CAMBRIDGE LOWER SECONDARY SCIENCE 9: TEACHER’S RESOURCE

Learner’s Book
answers
Unit 1 Photosynthesis and the carbon cycle
Topic 1.1 Photosynthesis Think like a scientist: Investigating
how light intensity affects the rate of
Getting started
photosynthesis
Learners should see that the plant that has light is
1 This will depend on the results that learners
taller and greener than the one kept in the dark.
obtain. They are likely to find that the mean
They may also see that leaves of the plant in the
number of bubbles is greatest when the lamp
light are broader and more numerous, and the stems is closest to the test tube.
are thicker. Learners may remember that plants
make food by photosynthesis, and cannot do this 2 Check that:
in the dark, so they do not have enough ‘food’ to • the axes are the right way round, with
be able to grow well. They may also know that distance of lamp on the x-axis and mean
chlorophyll is what makes plants look green, and number of bubbles on the y-axis
that this is used to absorb energy from light. With • both axes are fully labelled, including units
no light, the plant does not make chlorophyll. • there are good scales on both axes
• the points are plotted neatly as small
Questions crosses, in exactly the right places
1 carbon dioxide and water • a neat line has been drawn; this could be a
best fit line, or learners could use a ruler to
2 glucose and oxygen join each point to the next.
3 Photosynthesis transfers energy from sunlight 3 decreases
into chemical energy in glucose. The plant
can use the glucose to make other substances. 4 increases
When the grasshopper eats grass, it takes in Activity: Photosynthesis and respiration
some of this energy. The lizard gets some of
Similarities: They are both chemical reactions.
the energy when it eats the grasshopper.
They both happen inside cells. They both involve
4 Plants release oxygen into the air when they energy changes (energy transfers). They both
photosynthesise. Animals such as lizards need involve glucose, oxygen, carbon dioxide and water.
oxygen for respiration. Differences: Respiration happens in all living cells,
but photosynthesis only happens in some plant cells.
Activity: Words beginning with photo- (Some learners may also know that photosynthesis
Easy words include: photograph, photography, can happen in the cytoplasm in bacterial cells, but
photographer, photographing, photocopier, this knowledge is not expected at this level.)
photocopying and photocopy. A few learners may Respiration happens in cytoplasm and mitochondria,
also know photostat and photogenic. Other less but photosynthesis happens in chloroplasts.
likely words for them to think of include photon, Photosynthesis needs sunlight, but respiration
photophobia, photocell and photofinish. does not.
Think like a scientist: Collecting the gas The reactants in respiration are the products in
produced in photosynthesis photosynthesis, and vice versa.
1 So that the gas could be collected over water. In photosynthesis, energy from sunlight is
transferred to chemical energy in glucose.
2 So that the water plant could get energy for In respiration, energy in glucose is released for the
photosynthesis. cell to use.

Cambridge Lower Secondary Science 9 – Mary Jones, Diane Fellowes-Freeman & Michael Smyth
1 © Cambridge University Press 2021
 CAMBRIDGE LOWER SECONDARY SCIENCE 9: TEACHER’S RESOURCE

