BREAKING
Student sits three sciences, gets two grades, wants a recountโ˜…Cover teacher explains biology using only physics equationsโ˜…Nation in shock as student wears goggles on actual eyesโ˜…
  1. Home
  2. GCSE
  3. Combined Science
  4. Edexcel
  5. Limiting factors in photosynthesis

Edexcel GCSE Combined Science

Topic questions Plant biology Limiting factors in photosynthesis

Limiting factors in photosynthesis

8 questions · 82 marks · about 1.5 hours

Limiting factors in photosynthesis questions

Edexcel 1SC0 Limiting factors in photosynthesis 8 questions

Paper 2: Biology 2 June 2025 Foundation tier, Question 2 8 marks

Plants produce glucose by photosynthesis.

(a)

Complete the word equation for photosynthesis shown in Figure 2.

Question 2, shown as an image

Figure 2

[2]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 2(a)
(b)
(b)(i)

State why photosynthesis does not occur in the roots of plants.

[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 2(b)(i)
(b)(ii)

Which is transported in the phloem?

Question 2, shown as an image
[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 2(b)(ii)
(c)

Chlorophyll is found in green leaf cells.

Describe the role of chlorophyll in leaf cells.

[2]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 2(c)
(d)

A greenhouse contained an oil burning heater.

State two ways this could increase the rate of photosynthesis in the greenhouse.

[2]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 2(d)

Paper 2: Biology 2 June 2024 Foundation tier, Question 2 8 marks

Plants need light for photosynthesis.

(a)

Part of the photosynthesis equation is shown below.

reactant A + water fraction glucose + product B

Which row in the table shows reactant A and product B?

Figure for question 2
[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 2(a)
(b)

Name the green chemical in chloroplasts that absorbs light.

[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 2(b)
(c)
(c)(i)

Plan an experiment to investigate if plants grow faster when they receive more light. Use the equipment shown in Figure 3.

Figure for question 2
[3]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 2(c)(i)
(c)(ii)

State one factor that you would keep the same in this experiment.

[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 2(c)(ii)
(c)(iii)

A plant was kept at a very high temperature of 60maths symbolC.

Explain the effect of this temperature on photosynthesis.

[2]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 2(c)(iii)

Paper 2: Biology 2 June 2023 Higher tier, Question 3 11 marks

A student investigated the effect of light intensity on the photosynthesis of pondweed.

A light source was placed at different distances from the pondweed.

The bubbles produced were counted for 2 minutes.

Figure 5 shows the apparatus that was used.

Figure for question 3
(a)
(a)(i)

State why the student included a water bath in the apparatus.

[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 3(a)(i)
(a)(ii)

State two variables that should be controlled when completing this investigation.

[2]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 3(a)(ii)
(b)

Figure 6 shows the results of this investigation.

Figure for question 3
(b)(i)

The light intensity was calculated using the inverse square law for photosynthesis.

Calculate the light intensity at a distance of 25 cm from the lamp.

Include the equation for the inverse square law in your answer.

........ arbitrary units

[3]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 3(b)(i)
(b)(ii)

Explain how the student could improve this investigation to get a more accurate measurement of the gas produced.

[2]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 3(b)(ii)
(c)

Devise a plan to show that temperature is a limiting factor in photosynthesis.

Use the apparatus shown in Figure 5.

[3]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 3(c)

Paper 2: Biology 2 June 2022 Foundation tier, Question 4 11 marks

(a)

Figure 6 shows a method of investigating the rate of photosynthesis in a water plant.

Figure for question 4
(a)(i)

What are the products of photosynthesis?

Question 4, shown as an image
[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 4(a)(i)
(a)(ii)

The rate of photosynthesis can be measured by counting the number of bubbles of gas produced in one minute.

Figure 7 shows some results from this investigation in different light intensities.

Light intensity was changed by moving the lamp towards or away from the water plant.

Figure for question 4

Describe the effect of light intensity on the rate of photosynthesis. Use information from Figure 7 to help you.

[2]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 4(a)(ii)
(a)(iii)

The bubbles are different sizes and can be difficult to count.

Describe how the quality of the results from this investigation could be improved.

[2]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 4(a)(iii)
(a)(iv)

Describe how this investigation could be changed to find the effect of temperature on the rate of photosynthesis.

[3]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 4(a)(iv)
(b)

Increased nitrates can cause eutrophication in lakes.

Explain how eutrophication will affect the fish living in the lakes.

[3]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 4(b)

Paper 2: Biology 2 November 2021 Foundation tier, Question 5 11 marks

Figure 9 shows an area of woodland with some small plants growing in the ground between the trees.

Figure for question 5

(Source: ยฉ Maksym Holovinov/Shutterstock)

Figure 9

(a)

The leaves of the small plants are green.

Describe how these plants make glucose.

[2]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 5(a)
(b)

Name a group of organisms that break down the dead leaves and release mineral ions into the soil.

[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 5(b)
(c)

The mineral ions are absorbed from the soil into the roots of plants.

Describe how these mineral ions are transported from the roots to the leaves of the plants.

