10SBS
Bad Science
EXAMINATION
Reading time: 10 minutes
Writing time: 90 minutes
2014
9.00 am
Cotham Road
1) The image on the right shows a cross section of the
human skin. Elastin is a protein that gives the skin
elasticity and strength. It is found in what part of the skin?
a) dermis
b) epidermis
c) germinal layer
d) sebaceous gland
Solution
2) Cosmetics companies claim that collagen is good
for the skin. Most skin products have collagen as
an additive. Which comment below is true?
a) Collagen is not found in the human skin.
b) Collagen can penetrate into the deep layers of the
skin where it replaces the old, damaged collagen.
c) Collagen is too big a molecule to pass through
the skin.
d) Collagen must be carefully prepared in an oil
mixture before it can penetrate the skin.
Solution
3) Advertising has made dandruff socially unacceptable
Which comment below is true regarding dandruff?
a) Dandruff can be harmful if not treated immediately with anti-dandruff
medication.
b) Dandruff is a chronic disease that takes years to cure with strong shampoos.
c) Dandruff consists of highly infectious and decomposing flakes of hair
follicles and dried sweat.
d) Dandruff occurs due to the natural process of skin regeneration.
Solution
4) The intact skin:
a) is the human body’s smallest organ
b) Is the first line of defence against infectious agents,
c) allows protein molecules to pass from the outside into the blood stream
d) allows only nutrients to pass from the outside into the body.
Solution
Inspired by dermatological collagen treatments, L'Oreal has created COLLAGEN
FILLER: THE FIRST WRINKLE REDUCER WITH COLLAGEN BIO-SPHERES
AND BOSWELOX that is applied onto wrinkles to diffuse and fill in the depth and
length of facial lines and wrinkles. COLLAGEN FILLER can be applied on all
wrinkles: forehead wrinkles, wrinkles around the eyes, laugh line wrinkles, brow
furrows and vertical lines around the mouth. With continuous use, consumers
saw improved results:


In 1 week, 38% saw fewer forehead wrinkles and 44% saw fewer lines around
the eyes.
In 3 weeks, 46% saw fewer forehead wrinkles and 54% saw fewer lines
around the eyes.
5) The advert above appeared in a magazine. What must consumers be cautious
of?
a) Collagen is an essential part of the healthy human skin.
b) No information was given as to how many participated in the trial.
c) Collagen is actually part of the cream “Collagen Filler”
d) This cream can actually fill skin surface wrinkles.
6) Many Australians find a suntanned body very appealing and a sign of good
health. However, sun tanning exposes the body to harmful U.V, radiation.
Which one comment below is false?
a) U.V. radiation can damage melanocytes, found in the skin, to cause cancer.
b) Collagen and elastin are proteins of the skin damaged by U.V. radiation.
c) Melanocytes absorb U.V. radiation and protect deeper cells from damage.
d) U.V. radiation causes sweat glands to become over active.
Solution
7) Some hair lotions claim to contain keratin for stronger hair. Why is this a
ridiculous claim?
a) Keratin alone cannot be absorbed into the hair fibre and needs to have
collagen present.
b) Keratin is absorbed slowly into the hair fibre and so acts very slowly to
strengthen the hair fibre.
c) Hair is not composed of keratin.
d) Hair is composed of dead cells that cannot absorb or use keratin that is
applied to the surface of the hair.
Solution
8) Some journalists say that carbon dioxide is not a pollutant but is necessary for
plants in order to produce oxygen through photosynthesis. Which comment is
NOT true?
a) Carbon dioxide is toxic in high concentrations.
b) Carbon dioxide is a major Green House gas.
c) Carbon dioxide is produced only when we burn coal.
d) The oceans can dissolve a great deal of carbon dioxide that is present in the
atmosphere.
Solution
9) Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. It acts by:
a) creating its own heat in the atmosphere;
b) destroying ozone in the atmosphere;
c) absorbing infrared radiation;
d) absorbing and emitting UV radiation from the Sun.
