Appearance
Science inquiry — Short response
Conceptual Understanding
Explain core models, definitions and relationships before using them in context.
Explain the difference between an independent variable, a dependent variable and a controlled variable in a fair test.
2 marks
Answer in your own words, then submit for AI marking.
In two short sentences, explain why repeat trials and larger samples can make experimental results more reliable.
2 marks
Answer in your own words, then submit for AI marking.
Contrast accuracy and precision in measurement. Include an example of a result that is precise but not accurate.
2 marks
Answer in your own words, then submit for AI marking.
Explain why a correlation between two variables does not automatically prove that one variable caused the other.
2 marks
Answer in your own words, then submit for AI marking.
Applied Reasoning
Use the same ideas to reason through scenarios, evidence, claims or investigations.
A student wants to investigate: “Does music help plants grow?” Rewrite this as one clear, investigable question for a school practical. In the same answer, state what you would change between groups and what you would measure, with units or a clear scale.
2 marks
Answer in your own words, then submit for AI marking.
A study compares a “focus drink” to water for quiz scores. The drink group sits a test after school in a quiet lab; the water group sits the same test the next morning in a busy corridor. Identify the main fairness problem with this comparison. Suggest one change that would make the comparison more defensible.
2 marks
Answer in your own words, then submit for AI marking.
In a class experiment, Group 1 always used Lamp A and Soil mix X. Group 2 always used Lamp B and Soil mix Y. After two weeks, Group 2’s plants were taller on average. Explain why this result does not show that Lamp B caused the extra growth. Then describe one change to the plan that would better isolate the effect of the lamp.
3 marks
Answer in your own words, then submit for AI marking.
You use a table of results copied from a general news website for a project on stream health. List three different things you should do so your use of this secondary data is ethical and your argument stays scientifically defensible.
3 marks
Answer in your own words, then submit for AI marking.
After a timetable change, vending-machine snack sales and average quiz scores both rise in the same term. Explain why higher snack sales do not by themselves show that snacks caused better scores. Name one other factor that could help explain both trends.
2 marks
Answer in your own words, then submit for AI marking.
A digital thermometer gives very similar readings on repeat tests of the same water bath, but every reading is about 0.5 °C higher than a calibrated reference thermometer. Is the main problem closer to poor precision or poor accuracy? Give one practical step to address it.
2 marks
Answer in your own words, then submit for AI marking.
Your team plans field measurements near a registered heritage place. Name two distinct things you should build into the plan besides the science question — for example permissions, safety, or respect for the site and community.
2 marks
Answer in your own words, then submit for AI marking.
You plot plant height against days since planting and the points scatter around a rising trend. One point sits far below the rest. Describe two better practices than joining every dot with straight segments and treating the graph as a perfect zig-zag path. Explain how you would handle the isolated low point before you summarise the trend.
3 marks
Answer in your own words, then submit for AI marking.