CBSE

SCIENCE, Class-X
SOLUTIONS

Sample Question Paper

For 2021 Examination

Section ‘A’
1. To prevent the oil and fats of the chips from being oxidized or become rancid. 1
2. Size of the particles of the medium through which it is passing. 1
3. (a) (i) It is a reaction between a metal (Zn) and an acid (H2SO4).
(b) (i) During the reaction between a metal and an acid, hydrogen gas is released.
(c) Zn + H2SO4 → ZnSO4 + H2
(d) It will produce sodium zincate (Salt) and hydrogen gas.
Zn (s) + 2NaOH (aq) → Na2ZnO2 (aq) + H2 (g) 1+1+1+1
4. Common signs for sexual maturation in boys and girls are :
(a) (i) Broadening of shoulder and chest in boys and development of mammary gland or breast in girls.
(ii) Appearance of hairs on body parts like pubic area, armpits and face.
(b) The number of females will become low in comparison to males. Hence, there will be huge imbalance
between male and female ratio in the population.
(c) Chemical method of contraception e.g. Oral pills.
(d) Factors are : Birth rate and death rate. 1+1+1+1
5. (d) (A) and (B) 1
OR
(d) Metals are good conductors of heat and have high melting points. Thus, Aluminium is used for making
utensils. 1
6. (d) A series of compounds in which the same functional group substitutes for hydrogen in a carbon chain is
called as homologous series. The option (d) follows the generic formula CnH2n, while others follow the
generic formula CnH2n+2. 1
7. (d) virtual and erect. 1
OR
(a) When a point source of light is placed at the focus of concave mirror then all light rays after reflection
through mirror will become parallel to the principal axis.
When this point source of light is placed at the focus of convex lens then after falling on convex lens it will
become parallel to the principal axis. 1
8. (a) As per the sign convention, the focal length of a concave mirror and a concave lens are taken as negative.
Hence, both the spherical mirror and the thin spherical lens are concave in nature. 1
9. (a) Sun is directly over the head and sunlight travel relatively shorter distance causing only little of the blue and
violet colours to be scattered. 1
10. (a) Unit of electric power is volt-ampere. 1
11. (d) If deer is missing in the food chain then :
(i) There will be no herbivore to consume grass, hence population of grass will increase.
(ii) Tiger will start dying of hunger, therefore, the population of tiger will decrease. 1
OR
(a) Food web is a network of food chains. Each organism is generally eaten by two or more kinds of organisms
which are again eaten by several other organisms and so instead of straight line food chain, the series of
organisms dependent on one another for their food can be shown by branched chain which is called as a
food web. 1
12. (b) Both biotic and abiotic components of environment constitute an ecosystem. 1
 2 Oswaal CBSE Chapterwise & Topicwise SCIENCE, Class – 10

13. (b) The resistivity of the conductors is directly proportional to temperature. 1

14. (d) Two bar magnets repel when same poles face each other. This is called repulsion. Opposite poles attract
each other, but similar poles repel. 1

Section ‘B’
15. The black colour substance is formed by the reaction of copper with oxygen is Copper(II) oxide (CuO).
Chemical Reaction : 2Cu + O2 → 2CuO
Hydrogen gas is passed over this heated material (CuO) the black coating on the surface turns brown as the
reverse reaction takes place and copper is obtained.
CuO+ H2 → Cu+ H2O 1+1+1
16. Acid – Hydrochloric acid/HCl
Base – Sodium hydroxide/NaOH
Neutral Salt
When it forms brown crystals combined with impurities.
Drying up of seas. 1+1+1
OR
(a) The cake will have a bitter taste because of the formation of Na2CO3/sodium carbonate while baking/

heating.
(b) By adding tartaric acid

(c) The liberated CO2 gas.
[CBSE Marking Scheme, 2018] 1 + 1 + 1

Commonly Made Error

Usually students get confused with baking powder and baking soda.

Answering Tip
Learn the chemical formulae and practice all the preparation reactions.

17. (i) Category A (Li Na K) show Dobereiner’s triads.

(ii) Mendeleev arranged the elements in increasing order of atomic mass and grouped them as per similar
chemical property. The elements in A, B and C are similar among themselves but have different chemical
properties.
(iii) No, Newland law of Octaves is not applicable because in the three categories every eighth element will not
show same property as first.
Also, Newland Octaves law is applicable only upto calcium. 1+1+1
18. (a) (i) Trypsin acts upon proteins and converts it into peptids and amino acids
(ii) Lipase is an enzyme that breaks down dietary fats into smaller molecules called fatty acids and glycerol.
(b) Functions of villi :
(i) Villi are richly supplied with blood vessels which take the absorbed food to each and every cell of the
body.
(ii) It also absorbs water.
(iii) They increase the surface area for the absorption of food. (Any one) 2+1
19. (a) (i) Colour of the stem in F1 progeny :
Green Purple
(GG) (gg)

G g

F1 = Gg
Green (Heterozygous)
(All progenies are
green stemmed)
(ii) Percentage of brown stem : 25 %
 3
SOLUTIONS