Topic 1.2 More about The bubbles contain air. They are likely to
contain a lot of oxygen if the leaf has been
photosynthesis photosynthesising.
Getting started The warm water makes the gases inside the air
1 in the green parts/in the leaves and stem spaces in the leaf expand, which makes them come
out of the leaf.
2 because they contain chlorophyll
Questions
3 because they are not green/do not receive light
1 The carbon dioxide particles have kinetic energy.
Think like a scientist: Planning an They are in constant, random motion. By chance,
investigation into the effect of some of them will go into the leaf through the
fertilisers on plant growth stomata. Some will also come out. But, overall,
more will go in than out because there are more
1 The hypothesis should state a predicted effect of them outside the leaf than inside it.
that changing one variable has on another
variable. For example: 2 Some of the oxygen diffuses out of the leaf.
The more fertiliser the duckweed plants have, Some of the oxygen is used in respiration.
the faster they will grow. 3 Plants get their protein by using the
There are many other possible hypotheses. carbohydrates they make in photosynthesis
Check that the hypothesis is genuinely testable and adding nitrogen to them to make proteins.
by experiment. Animals get their protein by feeding on plants
and/or other animals.
2 Answers will depend on the hypothesis being
tested. It is advisable to have at least five 4 Nitrate and magnesium are both needed for
different values of the variable. making chlorophyll, so a shortage of either
of them makes leaves go yellow. Nitrate is
3 Learners are likely to suggest counting the also needed for making proteins, but without
number of leaves. They could either decide to magnesium the plant cannot photosynthesise,
count each set of duckweed just once, after a so it has fewer carbohydrates to make proteins
set period of time, or they could count each from. A lack of either nitrate or magnesium
one at regular intervals such as every two days. reduces growth.
4 This will depend on which variables are being
changed; any other variables that could affect
Think like a scientist: Testing a leaf for
the rate of growth, such as light intensity and starch
temperature, should be kept the same. 1 a Starch is stored in the chloroplasts.
5 This will depend on the learner’s experiment. b Boiling breaks down the cell membranes,
They are likely to need Petri dishes, some so the iodine can reach the starch.
duckweed plants, some fertiliser and a way of 2 This makes it easier to see the colour change
measuring it, and a timer. when iodine solution is added.
6 There are few risks in this experiment. 3 Most learners will get a positive test result,
Fertiliser should be handled with care, as it showing that the leaf does contain starch. This
would not be good for it to be ingested. Clean was produced from the glucose that was made
up any spills quickly. by photosynthesis in the chloroplasts.
7 The predictions should match the hypothesis. 4 Only the green parts contained starch. The
Answers to questions 1 and 2 in part 2 will vary white parts have no chlorophyll, which is
from learner to learner. needed to absorb energy from sunlight and
without which photosynthesis cannot happen.
Activity: Which surface of a leaf has
most stomata? Topic 1.3 The carbon cycle
Learners should see more bubbles emerging from Getting started
the lower surface of the leaf because this is where In carbon dioxide in the air, the carbon atom is part
most stomata are. of a compound; in photosynthesis it becomes part
of a glucose molecule, but is still a carbon atom.

Cambridge Lower Secondary Science 9 – Mary Jones, Diane Fellowes-Freeman & Michael Smyth
2 © Cambridge University Press 2021
 CAMBRIDGE LOWER SECONDARY SCIENCE 9: TEACHER’S RESOURCE

Questions Tube F: Plant photosynthesises and respires,

but photosynthesises more than it respires,
1 a The food chain should have a correct
and therefore uses up carbon dioxide.
sequence of organisms, with one plant
Maggots respire, giving out carbon dioxide.
and three animals. Arrows should go in
The two are likely to balance out.
the correct direction. For example:
fig tree → wasp → spider → lizard. 6 To make sure that having a platform in place
b Yes, the arrows could also indicate how did not cause the differences between the
carbon atoms are transferred. Carbon results in the different tubes.
is contained in the food that animals Activity: Modelling the carbon cycle
eat, in the form of compounds such as
1 No, in the real carbon cycle only some carbon
carbohydrates and proteins.
atoms will move at any one point in time.
2 Proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Learners Learners could suggest having only one or two
could also suggest particular compounds, such atoms moving on each occasion.
as haemoglobin. (Note that animals do not
2 Learners should find that stopping
contain starch.)
combustion results in fewer carbon atoms
3 There would be no (or very little) combustion ending up in the air.
of fossil fuels.
Topic 1.4 Climate change
4 They take a very long time to form. We are
using them up much faster than they are being Questions
replenished. A 3; B 1; C 3; D2
Think like a scientist: How do plants Questions
and animals affect carbon dioxide 1 An asteroid is a rock, smaller than a planet,
concentration? which orbits the Sun.
1 Learners will probably find these results: 2 It produced a lot of heat, which killed plants
Tube A: yellow, high carbon dioxide and animals close to the collision site.
Tube B: purple, no carbon dioxide It produced a huge tsunami, which killed
Tube C: yellow, high carbon dioxide plants and animals on land that were swamped
Tube D: yellow, high carbon dioxide by sea water.
Tube E: yellow, high carbon dioxide It sent dust high into the atmosphere, so plants
died because they could not photosynthesise.
Tube F: red, some carbon dioxide
Animals then died because there was no food
2 Organisms were respiring in all the tubes. for them to eat.
3 Plants were photosynthesising in tubes B and F. 3 1.3 °C
4 a Carbon dioxide would be used up in tube B. 4 The temperature fell by 0.3 °C between 1880 and
b Carbon dioxide would be given out in 1910. It rose by 1.6 °C between 1910 and 2016.
tubes A, C, D and E. 5 Multiply the number of years until the end of
5 Tube A: No photosynthesis because no light; the century by 3 mm.
plant respires, giving out carbon dioxide. 6 As the mean global temperature increases,
Tube B: Plant photosynthesises and respires, more land ice melts and adds extra water to
but photosynthesises more than it respires; the oceans. Also, higher temperatures cause
carbon dioxide is used up. sea water to expand.
Tube C: Maggots respire, giving out carbon
Think like a scientist: How do rising
dioxide.
temperatures affect sea level?
Tube D: Maggots respire, giving out carbon
dioxide. 1 Learners should find that melting ice on
land and increasing water temperature both
Tube E: No photosynthesis because no light; increase the water level. Melting ice in the sea
plant respires, giving out carbon dioxide. does not increase the water level.
Maggots respire, giving out carbon dioxide.
2 They indicate how sea level is expected to rise.