Solution
10) According to the World Bank, in 2010 which country was the highest emitter of
carbon dioxide per head of population?
a) India
b) China
c) USA
d) Australia
11) Lifestyle is an important factor in climate change. Consumption of hamburgers
in countries such as America and Australia increases the impact on climate
change by:
a) causing a greater amount of heat to be emitted during the cooking process;
b) increasing the amount of car emission as people use fast food outlets more
often;
c) grazing more cattle which breath out carbon dioxide and pollute the air;
d) clearing forests to increase land for grazing.
Solution
12) The carbon cycle is shown on the right. Which comment is true?
a) Photosynthesis acts to increase the amount of
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
b) Respiration by organisms is a major contributor
to the increase of CO2 in the atmosphere
c) A great deal of carbon is trapped in the form of
plant matter.
d) Industry contributes very little to the CO2 emissions.
Solution
13) The oceans contain a great deal of dissolved CO2. What
happens as the oceans increase in temperature by 1oC?
a) Carbon dioxide dissolves more readily in the oceans.
b) Carbon dioxide escapes from the oceans.
c) The colour of the water changes to green.
d) The oceans cannot sustain life as they become too
acidic.
Solution
14) Coal is used to generate electricity in Gippsland. What is the role coal plays in
power generation?
a) Coal is directly converted to electricity in generators.
b) Coal is used to store electricity as it is an excellent insulator.
c) Coal is used to heat water into super, hot steam.
d) Coal is first turned into a liquid before been converted into electrical energy.
Solution
15) Which source of power is the biggest threat to global warming?
a) Gas fired power stations
b) Nuclear power stations
c) Hydro-electric power stations
d) Geo-thermal power stations
Solution
16) Why is gas considered a cleaner source of energy than brown coal?
a) Gas does not produce carbon dioxide when it is burnt whereas brown coal
does.
b) Gas is lighter than brown coal so it is easily transported.
c) Brown coal must be dried before it is burnt so more greenhouse gases are
produced compared to gas which can be directly burnt.
d) Unlike gas, brown coal needs to be turned into gas before been burnt and
this increases CO2 emission .
Solution
17) No other event has an equal in the birth of myths and legends as the event
that took place on August 1986 at Lake Nyos. A huge cloud of carbon dioxide
erupted from the lake at 9.30 pm. Over 1,700 people perished from carbon
dioxide poisoning. Which properties of carbon dioxide
contributed to the death of so many people?
a) CO2 is denser than air and does not support combustion
b) CO2 is colourless and moves slowly in air
c) CO2 cannot be transported in the blood
d) CO2 does not dissolve in water and is colourless.
Solution
18) Lake Nyos was able to hold an incredible one billion cubic metres of CO2 deep
in the cold, bottom layers of the lake. Carbon dioxide dissolves best in water
under what conditions?
a) Low pressure and high temperatures
b) Low pressure and low temperatures
c) High pressure and high temperatures
High pressure and low temperatures
Solution
19) A total eclipse of the moon happened in Melbourne on
Wednesday, August 29th 2007. When the moon finally
emerged from the eclipse it was deep red in colour.
Without science this event could have been interpreted as a
sign from the Gods.
Which is the best explanation for this mysterious lunar
event?
a) Light travels in a straight line in space and is mostly
made up of red light.
b) Light is reflected back into space as it enters the Earth’s
atmosphere.
c) When the Sun’s light hits the surface of the moon it appears red
d) Blue light is scattered more than any other colour as light passes through the
Earth’s atmosphere
Solution
20) Some shampoos claim that they contain collagen. A study was conducted to
test the claim that a particular shampoo increases the strength of hair if washed
once every day for 30 minutes. Which comment below is true about the
dependent and independent variables for this investigation?
a) The independent variable is the shampoo and the dependent variable is the
force at which each hair fibre breaks.
b) The independent variable is the type of hair and the dependent variable is
the force at which each hair fibre breaks.
c) The independent variable is the shampoo and the dependent variable is the
type of hair fibres used.
d) The independent variable is the amount of shampoo and the dependent
variable is the time that each hair fibre is washed for.
