Cambridge IGCSE™

* 0 2 7 4 4 0 2 1 9 1 *

CO-ORDINATED SCIENCES 0654/62

Paper 6 Alternative to Practical February/March 2024

1 hour 30 minutes

You must answer on the question paper.

No additional materials are needed.

INSTRUCTIONS
● Answer all questions.
● Use a black or dark blue pen. You may use an HB pencil for any diagrams or graphs.
● Write your name, centre number and candidate number in the boxes at the top of the page.
● Write your answer to each question in the space provided.
● Do not use an erasable pen or correction fluid.
● Do not write on any bar codes.
● You may use a calculator.
● You should show all your working and use appropriate units.

INFORMATION
● The total mark for this paper is 60.
● The number of marks for each question or part question is shown in brackets [ ].

This document has 20 pages. Any blank pages are indicated.

DC (SL/SG) 329436/5
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1 A student investigates the effect of catalase on the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide.

Catalase is an enzyme found in living cells such as potato cells.

Catalase speeds up the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide into oxygen gas and water.

hydrogen peroxide oxygen + water

(a) (i) Procedure

The student:

• assembles the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.1

delivery tube

measuring cylinder
stopper

water

boiling tube

potato

Fig. 1.1

• adds 2 cm3 of hydrogen peroxide solution to the potato in the boiling tube
• quickly replaces the stopper
• immediately starts a stop-watch
• records in Table 1.1 the total volume of gas collected in the measuring cylinder
every 2 minutes for 10 minutes.

Table 1.1

volume of gas collected in

time total volume of gas collected
each interval of 2 minutes
/ min / cm3
/ cm3
0 0.0 0.0
2 11.0 11.0
4
6
8 21.0 1.0
10 21.5 0.5

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Fig. 1.2 shows the total volume of gas collected at 4 and 6 minutes.

10 oxygen 10

15 15

20 20
water
cm3 cm3

4 minutes 6 minutes

Fig. 1.2

Record in Table 1.1 these values to the nearest 0.5 cm3. [2]

(ii) Calculate the volume of gas collected in each interval of 2 minutes for 4 minutes and
6 minutes.

Use the equations shown.

The value for 4 minutes = total volume at 4 minutes – the total volume at 2 minutes.

The value for 6 minutes = total volume at 6 minutes – the total volume at 4 minutes.

Record your values in Table 1.1.

[2]

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(b) Name a piece of apparatus suitable for measuring 2 cm3 of hydrogen peroxide solution.

............................................................................................................................................. [1]

(c) Hydrogen peroxide is corrosive.

State a safety precaution the student takes when doing the procedure.

Explain your answer.

precaution .................................................................................................................................

explanation ...............................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................
[1]

(d) A student suggests that the volume of gas collected in the final interval of 2 minutes is less
than the volume of gas collected in the first interval of 2 minutes.

(i) Explain why the student expects the volume of gas collected in each 2 minute interval to
decrease during the experiment.

...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

(ii) State if the results support the student’s suggestion.

Use values from Table 1.1 to explain your answer.

statement ..................................................................................................................................

explanation ...............................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................
[1]

(e) The student has difficulty in replacing the stopper quickly enough after adding the hydrogen
peroxide.

Suggest how this affects the results. State an improvement to overcome this difficulty.

effect on results ........................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

improvement .............................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................
[2]

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(f) Explain why repeating the procedure increases confidence in the results.

...................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................. [1]

(g) Describe a test to confirm the gas collected is oxygen.

State the observation for a positive result.

test ............................................................................................................................................

observation ...............................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................
[2]

[Total: 13]

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2 Fertilisers contain nutrients that are added to crops to help them grow.

A farmer has a choice of three fertilisers, A, B and C for use on his rice crop.

Plan an investigation to find out which fertiliser produces the highest rate of growth of the rice
plants.

You are provided with:

• rice plant seedlings

• fertilisers A, B and C.

You may also use any common laboratory apparatus.

Include in your plan:

• the apparatus needed

• a brief description of the method
• the measurements you will make
• the variables you will control
• how you will process your results to draw a conclusion.

You may include a results table if you wish, you are not required to enter any readings in the table.

You may include a labelled diagram if you wish.

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3 A student investigates which metal ions catalyse a reaction.

When aqueous sodium thiosulfate reacts with aqueous iron(III) nitrate the reaction mixture
immediately turns dark purple.

The colour of this mixture slowly fades.

A catalyst will make the purple colour fade more quickly.

Fig. 3.1 shows the experiment.

aqueous sodium thiosulfate and

aqueous iron(III) nitrate
cross on a piece of white paper

Fig. 3.1

When the purple colour fades it is possible to see the cross through the reaction mixture.