Gg Gg

G g G g

F = GG Gg Gg gg
2

(iii) GG : Gg is 1: 2
(b) Based on the above cross, it can be concluded that green colour is dominant and get expressed in F1
generation. The brown stem, which does not get express itself in the F1 generation, is the recessive character.
This is the law of dominance. 2+1
20. (i) Ovary : Produces egg or female gamete, female sex hormone/ estrogen. ½+½
(ii) Fallopian tube : Transfer of ovum to the uterus, site for fertilization. ½+½
(iii) Uterus : Site of implantation of zygote, development of embryo. ½+½
[CBSE Marking Scheme, 2017]

21. Tyndall effect is shown by colloidal particles because the colloidal particles size are roughly equal to the
wavelength of the light.
Four instances of observing tyndall effect are :
(i) In fog
(ii) When light passes through canopy in forest.
(iii) Blue colour of the sky
(iv) When light passes through the milk 1+2
OR
Difference between glass slab and glass prism :

Glass slab Glass prism

It is rectangular in shape. It has two triangular sides, two inclined rectangular
sides and one rectangular base.
In this, the direction of incident ray and emergent ray In this, the direction of incident ray and emergent ray
of light are parallel to each other. of light are not parallel to each other.

When a narrow beam of monochromatic light passes through :

(a) Glass slab : It has deviated from the actual path but the direction of the incident ray and the emergent ray
are parallel to each other.
(b) Glass of prism : It has deviated from the actual path but the direction of the incident ray and the emergent
ray are not parallel to each other.
When a narrow beam of white light passes through :
(a) Glass slab, it does not split into its constituent colour. The direction of incident ray and emergent ray of light
are parallel to each other.
(b) Glass prism, it splits into its constituent seven colour. The direction of incident ray and emergent ray of light
are not parallel to each other. 1+2
22. (a) The flow of current (I) in the conductor is directly proportional to the potential difference (V) established
across it provided the physical conditions remain same.
Or V = IR
Graph :

2.0

1.6
difference (V)
Potential

1.2
0.8
0.4
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8
Current (A)
 4 Oswaal CBSE Chapterwise & Topicwise SCIENCE, Class – 10

(b) Given :
Potential Difference (V)= 1.4 V
Current (I) = 0.35 A
As per formula, V = IR
V 1.4
= =
So, R = 4 ohm
I 0.35 2+1
23. Definition : A coil of many circular turns of insulated copper wire wrapped closely in the shape of a cylinder
is called solenoid.

Magnetic field lines through and around a current carrying solenoid.

[CBSE Marking Scheme, 2015]1½+1½

24. (a) Ecosystem : It is the functional unit of the environment comprising living and non-living components.
(b) The first trophic level in a food chain is always producers (plants) because they have the ability to trap solar
energy with the help of chlorophyll.
As a result, they produce food by photosynthesis.
(c) Frogs are secondary consumers. 1+1+1
OR
(a) Ozone is formed in the upper atmosphere when solar UV radiation dissociates molecules of oxygen (O) and
then this oxygen atom (O) combines with an oxygen molecule.
(b) Reaction involved : O2 → O + O
O + O2 → O3
(c) When CFC’s reach upper layers of the atmosphere, they cause depletion of ozone layer, and allow harmful
UV radiations to reach the surface of the earth to create health hazards. 1+1+1

Section ‘C ’
25. (a)

(b) (i) Painting

(ii) Oiling
(iii) Galvanization
(iv) Alloying (or any other)
[CBSE Marking Scheme, 2018] 5

Commonly Made Error

Students get confused and interchange the properties of metals and non metals.
 5
SOLUTIONS

Answering Tips
l Don't get confused between acceptor and gainer of electron concept.
l Learn and understand the properties of both metals and non metals with examples.

26. The distance from centre of nucleus to outermost shell of an atom is atomic radius.
Atomic size is measured in Angstroms, where 1 Angstroms = 10-10 metres.
Along the period from left to right : Atomic radius decreases
Reason : Nuclear charge increases which tends to pull the electrons closer to the nucleus.
Down the group : Atomic radius increases
Reason : Number of shells increases on going down the group. 1+1+ 1 ½ + 1 ½
OR
(i) Element E is Silicon. It will form covalent bond only as it has four electrons in its outermost orbit and need
only four more electrons to become stable.
(ii) Non-metal with valency 2 is B, which is oxygen.
(iii) Element D is a metal with valency 2. Element D is Magnesium. Due to its low electro negativity, it has a
higher tendency to donate electrons.
(iv) Element F has the largest atomic size. Element F is argon. Argon occupies 3 energy shells compared to
elements H and C, which occupies one and two energy shells. Due to this, the atomic radius of argon is the
largest.
(v) Elements H, C and F belong to Group number 18, which means according to their electronic configuration,
their octet is complete and thus these elements are stable. They have very low tendency to react with other
elements. Group 18 elements belong to noble gas family. 1+1+1+1+1
27. Photosynthesis takes place in the grana and stroma of the chloroplast (Plastid) in green parts of plants.
The raw materials required for this process are carbon dioxide and water in the presence of sunlight and
chlorophyll.
Carbon dioxide enters the leaves through stomata and cells of the roots absorb water from the soil.
Balanced equation for photosynthesis :
Chlorophyll
6CO2 + 6H2O  Sunlight
→ C6H12O6 + 6O2