Solution
21) Stem cells are heralded as the cure for many diseases. In what way do stem
cells differ from normal muscle cells?
a) Stem cells have all the DNA material present while muscle cells have only
muscle DNA.
b) Stem cells are bigger than muscle cells.
c) Stem cells have all the DNA material of a muscle cell but all the genes in a
stem cell are functional where as a great number of genes are inactive in a
muscle cell.
d) When muscle cells can divide into more than two cells but stem cells can
divide only into two cells.
Solution
22) Some nutritionists claim it is possible with a diet rich
in enzymes from "live" raw food - fruit, vegetables, seeds,
nuts, and especially live sprouts, to cure digestive problems.
This is laughable because
a) enzymes from plants would be digested, in the human
digestive tract, like any other protein;
b) enzymes from plants would be too strong for the human
digestive system;
c) plant enzymes cannot work in humans only human enzymes can work in
plants;
d) enzymes do not take part in the process of digestion in humans.
Solution
23) Enzymes are best described as biological catalysts. This means they:
a) devour all the food in the stomach;
b) accelerate different chemical reactions in the body;
c) can work in all temperatures and pH conditions;
d) can be used only by detergents to remove oil stains caused by food.
Solution
24) Alcohol is embraced by many cultures as a social party drug. Which one of the
following is not associated with excessive alcohol consumption?
a) Cancer of the mouth
b) Liver failure
c) Memory loss
d) Tooth decay
Solution
25) Genetically modified food is created through the artificial
manipulation of the genome of certain plants. This allows
plants to :
a) acquire different animal like characteristics;
b) acquire other plant like characteristics such as drought
resistance;
c) be mobile to avoid heat and seek water;
d) become genetic mutants dangerous to Humans.
Solution
26) 98% fat free indicates a very healthy choice in food.
However fat can easily be made in the body from other
sources and consumers should be aware of the
a) amount of salt in the food;
b) amount of protein in the food;
c) colour of the food;
d) amount of sugar in the food.
Solution
27) Listerine is a household name. However, some of the advertisements are very
misleading. Take the one on the right for example. Influenza is a viral infection
and as such:
a) can only be cured by antibiotics;
b) can be cured by extreme heat;
c) cannot be cured by an antiseptic like Listerine;
d) is deadly to humans if not treated quickly by strong
antiseptics.
Solution
28) A viral infection can be treated with specific
medication if diagnosed within the 48 hours of
infection. After this period of time the doctor can:
a) prescribe antibiotics;
b) prescribe antiseptics;
c) do no more than suggest rest and warmth;
d) prescribe a course of treatment with antibodies.
Solution
29) "A number of world-renowned scientists are studying
Penta water and its positive effects. Among the
studies completed are several indicating that Penta
can help improve athletic performance, reduce acid
load inside cells, increase the time cells live in adverse
circumstances, and even reduce chromosomal
mutation rates! Penta can do all these things because
it’s truly different. The individual water molecules in
Penta are arranged into small, stable clusters that
more effectively get into your cells. That’s how Penta
water is able to hydrate your cells more effectively
and help you feel great!"
These are extraordinary claims. Which one comment
below is true with respect to water molecules?
a) Water molecules have extraordinary power when properly bottled.
b) Water molecules when properly stored and bottled have the ability to
reduce acid load on cells and extend their life-span.
c) Water molecules, in the liquid state, move about in clearly defined
clusters with extraordinary healing power.
d) Molecules, in liquid water, move about in random motion constantly
interacting with one another
Solution
30) Bottled water is very popular. It is considered a healthy option than tap
water. However this fad is damaging in many ways. Which option below is
bottled water not a contributing factor?
a) Increasing Green House Gases.
b) An increase in waste plastic and land-fill.
c) Exposure of consumers to dangerous levels of carcinogens.
d) A decrease in rainfall.
Solution
Questions 31 to 34 refer to the following information.
A 50.0 mL sample of vinegar was taken from the bottle and placed in a
250 mL volumetric flask. Water was added to the mark.
A 20.00 mL sample of the solution in the volumetric flask was
taken and titrated against a base solution. It took 18.90 mL of
base to completely react with 20.00 mL of diluted vinegar.