(a) Procedure

The student:

Step 1 adds 20 cm3 of aqueous sodium thiosulfate to a conical flask

Step 2 puts the conical flask on a cross on a piece of paper
Step 3 adds 1 drop of distilled water to the conical flask
Step 4 adds 20 cm3 of aqueous iron(III) nitrate to the conical flask, immediately swirls
the flask and starts a stop-watch
Step 5 looks through the mixture and when the cross becomes visible as shown in
Fig. 3.2, the student stops the stop-watch

aqueous sodium thiosulfate,

aqueous iron(III) nitrate
and 1 drop of solution cross on a piece of white paper

Fig. 3.2
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Step 6 records in Table 3.1 the time taken to the nearest 0.1 second.

The student repeats the procedure four times. Each repeat has a drop of a different solution
added in Step 3 as shown in Table 3.1.

The results are shown in Table 3.1.

Table 3.1

aqueous solution time taken for the cross to rate of reaction

added in Step 3 become visible / s / per 100 s
distilled water 75.2 1.3
copper(II) ions
iron(II) ions 6.4 16
sodium ions 73.4 1.4
zinc ions

Suggest why in Step 4 the student swirls the flask.

............................................................................................................................................. [1]

(b) Fig. 3.3 shows the readings on the stop-watch when the cross becomes visible for aqueous
copper(II) ions and aqueous zinc ions.

min s min s

aqueous copper(II) ions aqueous zinc ions

Fig. 3.3

Record in Table 3.1 these times in seconds to the nearest 0.1 s. [2]

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(c) (i) Calculate the rate of the reaction with aqueous copper(II) ions and with aqueous zinc ions.

Use the equation shown.

100
rate of reaction =
time taken

Record in Table 3.1 your values to two significant figures. [2]

(ii) Distilled water is not a catalyst for this reaction.

The experiment with distilled water is a control for the investigation.

Explain why a control is used.

...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

(iii) Use the values in Table 3.1 to place the aqueous copper(II) ions, aqueous iron(II) ions,
aqueous sodium ions and aqueous zinc ions in order of the rates of reaction.

highest rate (best catalyst) ...............................................................

...............................................................

...............................................................

lowest rate ...............................................................

[1]

(d) Two values of time are considered to be the same if they are within 10% of each other.

Consider the times for distilled water and for aqueous sodium ions.

Deduce if sodium ions are a catalyst for this reaction. Include a calculation in your answer.

...................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................. [2]

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(e) (i) The student repeats the procedure in (a) but adds 5 drops of aqueous copper(II) ions
instead of 1 drop.

The time taken for the cross to become visible is 0.6 seconds.

Suggest why 5 drops of aqueous copper(II) ions are not used in the procedure in (a).

...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

(ii) The student repeats the experiment at a higher temperature which increases the rate of
reaction.

Suggest how the results of this experiment differ from those in Table 3.1.

...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

(iii) Another student repeats the procedure in (a).

The results show the time for the cross to become visible for aqueous copper(II) ions is
72.3 seconds. All the other times are similar to the results in Table 3.1.

Suggest an error in this student’s procedure that produces this reading.

...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

[Total: 12]

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4 A student investigates some reactions of an aqueous copper(II) salt and an aqueous

zinc salt.

Procedure

The student:

Step 1 adds an aqueous copper(II) salt to 3 test-tubes

Step 2 adds a few drops and then excess of aqueous ammonia to the first test-tube
Step 3 adds dilute nitric acid and aqueous barium nitrate to the second test-tube
Step 4 adds dilute nitric acid and aqueous silver nitrate to the third test-tube
Step 5 records the observations of each experiment
Step 6 repeats Steps 1 to 5 with the aqueous zinc salt instead of the aqueous copper(II) salt.

Fig. 4.1 shows the notes in the student’s notebook.

s
w d r o ps of aqueou
f e :
ammonia I) salt dilute nitric acid
(I
us copper and aqueous
the aqueo le
gives a pa ueous barium nitrate gives
nd th aq
e a white ppt with the
blue ppt a es a white ppt
giv aqueous zinc salt
zinc salt

copper(II)
the aqueous react the aqueous copper(II)
salt does not d
c a ci salt gives a white ppt
with nitri
u s with nitric acid and
and aqueo
rate aqueous silver nitrate
barium nit

with excess aqueou

s
ammonia:
the pale blue ppt m
ade
by the copper(II)
salt
dissolves and form
sa
dark blue solution

eous
e x c e ss aqu dilute nitric acid and
with onia: aqueous silver nitrate
amm ade by the does
m not react with the aque
e w h ite ppt solves and ous
t h s
alt di lution zinc salt
zinc s olourless so
ac
gives

Fig. 4.1

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(a) Draw a results table suitable for the student’s results shown in Fig. 4.1.

Enter the tests and observations into your table.

