General Instructions :

Read the following instructions very carefully and strictly follow them :
(i) This question paper comprises 39 questions. All questions are compulsory.
(ii) This question paper is divided into five sections A, B, C, D and E.
(iii) Section A Questions No. 1 to 20 are multiple choice questions. Each question
carries 1 mark.
(iv) Section B Questions No. 21 to 26 are very short answer type questions. Each
question carries 2 marks. Answer to these questions should be in the range of
30 to 50 words.
(v) Section C Questions No. 27 to 33 are short answer type questions. Each
question carries 3 marks. Answer to these questions should in the range of
50 to 80 words.
(vi) Section D Questions No. 34 to 36 are long answer type questions. Each
question carries 5 marks. Answer to these questions should be in the range of
80 to 120 words.
(vii) Section E Questions No. 37 to 39 are of 3 source-based/case-based units of
assessment carrying 4 marks each with sub-parts.
(viii) There is no overall choice. However, an internal choice has been provided in
some sections. Only one of the alternatives has to be attempted in such
questions.

SECTION A

This section has 20 multiple choice questions (Q.No. 1 20). All questions are
compulsory. 20 1=20

1. Which of the following is an example of endothermic process ?

(a) Formation of slaked lime

(b) Decomposition of vegetable matter into compost

(c) Dissolution of ammonium chloride in water

(d) Digestion of food in our body

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2. In the given experimental set-up, if the experiment is carried out
separately with each of the following solutions the cases in which the
bulb will glow is/are :

Solution

(i) Dilute hydrochloric acid

(ii) Dilute sulphuric acid
(iii) Glucose solution
(iv) Alcohol
(a) (i) only
(b) (ii) only
(c) (i) and (ii)
(d) (ii), (iii) and (iv)

3. In order to balance the following chemical equation, the values of the

coefficients x and y respectively are :
Heat
x Pb(NO3)2 2 PbO + y NO2 + O2
(a) 2, 4 (b) 2, 2
(c) 2, 3 (d) 4, 2

4. When zinc reacts with sodium hydroxide, the product formed is :

(a) Sodium oxide (b) Sodium zincate
(c) Zinc hydroxide (d) Zinc oxide
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5. Among the following, the metal with lowest density is :
(a) Lithium (b) Lead
(c) Magnesium (d) Aluminium

6. The number of electrons in the outermost shell of the atom of a non-metal

can be :
(a) 1, 2 or 3 (b) 3, 4 or 5
(c) 5, 6 or 7 (d) 5, 6 or 8

7. The total number of electrons shared in the formation of an ethyne

molecule is :
(a) 6 (b) 3
(c) 10 (d) 4

8. Sphincter muscles are present at the exit of :

(a) Stomach and small intestine
(b) Stomach and anus
(c) Small intestine and large intestine
(d) Oesophagus and stomach

9. In the following diagram, identify the cells through which massive

amounts of gaseous exchange takes place for photosynthesis :

II

III

IV

(a) I (b) IV
(c) III (d) II
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10. During vigorous exercise, the occurrence of cramps in the outer muscles
of an athlete is due to the conversion of pyruvate to :
(a) Glucose (b) Ethanol
(c) Lactic acid (d) Lactose

11. Plants which bear unisexual flowers are :

(a) Mustard and Papaya
(b) Hibiscus and Watermelon
(c) Mustard and Hibiscus
(d) Watermelon and Papaya

12.
following combination of chromosomes :
(a) 44 + XX (b) 44 + XY
(c) 22 + XX (d) 22 + XY

13. An object is placed in front of a convex mirror at infinity. According to the

New Cartesian Sign Convention, the sign of the focal length and the sign
of the image distance in this case are respectively :
(a) +, (b) ,+
(c) , (d) +,+

14. For v
we show the arrangement of different circuit components. We find that
with respect to the resistor, the :
(a) ammeter is connected in parallel and the voltmeter in series.
(b) ammeter is connected in series and the voltmeter in parallel.
(c) ammeter and voltmeter are both connected in series.
(d) ammeter and voltmeter are both connected in parallel.

