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Energy and ecosystems: AQA A‑Level Biology questions

Every AQA A-Level Biology exam question on 3.5.3 Energy and ecosystems, 2016–2025, with its mark scheme and examiner’s report.

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1,383 questions

  1. Q03.1

    June 2025 · Paper 2

    2 marks3.5.3 Energy and ecosystems
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2025 Paper 2, question 03.1: A student determined the dry mass of lettuce leaves. The equipment used was an oven and a weighing balance. Describe how the student could use this equipment to

  2. Q03.2

    June 2025 · Paper 2

    2 marks3.5.3 Energy and ecosystems
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2025 Paper 2, question 03.2: The student then used a calorimeter to determine the chemical energy stored in a sample of lettuce leaves with a dry mass of 1.50 g The 1.50 g sample was fully

  3. Q03.3

    June 2025 · Paper 2

    2 marks3.5.3 Energy and ecosystems
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2025 Paper 2, question 03.3: Biomass can be measured as the dry mass of tissue per given area. Some crop plants are grown in large greenhouses (glasshouses) where optimum growing conditions

  4. Q07.3

    June 2023 · Paper 2

    3 marks3.5.3 Energy and ecosystems
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2023 Paper 2, question 07.3: Give three reasons for the low efficiency of energy transfer from secondary consumers to tertiary consumers in an ecosystem. [3 marks] 1 2 3

  5. Q01.1

    June 2022 · Paper 2

    2 marks3.5.3 Energy and ecosystems
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2022 Paper 2, question 01.1: In the following passage the numbered spaces can be filled with biological terms. During photosynthesis, plants produce (1) compounds which contain carbon, such

  6. Q02.1

    June 2022 · Paper 2

    1 mark3.5.3 Energy and ecosystems
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2022 Paper 2, question 02.1: Put a tick ( ) in the box next to the equation that shows how the net production of consumers, N, can be calculated where I represents the chemical energy store

  7. Q02.2

    June 2022 · Paper 2

    1 mark3.5.3 Energy and ecosystems
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2022 Paper 2, question 02.2: In December 2017, the female breeding herd was 48% of all female cattle in the UK. Use Table 1 to calculate the percentage of all female cattle that were beef c

  8. Q02.3

    June 2022 · Paper 2

    2 marks3.5.3 Energy and ecosystems
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2022 Paper 2, question 02.3: Use Table 1 to calculate the increase in the number of dairy cows in the UK female breeding herd between December 2013 and December 2017. Show your working. [2

  9. Q02.4

    June 2022 · Paper 2

    2 marks3.5.3 Energy and ecosystems
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2022 Paper 2, question 02.4: Farming cattle for humans to eat is less efficient than farming crops because of energy transfer. Explain why. [2 marks]

  10. Q05.4

    June 2022 · Paper 3

    2 marks3.5.3 Energy and ecosystems
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2022 Paper 3, question 05.4: Use the equation and Table 5 to calculate the increase in dry mass produced when using LED lightbulbs. Give your answer in standard form and give the units. [2

  11. Q04.1

    November 2021 · Paper 3

    2 marks3.5.3 Energy and ecosystems
    The whole paper ↗
    November 2021 Paper 3, question 04.1: Use your knowledge of NPP to explain why freshwater marshes have a high CUE and the advantage of this. Do not refer to abiotic factors in your answer. [2 marks]

  12. Q04.3

    November 2021 · Paper 3

    2 marks3.5.3 Energy and ecosystems
    The whole paper ↗
    November 2021 Paper 3, question 04.3: State the assumption the student has made and suggest why this assumption might not be valid. [2 marks]

  13. Q04.4

    November 2021 · Paper 3

    2 marks3.5.3 Energy and ecosystems
    The whole paper ↗
    November 2021 Paper 3, question 04.4: At the end of the investigation, the student noted the freshwater marsh plant had grown 268 mm in height, and now measured 387 mm. She calculated the rate of gr

  14. Q03.1

    November 2020 · Paper 2

    2 marks3.5.3 Energy and ecosystems
    The whole paper ↗
    November 2020 Paper 2, question 03.1: Other than the thermometer, explain how two features of the calorimeter shown in Figure 2 would enable a valid measurement of the total heat energy released. [2

  15. Q03.2

    November 2020 · Paper 2

    2 marks3.5.3 Energy and ecosystems
    The whole paper ↗
    November 2020 Paper 2, question 03.2: A 2 g sample of biomass was fully combusted in a calorimeter. The volume of water in the calorimeter was 100 cm3 The increase in temperature recorded was 15.7 °

  16. Q03.3

    November 2020 · Paper 2

    2 marks3.5.3 Energy and ecosystems
    The whole paper ↗
    November 2020 Paper 2, question 03.3: In natural ecosystems, most of the light falling on producers is not used in photosynthesis. Suggest two reasons why. [2 marks] 1 2

  17. Q07.3

    November 2020 · Paper 2

    2 marks3.5.3 Energy and ecosystems
    The whole paper ↗
    November 2020 Paper 2, question 07.3: The scientist determined the dry mass of the spinach plants. First, he heated each sample at 80 °C for 2 hours. Suggest what the scientist should do to ensure t

  18. Q01.2

    June 2019 · Paper 2

    1 mark3.5.3 Energy and ecosystems
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2019 Paper 2, question 01.2: Use Figure 1 to calculate the percentage of sunlight energy that would be transferred into the faeces and urine of a zebra. Give your answer to 3 significant fi