31)
a)
b)
c)
d)
What is the name of the apparatus shown as “A”?
Pipette
Flask
Burette
Volumetric flask
32)
a)
b)
c)
d)
The function of the apparatus labelled “A” is to:
deliver an accurate, variable volume of solution;
deliver a constant volume of solution every time;
dilute the vinegar;
none of the above.
33)
What is the name and function of the glassware shown on
the right?
a) Burette and it is used to dilute the solutions.
b) Pipette and it is used to deliver a known volume of solution
c) Volumetric flask and it is used to dilute solutions.
d) Pipette and it is used to dilute solutions.
34) Another student conducted the investigation and obtained
the following results, in mL: 18.92, 19.25, 18.90 and 18.94
What is the average result that he should use.
a) 18.92 mL;
b) 18.90 mL;
c) 19.08 mL;
d) 18.94
35) What is the name and function of the apparatus
on the right used to measure the volume of water
in a sample of Low Fat Butter?
a) It is a distillation unit and is used to deliver accurate
volumes of a solution.
b) It is a filtration unit used to separate mixtures of
soluble and insoluble substances.
c) It is a distillation unit used to separate a mixture
of liquid substances.
d) It is a centrifuge used to separate a mixture of
substances according to their density.
Solution
36) Ethanol from wine can be separated by a process called distillation. This
process separates the ethanol from the wine according to the:
a) density difference between ethanol and water;
b) mass difference between ethanol and water;
c) colour difference of ethanol and the wine;
d) the boiling point difference of ethanol and water.
Solution
37) Low fat content margarines and butter are marketed
as healthy alternatives that cost more than the high fat
equivalent. Yet the main ingredient is water. You can’t
see the water as the low fat product contains emulsifiers.
Emulsifiers help to:
a) breakdown the fat in the low fat product ;
b) breakdown the water in hydrogen and oxygen so that
you can’t see the water;
c) change the boiling point of water and fat so the water
remains in the gas state inside the fat and therefore
invisible to the consumer;
d) make fats more soluble in water which helps the fat and water to mix
together.
Solution
38) Low fat products have been on the market for many years and since the
mid 1990s have been all the rage. Yet people in industrialised countries
have, on average, gotten fatter. What is the best explanation?
a) The low fat foods have more fat in them and are falsely advertised.
b) People simply eat more low fat food that increases the amount of
calories they eat.
c) A low fat diet causes the body to convert all the sugar in the diet into fat.
d) The water that replaces the fat in the food is very high in calories.
The information below relates to questions 39 and 40
The structures shown below are from left to right, a Human hand, leg of a cat,
the flipper of a whale and the wing of a bat.
39)
a)
b)
c)
d)
These structures are evidence of:
Design of limbs to suit a specific purpose,
genetic engineering,
creationism,
a common ancestor.
Solution
40) These structures are known as:
a) homologous structures because they are non-functioning structures,
b) homologous structures because they have the same basic structure but
not used for the same purpose,
c) vestigial structures because they have the same basic structure but not
used for the same purpose,
d) vestigial structures because they have no functional use, such as the bat
wing cannot be used as a hand.
Solution
41) A question often posed by folks who do not understand evolution is:"If
humans evolved from monkeys, then why are there still monkeys?" Which
of the following options is the best response for this question?
a) Both Humans and apes were created at the same time by a Devine
being.
b) Monkeys evolved only after Humans were created.
c) Monkeys were able to compete with humans equally and therefore
survived.
d) Humans did not evolve from monkeys, but, rather, humans and monkeys
share a common ancestor.
Solution
42)
Which of the following provides evidence for evolution?
i)
Fossil record
ii)
Vestigial structures
iii)
Homologous structures
a)
b)
c)
d)
i) only
ii) and i) only
i) ii) and iii)
ii) and iii) only
Solution
43) Which of the following is NOT a component of the Theory of Evolution
by Natural Selection?
a)
b)
c)
d)
44)
Competition for food
Inheritance of learnt behaviour
Survival and ability to breed
Variation amongst individuals in a population.
Solution
A scientist plotted data collected that
relate speed and number of accidents.
