VCAA Sample Exam (2017) Solutions

[vox nihili]

Agreed that you would probably be rewarded either way, as long as you justified it. Said this previously on AN somewhere.

Edrolo’s reasoning is wrong. Their argument for averaging is that you combine data sets. Each data set is inherently prone to error; therefore, each one gives a fairly inaccurate view of what’s going on, on its own. However, what EdRolo have failed to recognise in presenting the raw data is that you don’t consider an individual data set. You consider multiple data sets together. By taking the average you hide important information, namely that 3/4 showed the change we expected, whereas 1 appears to have been subject to an experimental error.

The average leads us to the wrong conclusion. The raw data do not.
This is always the case. The average is only a narrow snapshot of raw data. The raw data will ALWAYS be more instructive. For someone looking at the raw data, if they want to know the average they can calculate it themselves. You can’t derive the raw data from an average though.

[LifeisaConstantStruggle]

here are the solutions for MCQs.

[LifeisaConstantStruggle]

Here are the solutions for the short answer section. I've only included the initials of my teacher (and surname) as she does not want to be explicitly named.

[parharjasmine]

Hello,

I don't seem to understand why the answer to 1)c is CO2 consumption? Isn't CO2 in fact released?

Thank you

[LifeisaConstantStruggle]

Hello,

I don't seem to understand why the answer to 1)c is CO2 consumption? Isn't CO2 in fact released?

Thank you

Ah yes I have noticed this in the sample exam solutions as well. But I have changed it to CO2 levels instead of consumption in the solutions I have edited. So yeah sorry for not stating it here.

Also, it's better to talk about any "change" in the level of substance we want to talk about because, we wouldn't know if the CO2 level has increased or decreased without any prior knowledge to the experiment.

[vox nihili]

Hello,

I don't seem to understand why the answer to 1)c is CO2 consumption? Isn't CO2 in fact released?

Thank you

I’ll change it when I get onto a computer, thank you

During my holidays I’ll probably try to clean up these sample answers. As I’ve mentioned, I only had about 20 minutes to do them so there are silly errors like that  

[Kateblain]

Hi, just wanted to ask about question 6b: why is the mRNA strand complementary to the DNA strand? Shouldn't it be the same (with U replacing T)?

[LifeisaConstantStruggle]

As you can see in the question, the table above is a codon table, and codons are complementary to the DNA template strand shown in the question.
They did not word this well enough tbh, could've specified the type of DNA strand shown (template or coding).

[PhoenixxFire]

Hi, just wanted to ask about question 6b: why is the mRNA strand complementary to the DNA strand? Shouldn't it be the same (with U replacing T)?

Not sure but the way you've worded this makes it sound like you think the mRNA strand is a copy of the template strand which is not the case. During transcription RNA polymerase builds a strand complementary to the template strand.

[neenah]

Hey can I just ask why in MCQ 14 A is more correct than D?

[vox nihili]

Hey can I just ask why in MCQ 14 A is more correct than D?

D is incorrect because photosynthesis starts when there's any light at all (x-axis). The y-axis just tells you about NET energy production. Below 0, the production is in the negative because the plant cells are using more energy in respiration than they're producing in photosynthesis. They are still producing energy by photosynthesis though even when it's in the negative!

[zenith101]

hey there,

for question 1 c i) should the answer be production of CO2, rather than consumption?. If not, why so, i'm a bit lost.

Also for q1 c)ii) would writing 'increasing temperature to allow optimal enzyme activity' be an acceptable answer?

Thanks

[vox nihili]

hey there,

for question 1 c i) should the answer be production of CO2, rather than consumption?. If not, why so, i'm a bit lost.

Also for q1 c)ii) would writing 'increasing temperature to allow optimal enzyme activity' be an acceptable answer?

Thanks

We addressed this a few posts above. Sorry about the confusion.

Yes. Although I wouldn't assume that an increase is needed to reach optimal temperature; it could be a decrease. Changing the temperature would suffice

[banksduyvu]

Why does cell burst causes inflammation?

[vox nihili]

Why does cell burst causes inflammation?

Cells of the immune system, which drive inflammation, respond to bits of dead cell. When cells burst, dead bits of cell go flying everywhere triggering inflammation.