Plant nutrition: past paper questions
Real questions on plant nutrition
The newest 20 of 157 written questions, plus 88 multiple-choice. Open one to see it on the real paper.
- 5090/21 · October/November 2025 · Q4a[5]
Complete these sentences about chlorophyll by writing suitable words in the gaps. A chlorophyll molecule contains carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and an atom of . The type of leaf cells that contain the most chlorophyll are the cells. Chlorophyll molecules trap sunlight energy and this is used by plants to produce g...
See it on the paper → - 5090/21 · October/November 2025 · Q4b[4]
Mistletoe is a parasitic green plant that can often be seen growing attached to trees. Fig. 4.1 shows some mistletoe growing on the branch of a tree. Fig. 4.1 Most plants have about 1 mg of chlorophyll in 100 g of their leaves. Mistletoe, however, has about 0.4 mg of chlorophyll in 100 g of its leaves. Mistletoe seeds...
See it on the paper → - 5090/21 · October/November 2025 · Q6c[4]
Fig. 6.1 gives some information about alcohol production and deforestation in Brazil from 2012 to 2016. alcohol production / billions of dm 3 30 30 25 25 20 20 15 15 10 10 5 5 0 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 deforestation / thousands of km 2 0 year Fig. 6.1 Suggest an explanation for the changes shown in Fig. 6.1 and descri...
See it on the paper → - 5090/22 · October/November 2025 · Q2b(i)[1]
Plants lose water by evaporation from their leaves. State the name of this process.
See it on the paper → - 5090/22 · October/November 2025 · Q2b(ii)[2]
Explain the shape of the curve for water loss from the plant over the 21 hours of the experiment.
See it on the paper → - 5090/22 · October/November 2025 · Q2b(iii)[3]
Explain why the shape of the curve for water loss is very similar to the shape of the curve for water uptake.
See it on the paper → - 5090/22 · October/November 2025 · Q2b(iv)[1]
The scientist repeated the experiment. All conditions were kept the same except the temperature of the laboratory, which was 10 °C lower. On Fig. 2.2, draw a new curve to show the expected results for water loss at the lower temperature.
See it on the paper → - 5090/22 · October/November 2025 · Q3b[3]
Farmers grow Azolla in rice fields to increase the rice yield. Suggest why the rice yield increases.
See it on the paper → - 5090/22 · October/November 2025 · Q3c(i)[4]
Describe how Azolla removes carbon from the atmosphere.
See it on the paper → - 5090/21 · May/June 2025 · Q5b(i)[2]
Complete the balanced symbol equation for photosynthesis.
See it on the paper → - 5090/21 · May/June 2025 · Q5b(ii)[2]
The scientists estimate that the seaweed will double in biomass every 10 days. If they start with 2 tonnes of seaweed, calculate the biomass expected after 40 days of growth. Space for working. biomass = tonnes
See it on the paper → - 5090/21 · May/June 2025 · Q5c(i)[2]
Nitrates are one of the minerals that will be supplied to the seaweed. Explain the importance of nitrates to plants. As the seaweed grows, the scientists plan to send bundles of it to the bottom of the ocean. The seaweed in the bundles dies on the ocean floor. Fig. 5.1 shows the process. CO 2 seaweed absorbs CO 2 from...
See it on the paper → - 5090/22 · May/June 2025 · Q7a[6]
Explain how the structure of a leaf is adapted for photosynthesis.
See it on the paper → - 5090/22 · October/November 2024 · Q6a(i)[3]
Use the data in Table 6.1 to calculate the increase in milk production by 250 cows between the years 1970 and 2010. Express your answer in standard form. Space for working. kg per year Between the years 1970 and 2010, a farmer in the USA always had 250 cows producing milk on his farm. (i)
See it on the paper → - 5090/21 · May/June 2024 · Q4a(i)[4]
Explain how the changes in the plant, shown in Fig. 4.1, will help it to start growing again after rainfall.
See it on the paper → - 5090/21 · May/June 2024 · Q5b(iii)[2]
Calculate the percentage increase in biomass for graph E in the first 6 hours. Space for working. percentage increase in biomass = %
See it on the paper → - 5090/21 · May/June 2024 · Q5b(iv)[2]
Describe two differences between graph E and graph F.
See it on the paper → - 5090/21 · May/June 2024 · Q5b(v)[1]
Suggest one environmental condition which could have caused the differences between graph E and graph F.
See it on the paper → - 5090/22 · May/June 2024 · Q1a[4]
Complete Table 1.1 to identify the structures labelled A and B and to describe the function of each structure. Table 1.1 structure name of structure description of function A B
See it on the paper → - 5090/22 · May/June 2024 · Q6a(i)[2]
To prepare the fertiliser solution, the gardener dissolved 20 g of the fertiliser powder in 10 dm 3 of water. Calculate the total mass of sulfur in the fertiliser solution prepared by the gardener. Space for working.
See it on the paper →
What examiners said
Most candidates scored at least one mark here, often for identifying B as a fruit. However, many received both marks.
— Examiner report, October/November 2023, 5090/21 Q2(a)(i) (Cambridge)
The two graphs provided showed how oxygen solubility changes as pH and temperature are changed. Candidates needed to link the data supplied in the graphs with the written information to answer this first part of the question. It was important for candidates to appreciate that in conditions where the pH of the water was low and the temperature was high that the fish would have low oxygen and this w...
— Examiner report, October/November 2023, 5090/22 Q4(a)(i) (Cambridge)
Candidates found this second part of the question more difficult. They were asked about the advantage of these fish having an organ that enabled them to gain oxygen from the air instead of water. Candidates were most likely to gain a mark for outlining that this would be useful when oxygen was difficult to obtain from the water. Those scoring highest went on to explain that this organ allowed more...
— Examiner report, October/November 2023, 5090/22 Q4(a)(ii) (Cambridge)
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