Cambridge Lower Secondary Science 9 – Mary Jones, Diane Fellowes-Freeman & Michael Smyth
3 © Cambridge University Press 2021
 CAMBRIDGE LOWER SECONDARY SCIENCE 9: TEACHER’S RESOURCE

Activity: The carbon cycle and c

The wheat plants use the nitrate to make
climate change proteins. The proteins can be used to
make new cells, some of which will be
Respiration and combustion increase the level of
used to produce the grains.
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Photosynthesis
decreases it. d In a different place, there might be a
different concentration of nitrate in the
Learners could suggest:
soil before the fertiliser is added. There
• Plant more trees, because they will might be a lack of other minerals in the
photosynthesise and take carbon dioxide out of soil. The soil might be better or worse
the air. at holding water. There might be more
• Stop deforestation (same reason). shade in one place than another. The
• Stop burning fossil fuels, to reduce combustion. temperature might be different.
• Stop using so much energy, so that we do not
e Magnesium is needed for making
need to use as much fuel.
chlorophyll.
Learners may also be aware of other issues not
1.4 a i D
covered here, such as eating less meat (because
ii B
production and transport of meat uses a lot of
iii A
energy and produces a lot of carbon dioxide) or
iv C
reducing air travel.
b i 3
Check your progress ii 2
iii 1
1.1 a carbon dioxide
c glucose, starch, carbohydrate, protein,
b oxygen fat, cellulose or chlorophyll – allow any
c soil other correct organic compound.
d chlorophyll 1.5 a
Sea level will rise. There will be more
e stomata extreme weather events, such as
typhoons and hurricanes.
1.2 a the type of seaweed
b i Many species of organisms are
b Any three from: the temperature; completely destroyed.
the light intensity; the size of the ii Look for the idea of long-term
piece of seaweed; the time for which reduction in photosynthesis
the apparatus is left. because of dust thrown up into the
c the volume of gas collected (after a set atmosphere, which reduces light
period of time). penetration.
1.3 a 4 tonnes per hectare This in turn reduces food for
animals.
b Adding more than 60 kg per ha gives Other reasons are the immediate
only a very small increase in yield. It is results of the impact, including
likely that the cost of the extra fertiliser the heat and pressure wave in the
would outweigh the small increase in vicinity of the impact, and a
income from selling the grain. massive tsunami.

Unit 2 Properties of materials

Topic 2.1 Atomic structure and may be able to give facts such as the charges on the
particles: protons – positive, neutrons – no charge
the Periodic Table and electrons – negative. They may be able to
Getting started recall the relative masses of the particles: protons
and neutrons having more mass than electrons.
Answers will depend on what learners can recall. They may be able to recall the arrangement of the
You should use this as a form of assessment particles as in the Rutherford model.
for learning. Learners should manage to name
electrons, neutrons, protons and the nucleus. Some

Cambridge Lower Secondary Science 9 – Mary Jones, Diane Fellowes-Freeman & Michael Smyth
4 © Cambridge University Press 2021