BECE 2005 Integrated Science Past Questions and Answers

Paper 1: Objectives

1. Hydrogen is represented by the chemical symbol H2. This symbol represents
   1. A. Two molecules of hydrogen
   2. B. Two atoms of hydrogen
   3. C. Two elements of hydrogen
   4. D. Two ions of hydrogen
   Answer: B
2. A metal expands when there is
   1. A. An increase in heat energy
   2. B. An increase in number of electrons
   3. C. A decrease in potential energy
   4. D. A decrease in distance between atoms
   Answer: A
3. A safety device which opens an electric circuit to prevent too much current from passing through the circuit is the
   1. A. Earth wire
   2. B. Lightning conductor
   3. C. Fuse
   4. D. Switch
   Answer: C
4. An object is placed 20 cm in front of a plane mirror. The distance between the object and the image is
   1. A. 20 cm
   2. B. 40 cm
   3. C. 60 cm
   4. D. 80 cm
   Answer: B
5. In which of the following circuit diagrams will the bulb light?
   1. A.
   2. B.
   3. C.
   4. D.
   Answer: B
6. The source of all forms of energy can be traced to
   1. A. Clouds
   2. B. Earthquakes
   3. C. Tides
   4. D. Sunlight
   Answer: D
7. When mango is falling from a tree, its potential energy is changed to
   1. A. Sound energy
   2. B. Heat energy
   3. C. Kinetic energy
   4. D. Chemical energy
   Answer: C
8. Electricity is used by appliances to do work. This means that electricity is a form of
   1. A. Energy
   2. B. Force
   3. C. Generator
   4. D. Machine
   Answer: A
9. A force of 2N moves a body through a distance of 10 m. Calculate the work done.
   1. A. 5 J
   2. B. 8 J
   3. C. 12 J
   4. D. 20 J
   Answer: D
10. 
    
    The distance X in the lever system shown is the
    1. A. Effort distance
    2. B. Load distance
    3. C. Fulcrum
    4. D. Lever arm
    Answer: B

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11. 
    
    Less effort is required to move the stone when the
    1. A. Distance Y is equal to X
    2. B. Distance Y is greater than X
    3. C. Distance Y is less than X
    4. D. Stone is at the pivot
12. An omnivore is an animal that feeds on
    1. A. Raw food
    2. B. Fresh foods
    3. C. Cooked foods
    4. D. All kinds of food
13. A meal containing all the essential nutrients in the right amounts is said to be
    1. A. Delicious
    2. B. Balanced
    3. C. Well-cooked
    4. D. Rich in fibre
14. The disease associated with insufficient intake of proteins in children is
    1. A. Goitre
    2. B. Kwashiorkor
    3. C. Rickets
    4. D. Scurvy
15. When testing for reducing sugar in a food substance using Fehling's solution, the expected colour change is
    1. A. Blue
    2. B. Purple
    3. C. Blue-black
    4. D. Brick-red
16. The substance that enables green plants to trap sunlight for the manufacture of food is
    1. A. Chlorophyll
    2. B. Chloroplast
    3. C. Phloem
    4. D. Xylem
17. In man, the conversion of poisonous substances into harmless forms takes place in the
    1. A. Bladder
    2. B. Duodenum
    3. C. Kidney
    4. D. Liver
18. Which of the following life processes is represented by the equation below?
    
    Glucose + Oxygen → Water + Carbon dioxide + Energy
    1. A. Digestion
    2. B. Excretion
    3. C. Photosynthesis
    4. D. Respiration
19. Chlorine gas is passed through water during filtration to
    1. A. Kill germs
    2. B. Cause suspended particles to settle
    3. C. Soften the water
    4. D. Give taste to the water
20. Arrange the following sources of water in the order of increasing contamination.
    
