moscovium livermorium tennessine oganesson
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71
lanthanoids La Ce Pr Nd Pm Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy Ho Er Tm Yb Lu
lanthanum cerium praseodymium neodymium promethium samarium europium gadolinium terbium dysprosium holmium erbium thulium ytterbium lutetium
139 140 141 144 – 150 152 157 159 163 165 167 169 173 175
89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103
actinoids Ac Th Pa U Np Pu Am Cm Bk Cf Es Fm Md No Lr
actinium thorium protactinium uranium neptunium plutonium americium curium berkelium californium einsteinium fermium mendelevium nobelium lawrencium
– 232 231 238 – – – – – – – – – – –