[2]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 5(c)
(d)

A scientist recorded the mean light intensity and the mean number of small plants per m2 for six 25 m2 areas of the woodland.

Figure 10 shows the results.

Figure for question 5
(d)(i)

Explain the effect of light intensity on the number of small plants per m2.

[2]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 5(d)(i)
(d)(ii)

State one variable the scientist should have controlled to make sure the light intensity measurements could be compared.

[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 5(d)(ii)
(e)

The scientist selects an area near the edge of the woodland where many stinging nettles are growing.

This area is partly shaded by the trees.

Describe how the scientist should use a belt transect to investigate how light intensity affects the growth of stinging nettles.

[3]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 5(e)

Paper 2: Biology 2 November 2020 Foundation tier, Question 6 13 marks

A slide of potato cells was viewed using a light microscope.

Figure 12 is a drawing of the slide showing starch grains in the potato cells.

Figure for question 6
(a)(i)

Calculate the mean number of starch grains in potato cells P, Q and R.

........ starch grains

[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 6(a)(i)
(a)(ii)

Which structures are found in plant cells but are not found in animal cells?

Question 6, shown as an image
[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 6(a)(ii)
(b)

A scientist investigated how the length of starch grains in potatoes changed when the potatoes were stored in the dark.

Figure 13 shows a potato after being stored in the dark.

Figure for question 6

Three potatoes were used in the investigation.

The length of starch grains in potato 1 were measured at the start.

The length of starch grains were measured in potato 2 after 5 weeks in the dark.

The length of starch grains were measured in potato 3 after 10 weeks in the dark.

Figure 14 shows the results.

Figure for question 6
(b)(i)

Calculate the percentage difference in the mean length of starch grains in potato 2 at 5 weeks and in potato 3 at 10 weeks.

........ %

[2]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 6(b)(i)
(b)(ii)

State two variables the scientist should have controlled to improve this investigation.

[2]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 6(b)(ii)
(b)(iii)

The starch grains in the potatoes became smaller as the starch was converted into glucose.

State why the potatoes need glucose.

[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 6(b)(iii)
(c)

*(c) Figure 15 shows a diagram of some equipment that can be used to investigate the rate of photosynthesis.

Figure for question 6

Devise a plan to investigate the effect of light intensity on the rate of photosynthesis.

Include variables you would need to control.

[6]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 6(c)

Paper 2: Biology 2 June 2018 Foundation tier, Question 3 9 marks

(a) Plants use nitrate ions to make proteins and chlorophyll.

(a)
(a)(i)

What effects will a low nitrate ion concentration in soils have on plants?

Question 3, shown as an image
[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 3(a)(i)
(a)(ii)

Which organisms convert nitrogen to nitrate ions during the nitrogen cycle?

Question 3, shown as an image
[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 3(a)(ii)
(b)

Figure 5 shows part of a root as seen using a light microscope.

Figure for question 3

Figure 6 shows information about the two types of cell labelled in Figure 5.

Figure for question 3
(b)(i)

Calculate the surface area to volume ratio of the root hair cell.

[2]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 3(b)(i)
(b)(ii)

Explain the benefit to the plant of having root hair cells.

[2]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 3(b)(ii)
(c)

Algae are green plants.

Figure 7 shows the number of algae in a lake in the United Kingdom during one year.

Figure for question 3

Explain the changes in the number of algae in the lake from February to June.

[3]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 3(c)

Paper 2: Biology 2 June 2018 Higher tier, Question 5 11 marks

(a) Figure 9 shows the effect of light intensity and temperature on the rate of photosynthesis.

Figure for question 5
(a)
(a)(i)

Describe the effect of light intensity on the rate of photosynthesis.

[2]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 5(a)(i)
(a)(ii)

Explain the effect of temperature on the rate of photosynthesis.

[2]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 5(a)(ii)
(b)

A student measured the rate of photosynthesis using algal balls in a laboratory. The tube of algal balls was kept at a temperature of 25 ยฐC and was moved to different distances from a light source.

The results of this investigation showed that the rate of photosynthesis is

Question 5, shown as an image
[1]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 5(b)
(c)

*(c) Explain how substances are moved through a plant by transpiration and translocation.

[6]
Reveal mark scheme Mark scheme for question 5(c)

Report a problem with a question on this page
What is wrong?

Goes to whoever maintains the question split. No account needed and nothing is published on this page.

Memes

Certified Combined Science memes. Peer-reviewed by nobody.

Laugh now. Cry in the exam hall later. Then come back and do a past paper.

Revise all three sciences
Just revise the fun one
Me the night before the chemistry paper
Knowing it's three sciences
Knowing which teacher does which
Remembering which equations are given
Remembering which science you're actually sitting today
Science enlightenment, combined

Mum ๐Ÿ’–

which science is it today? ๐Ÿฅฐ

all of them somehow

go on genius!!! ๐Ÿ’ช

๐Ÿ“ฑ Screen time this week ยท YouTube6h 21m

None of them were revised

Combined Science starter pack

Goggles worn on foreheadBunsen on the yellow flamePractical write-up, half doneThis website
Three sciences, four items