The results are shown on the right
Which comment is true?
a) There is a good correlation between
speed and number of accidents.
b) The dependent variable in this study
was speed.
c) The independent variable is the number
of accidents.
d) None of the above.
Solution
45)
It is important for any experiment to be a fair test. A "fair test" is when:
a) only one variable is changed and all other conditions are kept the same,
b) all participants know the investigation is taking place and there are no
surprises,
c) the variable that is been measured is always kept constant,
d) Both a) and d).
46) A student counts the number of cars travelling along the highway
between 9.00 am and 10 am. She finds that 60% of the cars are red. She
concludes that red paint must be cheaper than all the other paints so car
manufacturers use this paint often. Which comment below is true?
a)
b)
c)
d)
60% of cars are red, is a hypothesis.
Most cars are red is an observation.
Red paint is cheap is a hypothesis.
Both b) and c)
Solution
47)
a)
b)
c)
d)
Which of the following is a renewable energy source.
Biodiesel
Uranium
Coal
Both a) and b)
Solution
48)
a)
b)
c)
d)
What source of power contributes greatly to global warming?
Coal fired power stations
Solar power stations
Nuclear power stations
All of the above
49) Esters are chemicals that are used in the food industry to add flavour or
aroma to foods. They are made from dangerous petrochemicals and most
people argue that these esters also are dangerous because they come from
petrochemicals. Which comment below is true ?
a) In a chemical reaction the properties of the products are totally different
to the chemical properties of the reactants.
b) In a chemical reaction dangerous reactants often yield dangerous
products.
c) Substances that react in a chemical reaction often produce harmless
products such as sugar.
d) Both a) and c) are true.
Solution
50)
A chemical reaction is represented by the chemical equation below.
6CO2(g) + 6H2O(g) => C6H12O6(aq) + 6O2(g)
This chemical equation tells us that:
a) mass is neither lost or gained,
b) that the reactants are less toxic than the products,
c) the reactants are in the gas state while the product are in liquid state,
d) more particles are produced than react.
Solution
Section B
1) a) The Australian Government is implementing a carbon tax on companies. The
Australian steel manufacturers are saying that this will drive steel
manufacturing offshore and the tax will have little influence on the output of
global greenhouse gases. Explain why
3 marks
b) What is the purpose of the carbon tax?
1 mark
c) Why do people think it will make no difference to global warming?
2 marks
e) Using the term isotope in your explanation, suggest how we can tell that
the increase in carbon in the atmosphere is man-made.
2 marks
f) What is the difference between global warming and climate change?
2 marks
g) Europe is claiming a climate victory as its greenhouse gas emissions have
remained at 1999 levels for the last 12 years. However, its consumption of
products whose production is carbon intensive has increased by 47% since
1999. Explain how this can be achieved.
2 marks
h) The graph on the right shows Australia’s
position relative to other countries in tonnes
of CO2 produced per capita. China is well below
Australia at 5 tonnes per capita.
i) Why is China’s output per capita so low?
2 marks
ii) Can Australia morally argue for a reduction in China’s output of CO2?
Explain
2 marks
I)
Below are two graphs showing the trends in global temperature
anomaly. Use the data shown to explain the term “Cherry Picking”
and how climate deniers use this to show cooling trends.
3 marks
2) Low Fat Butter contains less fat per gram of butter than ordinary butter.
a) How is this possible?
1mark
b) What is the role of emulsifiers in Low Fat Butter
1 mark
c) How does an emulsifier work? Draw a diagram. Indicate hydrophobic
and hydrophilic, regions of the molecules.
3 marks
3) A student was eating lollies from a packet when she noticed that they
all tasted the same. She devised a fair test to see if the appearance of an
object influenced the taste. She involved 100 participants of all ages. A
batch of colourless jelly was prepared and separated into 5 equal
batches. Each batch was coloured with an odourless, tasteless food dye.