  19. Q01.3

    June 2019 · Paper 2

    2 marks3.5.3 Energy and ecosystems
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2019 Paper 2, question 01.3: In this ecosystem the net productivity of the vegetation is 24 525 kJ m−2 year−1 Use this information and Figure 1 to calculate the energy stored in new tissues

  20. Q04.4

    June 2018 · Paper 2

    2 marks3.5.3 Energy and ecosystems
    The whole paper ↗
    June 2018 Paper 2, question 04.4: Using evidence from Figure 6, what can you conclude about the net primary productivity (NPP) in the sand dunes that are older than 1000 years? Explain your answ
All 25 questions on Energy and ecosystems, as a list
  1. June 2025, Paper 2, Q03.1 (2 marks): A student determined the dry mass of lettuce leaves. The equipment used was an oven and a weighing balance. Describe how the student could use this equipment to
  2. June 2025, Paper 2, Q03.2 (2 marks): The student then used a calorimeter to determine the chemical energy stored in a sample of lettuce leaves with a dry mass of 1.50 g The 1.50 g sample was fully
  3. June 2025, Paper 2, Q03.3 (2 marks): Biomass can be measured as the dry mass of tissue per given area. Some crop plants are grown in large greenhouses (glasshouses) where optimum growing conditions
  4. June 2023, Paper 2, Q07.3 (3 marks): Give three reasons for the low efficiency of energy transfer from secondary consumers to tertiary consumers in an ecosystem. [3 marks] 1 2 3
  5. June 2022, Paper 2, Q01.1 (2 marks): In the following passage the numbered spaces can be filled with biological terms. During photosynthesis, plants produce (1) compounds which contain carbon, such
  6. June 2022, Paper 2, Q02.1 (1 mark): Put a tick ( ) in the box next to the equation that shows how the net production of consumers, N, can be calculated where I represents the chemical energy store
  7. June 2022, Paper 2, Q02.2 (1 mark): In December 2017, the female breeding herd was 48% of all female cattle in the UK. Use Table 1 to calculate the percentage of all female cattle that were beef c
  8. June 2022, Paper 2, Q02.3 (2 marks): Use Table 1 to calculate the increase in the number of dairy cows in the UK female breeding herd between December 2013 and December 2017. Show your working. [2
  9. June 2022, Paper 2, Q02.4 (2 marks): Farming cattle for humans to eat is less efficient than farming crops because of energy transfer. Explain why. [2 marks]
  10. June 2022, Paper 3, Q05.4 (2 marks): Use the equation and Table 5 to calculate the increase in dry mass produced when using LED lightbulbs. Give your answer in standard form and give the units. [2
  11. November 2021, Paper 3, Q04.1 (2 marks): Use your knowledge of NPP to explain why freshwater marshes have a high CUE and the advantage of this. Do not refer to abiotic factors in your answer. [2 marks]
  12. November 2021, Paper 3, Q04.3 (2 marks): State the assumption the student has made and suggest why this assumption might not be valid. [2 marks]
  13. November 2021, Paper 3, Q04.4 (2 marks): At the end of the investigation, the student noted the freshwater marsh plant had grown 268 mm in height, and now measured 387 mm. She calculated the rate of gr
  14. November 2020, Paper 2, Q03.1 (2 marks): Other than the thermometer, explain how two features of the calorimeter shown in Figure 2 would enable a valid measurement of the total heat energy released. [2
  15. November 2020, Paper 2, Q03.2 (2 marks): A 2 g sample of biomass was fully combusted in a calorimeter. The volume of water in the calorimeter was 100 cm3 The increase in temperature recorded was 15.7 °
  16. November 2020, Paper 2, Q03.3 (2 marks): In natural ecosystems, most of the light falling on producers is not used in photosynthesis. Suggest two reasons why. [2 marks] 1 2
  17. November 2020, Paper 2, Q07.3 (2 marks): The scientist determined the dry mass of the spinach plants. First, he heated each sample at 80 °C for 2 hours. Suggest what the scientist should do to ensure t
  18. June 2019, Paper 2, Q01.2 (1 mark): Use Figure 1 to calculate the percentage of sunlight energy that would be transferred into the faeces and urine of a zebra. Give your answer to 3 significant fi
  19. June 2019, Paper 2, Q01.3 (2 marks): In this ecosystem the net productivity of the vegetation is 24 525 kJ m−2 year−1 Use this information and Figure 1 to calculate the energy stored in new tissues
  20. June 2018, Paper 2, Q04.4 (2 marks): Using evidence from Figure 6, what can you conclude about the net primary productivity (NPP) in the sand dunes that are older than 1000 years? Explain your answ
  21. June 2017, Paper 2, Q05.3 (2 marks): Scientists investigated the effects of different AMF species on the productivity of the plant community of a prairie grassland ecosystem when growing in/on soil
  22. June 2017, Paper 2, Q05.4 (4 marks): Using the data from Figure 5, evaluate the effect on plant productivity of adding AMF species and adding phosphate to the soil. [4 marks]
  23. June 2017, Paper 2, Q05.5 (2 marks): Using the ex button on your calculator, determine the rate of shoot biomass production in grams per day for the control plot in soil with normal phosphate conce
  24. Specimen, Paper 3, Q05.4 (2 marks): This source has been removed due to third-party copyright restrictions.
  25. Specimen, Paper 3, Q05.6 (2 marks): The scientists determined the dry mass of the roots and shoots separately. The reason for this was they were interested in the ratio of shoot to root growth of

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