15. In a resistive circuit if the current is increased to two times, the

percentage change in the amount of heat dissipated in the circuit would
be :
(a) 400% (b) 300%
(c) 200% (d) 100%

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16. A positron enters a uniform magnetic field at right angles to it as shown.
The direction of force experienced by the positron will be :
Positron

Magnetic field

(a) to the right

(b) to the left
(c) into the page
(d) out of the page

For Questions number 17 to 20, two statements are given one labelled as
Assertion (A) and the other labelled as Reason (R). Select the correct
answer to these questions from the codes (a), (b), (c) and (d) as given below.
(a) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the
correct explanation of the Assertion (A).
(b) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not
the correct explanation of the Assertion (A).
(c) Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.
(d) Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.

17. Assertion (A) : Sodium oxide is an amphoteric oxide.

Reason (R) : Metal oxides which react with both acids as well as bases
are known as amphoteric oxides.

18. Assertion (A) : When a bacterium divides into two, and the resultant two
bacteria divide again, the four bacteria produced would be
almost similar.
Reason (R) : DNA copying involves small inaccuracies in the
reproduction process.

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19. Assertion (A) : A person suffering from myopia cannot see the distant
objects clearly.

Reason (R) : A converging lens is used for the correction of myopic eye
as it can form real as well as virtual images of the objects
placed in front of it.

20. Assertion (A) : Magnetic field lines do not intersect each other.
Reason (R) : Magnetic field lines are imaginary lines, the tangent to
which at any point gives the direction of the field at that
point.

SECTION B

21. (a) What is observed when aqueous solutions of potassium iodide and
lead nitrate are mixed together ? Name the type of reaction and
write the chemical equation for the reaction that occurs. 2

OR
(b) When copper powder is heated in a watch glass, a black substance
is formed.

(i) Why is this black substance formed ? Name it.

(ii) How can this black substance be reversed to its original

form ? 2

22. (a) Why is it important to prevent oxygenated and deoxygenated blood

from mixing in birds and mammals ?
(b) Which animals can tolerate some mixing of the oxygenated and
deoxygenated blood streams ? On what factor does the body
temperature of these animals depend ? 2

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23. Mendel crossed a pure tall pea plant (TT) with a pure short pea plant (tt)
and obtained all tall plants in F 1 generation.
(a) What is the gene combination present in the plants of F 1
generation ?
(b) Give reason why only tall plants are observed in F1 progeny.
(c) What will be the ratio of the plants obtained in the F2 generation
when F1 plants are self-pollinated ? 2

24. (a) When and where does a rainbow appear in the sky ? Draw a
labelled ray diagram to show its formation. 2

OR
(b) What is scattering of light ? Why does the clear sky appear blue ? 2

25. V I graph for two conducting wires A and B are as shown. If both wires
are of the same length and same diameter, which of the two is made of a
material of high resistivity ? Give reasons to justify your answer. 2

26. We do not clean ponds or lakes but an aquarium needs to be cleaned

regularly. Why ? 2

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 SECTION C

27. Silver chloride kept in a china dish turns grey in sunlight.

(a) Write the colour of silver chloride when it was kept in the china
dish.

(b) Name the type of chemical reaction taking place and write the
chemical equation for the reaction.

(c) State one use of the reaction. Name one more chemical which can
be used for the same purpose. 3

28. With the help of suitable chemical equations, list the two main
differences between roasting and calcination. How is metal reduced from
the product obtained after roasting/calcination of the ore ? Write the
chemical equation for the reaction involved. 3

29. (a) (i) What is the first step in the breakdown of glucose during
aerobic and anaerobic respiration ? Where does it take
place ?

(ii) ATP is called the energy currency of the cell. Why ?

(iii) What is meant by residual volume of air in a breathing

cycle ? 3

OR
(b) Write in sequence the steps for experimental verification of the fact
that sunlight is essential for photosynthesis . 3

30. Name the hormone released and the gland which secretes it in human
beings during scary situations. How does the body respond to enable it to
deal with the situation ? 3

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31. (a) A student has focussed the image of an object of height 3 cm on a
white screen using a concave mirror of focal length 12 cm. If the
distance of the object from the mirror is 18 cm, find the values of
the following :
(i) Distance of the image from the mirror
(ii) Height of the image 3

