plumiPhotosynthesis: Edexcel GCSE Combined Science questions
Every Edexcel GCSE Combined Science exam question on Photosynthesis (specification points 6.1–6.6), 2018–2025, with its mark scheme and examiner’s report.
Paper
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Exam
All years
Calculations
Q2(a)
The whole paper ↗Q2(b)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q2(c)
The whole paper ↗Q2(d)
The whole paper ↗Q2(a)
The whole paper ↗Your answerQ2(b)
The whole paper ↗Q2(c)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q2(c)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q2(c)(iii)
The whole paper ↗Q2(c)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q3(a)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q3(a)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q3(b)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q3(b)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q3(c)
The whole paper ↗Q4(a)(i)
The whole paper ↗Your answerQ4(a)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q4(a)(iii)
The whole paper ↗Q4(a)(iv)
The whole paper ↗Q5(a)
The whole paper ↗
All 30 questions on Photosynthesis, as a list
- June 2025, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q2(a) (2 marks): Complete the word equation for photosynthesis shown in Figure 2. (2) water + glucose + Figure 2
- June 2025, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q2(b)(i) (1 mark): State why photosynthesis does not occur in the roots of plants. (1)
- June 2025, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q2(c) (2 marks): Chlorophyll is found in green leaf cells. Describe the role of chlorophyll in leaf cells. (2)
- June 2025, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q2(d) (2 marks): A greenhouse contained an oil burning heater. State two ways this could increase the rate of photosynthesis in the greenhouse. (2) 1 2
- June 2024, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q2(a) (1 mark): Part of the photosynthesis equation is shown below. reactant A + water glucose + product B Which row in the table shows reactant A and product B? (1) reactant A
- June 2024, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q2(b) (1 mark): Name the green chemical in chloroplasts that absorbs light. (1)
- June 2024, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q2(c)(i) (3 marks): Plan an experiment to investigate if plants grow faster when they receive more light. Use the equipment shown in Figure 3. (3) metre rule lamp plants in pots Fi
- June 2024, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q2(c)(ii) (1 mark): State one factor that you would keep the same in this experiment. (1)
- June 2024, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q2(c)(iii) (2 marks): A plant was kept at a very high temperature of 60 °C. Explain the effect of this temperature on photosynthesis. (2)
- June 2023, Biology Paper 2 Higher, Q2(c)(ii) (2 marks): A scientist placed pondweed into two sealed test tubes containing green BTB solution. Test tube A was kept in the dark. Test tube B was kept in the light. All o
- June 2023, Biology Paper 2 Higher, Q3(a)(i) (1 mark): State why the student included a water bath in the apparatus. (1)
- June 2023, Biology Paper 2 Higher, Q3(a)(ii) (2 marks): State two variables that should be controlled when completing this investigation. (2) 1 2
- June 2023, Biology Paper 2 Higher, Q3(b)(i) (3 marks): 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
- June 2023, Biology Paper 2 Higher, Q3(b)(ii) (2 marks): Explain how the student could improve this investigation to get a more accurate measurement of the gas produced. (2)
- June 2023, Biology Paper 2 Higher, Q3(c) (3 marks): Devise a plan to show that temperature is a limiting factor in photosynthesis. Use the apparatus shown in Figure 5. (3)
- June 2022, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q4(a)(i) (1 mark): What are the products of photosynthesis? (1) A carbon dioxide and water B water and glucose C glucose and oxygen D oxygen and carbon dioxide
- June 2022, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q4(a)(ii) (2 marks): 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
- June 2022, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q4(a)(iii) (2 marks): 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)
- June 2022, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q4(a)(iv) (3 marks): Describe how this investigation could be changed to find the effect of temperature on the rate of photosynthesis. (3)
- November 2021, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(a) (2 marks): The leaves of the small plants are green. Describe how these plants make glucose. (2)
- November 2020, Biology Paper 2 Higher, Q1(b)(i) (1 mark): The white petals of the water lily flowers cannot photosynthesise. Which structure in leaf cells is the site of photosynthesis? (1) A nucleus B vacuole C mitoch
- November 2020, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(b)(i) (1 mark): The white petals of the water lily flowers cannot photosynthesise. Which structure in leaf cells is the site of photosynthesis? (1) A nucleus B vacuole C mitoch
- November 2020, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q6(c) (6 marks): Figure 15 shows a diagram of some equipment that can be used to investigate the rate of photosynthesis. bubbles of oxygen water light source pondweed Figure 15
- June 2019, Biology Paper 1 Higher, Q3(a)(ii) (1 mark): Plant cells contain chloroplasts. What happens in a chloroplast? (1) A oxygen produced sunlight absorbed by chlorophyll B carbon dioxide produced sunlight absor
- June 2019, Biology Paper 2 Higher, Q6(b)(i) (1 mark): State why the candle was not burning after three minutes. (1)
- June 2019, Biology Paper 2 Higher, Q6(b)(ii) (2 marks): Joseph Priestley continued the investigation but placed a plant inside the bell jar as shown in Figure 8. Figure 8 He observed that the candle stayed alight for
- June 2019, Biology Paper 2 Higher, Q6(b)(iii) (2 marks): State two variables that would need to be controlled to compare these two experiments. (2) 1 2
- June 2018, Biology Paper 2 Higher, Q5(a)(i) (2 marks): Describe the effect of light intensity on the rate of photosynthesis. (2)
- June 2018, Biology Paper 2 Higher, Q5(a)(ii) (2 marks): Explain the effect of temperature on the rate of photosynthesis. (2)
- June 2018, Biology Paper 2 Higher, Q5(b) (1 mark): 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 °C and was moved to dif
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