Q.1.
(20 Marks)
(a) Physics — Refraction of Light
(i) Explain refraction of light and describe Snell’s Law. (3 marks)
(ii) With the help of a labeled diagram, explain total internal reflection and one of its real-life
applications. (3 marks)
(iii) A ray of light travels from air into water at an angle of incidence of 45°. Given that the
refractive index of water is 1.33, calculate the angle of refraction. (2 marks)
(b) Chemistry — Chemical Properties of Acids and Bases
(i) Describe the chemical reactions of acids with metals and metal carbonates, giving balanced
equations. (4 marks)
(ii) Explain the neutralization reaction with an example and mention its importance in daily life.
(2 marks)
(c) Biology — Transportation and Respiration
(i) Explain the structure and function of xylem and phloem in plants. (2 marks)
(ii) Differentiate between aerobic and anaerobic respiration with equations. (2 marks)
(iii) Describe how oxygen and carbon dioxide are transported in human blood. (2 marks)
Q.1. (20 Marks)
(a) Physics — Refraction of Light
(i) Explain refraction of light and describe Snell’s Law. (3 marks)
Answer:
● Refraction is the bending of light when it passes from one medium to another due to a
change in its speed.
● When light travels from a rarer medium (like air) to a denser medium (like glass or
water), it bends towards the normal; when it travels from denser to rarer, it bends away
from the normal.
● Snell’s Law states that the ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence (i) to the sine of the
angle of refraction (r) is constant for a given pair of media. Mathematically:
(ii) With the help of a labeled diagram, explain total internal reflection and one of its
real-life applications. (3 marks)
Answer:
● Total Internal Reflection (TIR) occurs when light travels from a denser medium to a
rarer medium, and the angle of incidence exceeds the critical angle. The light reflects
entirely back into the denser medium instead of refracting out.
● Diagram:
(Draw a ray traveling inside glass or water, striking the surface at an angle greater than
the critical angle, and reflecting back into the medium.)
● Application:
○ Used in optical fibers for transmitting data and in devices like endoscopes for
medical diagnosis.
(iii) A ray of light travels from air into water at an angle of incidence of 45°. Given that the
refractive index of water is 1.33, calculate the angle of refraction. (2 marks)
Answer:
Given:
(b) Chemistry — Chemical Properties of Acids and Bases
(i) Describe the chemical reactions of acids with metals and metal carbonates, giving
balanced equations. (4 marks)
Answer:
● Acids with Metals:
○ Acids react with metals to produce hydrogen gas and a salt.
Example:
● Acids with Metal Carbonates:
○ Acids react with metal carbonates to produce salt, water, and carbon dioxide gas.
Example:
(ii) Explain the neutralization reaction with an example and mention its importance in
daily life. (2 marks)
Answer:
● Neutralization: When an acid reacts with a base to form salt and water.
Example:
● Importance: Used in treating indigestion (antacids neutralize stomach acid) and in
agriculture (lime neutralizes acidic soil).
(c) Biology — Transportation and Respiration
(i) Explain the structure and function of xylem and phloem in plants. (2 marks)
Answer:
● Xylem: Transports water and minerals from roots to leaves. Made of tracheids and
vessels.
● Phloem: Transports food (mainly sucrose) from leaves to other parts of the plant.
Consists of sieve tubes and companion cells.
(ii) Differentiate between aerobic and anaerobic respiration with equations. (2 marks)
Answer:
Feature Aerobic Respiration Anaerobic Respiration
Oxygen Requires O2 No O2 required
Product CO2 + H2O + Energy Alcohol/CO2 + Energy
s
Exampl Human cells Yeast fermentation
e
Equatio C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + Energy C6H12O6 → 2C2H5OH + 2CO2 + Energy
n
(iii) Describe how oxygen and carbon dioxide are transported in human blood. (2 marks)
Answer:
● Oxygen: Mostly transported as oxyhemoglobin (HbO2) in red blood cells.
● Carbon Dioxide: Transported as bicarbonate ions (HCO3−) in plasma, a small amount
as carbaminohemoglobin, and dissolved in plasma.