OR
(b) Define power of a lens. The focal length of a lens is 10 cm. Write
the nature of the lens and find its power. If an object is placed at a
distance of 20 cm from the optical centre of this lens, according to
the New Cartesian Sign Convention, what will be the sign of
magnification in this case ? 3

32. Explain the meaning of overloading of an electrical circuit. List two

possible causes due to which overloading may occur in household circuits.
Write one preventive measure that should be taken to avoid overloading
of domestic circuits. 3

33. Explain how some harmful chemicals enter our bodies through the food
chain. Why is the concentration of these harmful chemicals found to be
maximum in human beings ? 3

SECTION D

34. (a) he presence

ium ethanoate.
Write the chemical equation for the reaction involved and name it,
giving justification for the name. 5

OR

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 (b) (i) Name the simplest saturated hydrocarbon. Draw its electron
dot structure. Which type of bonds exist in this compound ?

(ii) Name any two mixtures of the carbon compound used as a

fuel in daily life, of which the above mentioned compound is
an important component.

(iii) In which homologous series of carbon compounds can this

compound be placed ? Write the general formula of the
series.

(iv) Which type of flame is produced on burning it ? 5

35. (a) (i) List three points of difference between nervous and
hormonal mechanisms for control and coordination in
animals.

(ii) How are auxins related with the bending of plant shoot
towards unidirectional light ? Explain. 5

OR
(b) (i) Name the disorder which a person is likely to suffer from
due to the following :

(I) Over-secretion of growth hormone

(II) Deficiency of oestrogen in females

(III) Less secretion of thyroxine

Also name the gland that secretes each of the hormones
mentioned above.

(ii) How is the timing and amount of hormone released

regulated ? Explain with the help of an example. 5

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36. (a) An object is placed in front of a convex lens of focal length f. If the
distance of the object from the lens is 2f, draw a ray diagram to
show the formation of the image. Write the value of magnification
in this case.

(b) A student has focussed the image of a candle flame on a white

screen using a convex lens. The situation is as given below :
Length of the flame = 2 cm
Focal length of the lens = 12 cm
Distance of the flame from the lens = 16 cm
If the flame is perpendicular to the principal axis of the lens,
calculate the values of the following :
(i) Distance of the image from the lens
(ii) Length of the image formed 5

SECTION E

The following questions are source-based/case-based questions. Read the case

carefully and answer the questions that follow.

37. The teacher while conducting practicals in the laboratory divided the
students into three groups and gave them various solutions to find out
their pH and classify them into acidic, basic and neutral solutions.
Group A Lemon juice, vinegar, colourless aerated drink
Group B Tomato juice, coffee, ginger juice
Group C Sodium hydroxide, sodium chloride, lime water

(a) For the solutions provided, which group is/are likely to have pH
value (i) less than 7, and (ii) greater than 7 ? 1

(b) List two ways of determining pH of a solution 1

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 (c) Explain, why the sour substances such as lemon juice are effective
in cleaning the tarnished copper vessels. 2

OR

(c)
by giving two examples. 2

38. All the reproductive methods of living organisms are broadly categorized
into two types : 1. Asexual reproduction, and 2. Sexual reproduction.

Asexual reproduction involves the participation of a single parent

without the formation of gametes, fertilisation and transfer of genetic
material. This method is a common means of rapidly increasing
offsprings under favourable conditions.

(a) Name the type of fission that occurs in Leishmania and

Plasmodium. 1

(b) Write one advantage of sexual mode of reproduction over asexual

reproduction. 1

(c) Give reasons why :

(i) Colonies of yeast fail to multiply in water but multiply in

sugar solution.

(ii) Rhizopus individuals do not grow on a dry slice of bread. 2

OR

(c) Name the filamentous structures a student could identify when he

collected water from a pond that appeared dark green. How do
these organisms multiply ? Explain. 2

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39. Consider the following electrical circuit diagram in which nine identical
resistors of 3 each are connected as shown. If the reading of the
ammeter A1 is 1 ampere, answer the following questions :

(a) What is the relationship between the readings of A 1 and A3 ? Give

reasons for your answer. 1

(b) What is the relationship between the readings of A2 and A3 ? 1

(c) Determine the reading of the voltmeter V1. 2

OR

(c) Find the total resistance of the circuit. 2

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