    I. Rain
    
    II. Stream
    
    III. Well
    
    IV. Borehole
    1. A. I, II, IV, III
    2. B. II, III, I, IV
    3. C. I, IV, III, II
    4. D. III, II, IV, I
21. A solution in which no more solute will dissolve at a given temperature is said to be
    1. A. Concentrated
    2. B. Dilute
    3. C. Homogeneous
    4. D. Saturated
22. A clear solution of sugar was cooled from 100°C to 25°C. Some solid sugar was seen to have formed out of the solution after the cooling. This shows that sugar
    1. A. Does not dissolve in cold water
    2. B. Does not dissolve in hot water
    3. C. Dissolves more in hot water than in cold water
    4. D. Dissolves more in cold water than in hot water
23. Water is sometimes referred to as a universal solvent because it
    1. A. Is the purest liquid on earth
    2. B. Is the commonest liquid on earth
    3. C. Is found in all living cells
    4. D. Dissolves most substances
24. The charge of sulphur in the compound SO2 is
    1. A. -2
    2. B. +2
    3. C. -4
    4. D. +4
25. The part of the soil that supports plant growth is that part which
    1. A. Dissolves in water
    2. B. Retains less water
    3. C. Contains the humus
    4. D. Is closer to the roots
26. Plants do not grow well in gravel because the
    1. A. Air spaces are too big to hold water
    2. B. Air spaces are too small for the roots
    3. C. Particles cannot absorb air
    4. D. Particles cannot contain nutrients
27. Which of the following parasites lives in the blood of humans?
    1. A. Louse
    2. B. Plasmodium
    3. C. Tapeworm
    4. D. Tick
28. The carrier of the malaria parasite is the
    1. A. Black fly
    2. B. Tsetse fly
    3. C. Female anopheles mosquito
    4. D. Male anopheles mosquito
29. Which of the following practices is a method of controlling guinea worm disease?
    1. A. Clearing bushes around homes
    2. B. Ensuring that rivers flow rapidly
    3. C. Protecting one's feet before stepping into rivers
    4. D. Protecting oneself against mosquito bites
30. The humidity of the atmosphere is measured with
    1. A. An anemometer
    2. B. A barometer
    3. C. A hygrometer
    4. D. A hydrometer
31. How long does it take the moon to move completely around the earth?
    1. A. 1 day
    2. B. 28 days
    3. C. 30 days
    4. D. 365 days
32. Steel is an example of a
    1. A. Solid in solid mixture
    2. B. Solid in liquid mixture
    3. C. Gas in solid mixture
    4. D. Liquid in liquid mixture
33. Which of the following elements is a metal?
    1. A. Carbon
    2. B. Nitrogen
    3. C. Sulphur
    4. D. Sodium
34. Metals that are usually used to make ornaments have low
    1. A. Conductivity
    2. B. Ductility
    3. C. Malleability
    4. D. Reactivity
35. The food processing method in which germs are prevented from multiplying by applying a low temperature is
    1. A. Canning
    2. B. Drying
    3. C. Pickling
    4. D. Refrigeration
36. The function of blood platelets is to
    1. A. Carry carbon dioxide
    2. B. Fight against diseases
    3. C. Help in clotting
    4. D. Help maintain constant body temperature
37. A fish is able to swim with little resistance in water because it has
    1. A. Fins
    2. B. Gills
    3. C. A streamlined body
    4. D. The ability to make use of a limited oxygen supply
38. When a person jumps up, he/she is able to come down because of the
    1. A. Pull of the earth's gravitational force
    2. B. Pull of the earth's magnetic force
    3. C. Resistance of the earth's atmosphere to the upward motion
    4. D. Pressure of the earth's atmosphere on the person
39. A metal displaces 5.0 cm³ of water when completely immersed in water. If the mass of the metal is 35.0 g, calculate its density.
    1. A. 7.0 g/cm³
    2. B. 30.0 g/cm³
    3. C. 40.0 g/cm³
    4. D. 175.0 g/cm³
40. Oxygen from the air is able to get into the blood by
    1. A. Capillarity
    2. B. Diffusion
    3. C. Osmosis
    4. D. Suction

Paper 2: Theory

1. (a) (i) Draw and label the diagrams to show what the pupil will observe in set-up A and set-up B.
   