One batch was coloured red, one yellow, another green, another orange
and the final one left colourless. Participants were told that yellow was
pineapple, green was lime, orange was orange flavour and red was
raspberry. The student separated the 100 participants into 5 groups
according to their age. She than allowed each person in a particular
group to taste one teaspoon of a particular batch and asked if it tasted
like the fruit it was supposed to be. The table below represents the
results.
Colour
Red
Orange
Green
Yellow
Colourless
What does it taste like?
14 raspberry
2 orange
3 pineapple
1 lime
3 raspberry
13 orange
3 pineapple
1 lime
3 raspberry
1 orange
1 pineapple
15 lime
2 raspberry
2 orange
13 pineapple
3 lime
5 raspberry
4 orange
6 pineapple
5 lime
a) Graph the results above on an appropriate set of axis. Clearly label the
graph.
4 marks
b) What is the dependent variable?
1 mark
c) What is the independent variable?
1 mark
d) Is this a fair test? Explain
2 marks
e) What is a possible hypothesis for this investigation?
2 marks
4) a) What is homeopathy?
Solution
3 marks
b) How do homeopaths increase the strength of their formulation?
Solution
2 marks
c) How do Homeopaths prepare the remedy of a particular condition? Give one
example
Solution
1 mark
d) What is a placebo?
Solution
2 marks
e) If Homeopathy is no better than a placebo and the placebo effect has some
therapeutic outcomes why do Doctors of mainstream medicine argue that
Homeopathy should not be on the National Health Benefits Scheme?
Solution
4 marks
5) Out-of-body experiences are often put forward as evidence for the
existence of the soul. However, a region of the brain known as the
temporoparietal junction has been put forward as the part of the brain
that give rise to this phenomenon.
a) How was the connection between the temporoparietal junction and out-ofbody experiences discovered?
Solution
2 marks
b) Under what circumstances are we likely to experience an out-of-body
experience?
Solution
2 marks
There are, generally, 3 types of stem cells that are important. They are:
- embryonic stem cells;
- adult stem cells;
- umbilical cord stem cells.
c) Explain the difference between each type.
Embryonic
Solution
Adult
Solution
Umbilical cord
Solution
6 marks
d) What is meant by the terms multipotent and pluripotent? Give an
example for each.
Solution
4 marks
e) Some people even argue it is unethical NOT to use embryonic stem cells to search
for cures for diseases. Though no-one can guarantee that such research will be
successful, embryonic stem cells offer new hope. As with many problems of ethics, it
comes down to balancing the needs of one party versus another. In this case it is a
matter of weighing the hopes of sick people for a cure against the beliefs of another
e)
group of people.
Comment on who should triumph, beliefs or cures or is there room for both?
5 marks
6) The human hormone vitamin D is found in high levels in some
immunological tissues. A scientist predicted that a deficiency of vitamin
D may play a role in the development of rheumatoid arthritis and hence
treatment with vitamin D tablets may reduce development of the
disease. The scientist decided to test this idea by using a strain of
laboratory mice that normally developed rheumatoid arthritis.
Design an experiment to test the scientist’s prediction. In your answer
you should
• state the hypothesis that you are testing
• outline the experimental procedure that you follow
• describe results that would support your hypothesis
2 marks
7) Genetic engineering of plants and animals has been going on for
decades.
a) What is genetic engineering?
2 marks
b) Opponents argue that it is not a natural process and as such scientists
are interfering with nature to produce potentially catastrophic
organisms. Why is this not correct?
Solution
2 marks
c) What is selective breeding?
1 mark
8) Select one of the two topics shown below and in no more than 300
words construct an argument:
- supporting genetic engineering using Golden Rice, a genetically modified
food source that you have studied in class, as an example of the potential
benefits and risks.
Solution
- banning the use of antibiotics in hand-soap.
Solution
6 marks
9)The following questions relate to vaccination.
a) What is a vaccine?
Solution
1 mark
b) What is the purpose of a vaccine?
Solution
1 mark
c) Define the term “Herd immunity”
Solution
2 marks
d) In January 2015 an outbreak of measles occurred in Disneyland.
Using the term Herd immunity in your explanation explain how
such an outbreak could occur when people in a population opt not
to vaccinate themselves or their children.
Solution
4 marks
End of Examination