[5]

(b) (i) Circle the anion (negative ion) that is in the aqueous copper(II) salt.

bromide ion carbonate ion chloride ion nitrate ion sulfate ion [1]

(ii) Circle the anion (negative ion) that is in the aqueous zinc salt.

bromide ion carbonate ion chloride ion nitrate ion sulfate ion [1]

(c) A student does a flame test by putting a sample of an aqueous metal salt into a blue Bunsen
burner flame.

The blue Bunsen burner flame is hotter than a yellow flame.

Suggest another reason why a blue Bunsen burner flame is used instead of a yellow flame.

...................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................. [1]

[Total: 8]

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5 A student measures the focal length f of a converging lens.

The student assembles the apparatus as shown in Fig. 5.1.

screen
illuminated object

converging lens in holder

u v

Fig. 5.1

(a) Procedure

The student:

• places the lens a distance U = 20.0 cm from the illuminated object. The illuminated object
is a triangular hole in a card
• adjusts the position of the screen until a sharp image of the illuminated object is formed
on the screen
• measures, to the nearest 0.1 cm, the image distance v from the screen to the lens.

(i) Measure the image distance v shown in Fig. 5.1.

Record the value in centimetres to the nearest 0.1 cm.

v = ................................................... cm [1]

(ii) Fig. 5.1 is drawn to a scale of one-fifth full size.

Calculate the actual image distance V from the lens to the screen.

Record your answer in Table 5.1.

Table 5.1

actual object distance U actual image distance V

magnification m
/ cm / cm
20.0
30.0 30.0 1.0
40.0 24.0 0.6
50.0 21.4 0.4
60.0 20.0 0.3
[1]

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(b) (i) Calculate the magnification m of the image.

Use the equation shown.

actual image distance

m=
actual object distance

Record m to one decimal place in Table 5.1. [1]

(ii) Fig. 5.2 shows the illuminated object.

The image seen by the student on the screen is enlarged and inverted.

In the blank space on the right-hand side of the illuminated object, draw a diagram of the
image seen by the student.

illuminated object

Fig. 5.2
[2]

(c) The student repeats the procedure described in (a) for values of U = 30.0 cm, 40.0 cm,
50.0 cm, and 60.0 cm.

The results are shown in Table 5.1.

Use the results to describe what happens to the image distance V and the magnification m of
the image as the object distance U from the lens increases.

image distance V

...................................................................................................................................................

magnification m

...................................................................................................................................................
[1]

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(d) (i) On the grid, plot a graph of V (vertical axis) against m.

[3]

(ii) Draw the best-fit straight line. [1]

(e) The gradient of the line is equal to the focal length f of the lens.

Calculate the gradient of your line.

Show on your graph the values you choose to calculate the gradient.

f = ......................................................... [2]

(f) The student does this experiment in a dark room.

Explain how this makes it easier to decide when the image is in focus.

...................................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................. [1]

[Total: 13]

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6 A student investigates the stretching of a spring.

The student assembles the spring and a metre ruler as shown in Fig. 6.1.

metre ruler

clamp
clamp

spring

stand stand

bench

Fig. 6.1

(a) The student takes a reading r on the metre ruler at the bottom of the lower loop at the end of
the spring.

(i) Draw a diagram to show how the student uses a set-square to make the reading r
accurate.

[1]

(ii) State one other technique used to ensure that the reading r is accurate.

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

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(b) Fig. 6.2 shows the bottom part of the spring.

cm
45

46

47

Fig. 6.2

Record in Table 6.1 the reading r at the bottom of the lower loop at the end of the spring to the
nearest 0.1 cm for mass m = 0 g.

Table 6.1

mass m
0 100 200 400
/g
reading r
50.4 54.6 62.4
/ cm
[1]

(c) Procedure

The student:

• suspends a mass m = 100 g from the spring

• records in Table 6.1, the reading r at the bottom of the lower loop at the end of the spring.

The student repeats this procedure for masses m = 200 g and 400 g.

The readings are shown in Table 6.1.

(i) Suggest how the procedure is improved to increase confidence in the student’s readings.

...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [1]

(ii) The student suggests that the reading r on the metre ruler is directly proportional to the
mass m.

State if the readings support this suggestion.

Use values from Table 6.1 to justify your answer.

statement ..........................................................................................................................

justification ........................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................... [1]
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(d) Procedure

The student:

• removes the 400 g mass from the spring

• suspends a stone of mass M from the spring
• records the reading r at the bottom of the lower loop at the end of the spring.

r = 52.5 cm

Use Table 6.1 to predict the mass M of the stone.

M = ...................................................... g [1]

(e) Stretched springs are potentially dangerous because of the elastic potential energy stored in
them.

State one safety precaution taken when investigating the stretching of a spring.

Explain your answer.

safety precaution ......................................................................................................................

explanation ...............................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................
[1]

[Total: 7]

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