The by-products in this process is the evolution of oxygen gas. 1+1+1+1+1

OR
(a) Terrestrial organism can obtain oxygen directly from the air and have slow breathing rate but; aquatic

organisms have to obtain oxygen for respiration which is dissolved in water. Since, the amount of oxygen
dissolved in water is fairly low as compared to the amount of oxygen in air; the rate of breathing in aquatic
organisms is much faster
(b) Diagram of human respiratory System :

Trachea
Pharynx

Lungs

Alveolar sac

Diaphragm

2+3
Commonly Made Error
Students often draw incorrect diagram. Many of them fail to label the diagram properly.
 6 Oswaal CBSE Chapterwise & Topicwise SCIENCE, Class – 10

Answering Tip
Practice self-explanatory diagrams with proper labelling, arrows and headings.

28. (a) Law of dominance of traits : It states that “When parents having pure contrasting characters are crossed
then only one character expresses itself in F1 generation. This character is the dominant character and the
character which cannot express itself is called recessive character”.
Let us take an example of tall and dwarf in pea plant. When pure line tall (TT) plants were crossed with pure
line dwarf (tt) plants, offspring were all heterozygous tall (Tt). The appearance of all Tall plants in the F1
generation shows that tallness is the dominant character while dwarfness is the recessive character. The ratio
of Tall to Dwarf in F2 generation is 3 : 1.
(Tall) (Dwarf)
Parental Generation TT × tt

Gametes T t

Tt (Tall)
F1 generation Selfing
Tt × Tt

Gametes T t T t

F2 generation TT Tt Tt tt
(Tall) (Tall) (Tall) (Dwarf)
(b) Characters that a person acquires during one’s life time are known as acquired characters/traits.
Such changes do not occur in the reproductive tissues. Changes in the non-reproductive tissues are not
passed on to the DNA of the germ cells and therefore not inherited by the next generation. 3+2

Commonly Made Error

Students often get confused between phenotype and genotype and between F1 and F2 generation.

Answering Tip
Practice phenotype and genotype with the help of examples.

29. (i) u = –30 cm, f = – 30 cm, v = ? ½

1 1 1
= −
f v u
1 1 1
\ = +
v f u

1 1 1
= +
v ( −30 cm ) ( −30 cm )
−2
= cm
30
v = – 15 cm1
v
m=
u
( -15 cm ) 1
=-
( -30 cm ) 2
(ii) Nature — Virtual ½
Position — 15 cm away from the lens, on the same side as the object ½
Size — Diminished ½
 7
SOLUTIONS

Erect / inverted – Erect½

(iii)
A
A'

B B' 0 F
15 cm 30 cm
30 cm

[CBSE Marking Scheme, 2019] 1

Commonly Made Error

Mostly errors are found in ray diagrams.

Answering Tip
Students should carefully do the calculation. Practice drawing the ray diagram with correct labellings.

OR
(i) The image will be real and inverted, since the magnification has negative value. The lens that can produce

a real and inverted image is a converging/ convex lens.
M
A C

B C1 B’ C 2
2F 1 F1 O F2 2F 2

A’
N
f
u v
In the figure OF1 = OF2 = 6 cm.
(Marks will be deducted if arrows are not shown)
(ii) The girl must have directed the ray of light along the direction of the optical centre of the lens because the

ray of light passes straight through the optical centre of the lens.

O
F1 F2

 [CBSE Marking Scheme, 2020] 3 + 2

Commonly Made Error

Sometimes candidates do not make fully labelled diagram and also arrows are not put on the rays of light.

Answering Tip
Practice drawing ray diagrams.

30. (a) Electromagnet : Magnet formed by producing magnetic field inside a solenoid.
Uses of electromagnet :
(i) Inside TVs, sound speakers and radios.
(ii) Inside a generator to transform mechanical energy to electrical energy.
 8 Oswaal CBSE Chapterwise & Topicwise SCIENCE, Class – 10

(b) Labelled diagram to show how an electromagnet is made :

S N
iron
nail

electromagnetic
field
coiled
wire
wire
Battery +
An electromagnetic field
is formed when a current
passes through the wire.

(c) Soft iron rod increases the magnetism of solenoid by a thousand fold. When the solenoid current is switched

off, the magnetism is effectively switched off since the soft iron core has low retentivity.
(d) Ways to increase the strength of an electromagnet if the material of the electromagnet is fixed are :
(i) By increasing the amount of current flowing in the solenoid
(ii) By increasing the number of turns in the solenoid. 2+2+1

 qqq