   (ii) Explain the observations in set-up A and set-up B. (iii) What is the aim of set-up A? (iv) What is the aim of set-up B?
   
   (b) In an experiment, equal volumes of dilute hydrochloric acid (Solution A) and dilute sodium hydroxide (Solution B) are mixed together to form solution C.
   
   
   
   (i) What is the volume of solution C? (ii) Red litmus paper and blue litmus paper are dipped in turns into solutions A, B and C. State the observations you will make in all six cases. (iii) Give the name of the reaction that took place between solution A and solution B. (iv) Identify solution C. (v) State what will happen when solution C is heated.
   
   (c) The table below gives the steps that were followed in an experiment to test for starch in a green leaf freshly taken from a tree.
   
   Stages in the test for starch:
   
   I. Leaf is put into boiling water for 1 minute
   
   II. Leaf is dipped in alcohol warmed in a hot water bath
   
   III. Leaf is washed in cold water
   
   IV. Leaf is dipped into iodine solution
   
   (i) State the reason for carrying out each of the activities in stages I, II and III. (ii) What happens when the leaf is dipped in iodine solution? (iii) Give the colour changes of the leaf from the beginning of the experiment to the end of the experiment. (iv) Why is the alcohol warmed indirectly in a water bath? (v) Explain what will be observed if the test is carried out on a leaf taken from a plant kept in a dark room for 1 day.
2. (a) (i) Define respiration. (ii) Give two differences between photosynthesis and respiration.
   
   (b) (i) List the chemicals used in the preparation of carbon dioxide in the laboratory. (ii) How would you test for carbon dioxide in the laboratory?
   
   (c) (i) State four effects of a force on a body. (ii) A horizontal force of 250 N is applied to pull a piece of wood lying on a smooth surface through a distance of 20 m. Calculate the work done.
3. (a) (i) Give two differences between a vein and an artery. (ii) State two functions of red blood cells. (iii) Mention two diseases associated with the circulatory system.
   
   (b) (i) Classify the following processes as physical or chemical changes: Cooking of food; Melting of candle; Melting of ice; Rusting of iron; Dissolution of sugar in water; Burning of wood into ash.
   
   (ii) Explain the basis of the classification in (b)(i).
   
   (c) (i) State the laws of reflection. (ii) Draw a ray diagram of light incident at an angle of 40° on the surface of a plane mirror.
4. (a) (i) Explain vegetative reproduction. (ii) State two differences between sexual and vegetative reproduction. (iii) Give one advantage of vegetative reproduction.
   
   (b) (i) Name suitable solvents for the following substances: oil paint, fat, common salt, plant pigments. (ii) What is the name of a substance dissolved by a solvent?
   
   (c) The diagram below represents a simple machine.
   
   
   
   (i) What class of simple machine does it represent? (ii) Name the parts labelled I, II, and III. (iii) Give two examples of machines used in everyday life that work on the same principle as the system illustrated above.
5. (a) (i) Give two differences between a parasite and a vector.
   
   (ii) Write down the names of three endo-parasites and their hosts.
   
   (b) An atom has eight protons and nine neutrons.
   
   (i) Draw the atomic structure of the atom.
   
   (ii) If the atom gains two extra electrons what will be the charge of the ion formed? (Show working)
   
   (c) (i) Three insoluble liquids X, Y and Z are shaken together in a bottle and allowed to settle. The densities of the liquids are as follows:
   
   X = 1.5 g/cm3
   
   Y = 3.0 g/cm3
   
   Z = 1.0 g/cm3
   
   Draw a sketch to show the various layers into which the liquids settle.
   
   (ii) The density of petrol is 0.9 g/cm3. Calculate the volume of 300 g of petrol.

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