AQA GCSE COMBINED SCIENCE: TRILOGY
COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE 2026 FULL
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◍ Question: What are the chemical symbols for the substances involved in
photosynthesis.
Answer: Answer: the substances involved in photosynthesis and their
chemical symbols are:Carbon dioxide: CO2Water: H2OGlucose:
C6H12O6Oxygen: O2Photosynthesis is represented by the word equation:
carbon dioxide + water light glucose + oxygen. Light is energy transferred
from the environment.
◍ how to balance equations using moles.
Answer: convert masses in grams into moles, and then convert number of
moles to simple
◍ limitations of dot and cross diagrams.
Answer: don't show structure of the compound, ionic arrangement or size
◍ Question: What are some examples of metabolic processes mentioned.
Answer: Answer: Metabolism includes: conversion of glucose to starch,
glycogen and cellulose; the formation of lipid molecules from glycerol and
fatty acids; the use of glucose and nitrate ions to form amino acids which
synthesise proteins; respiration; breakdown of excess proteins to form urea
for excretion.
◍ Question: How can you identify reactions as exothermic or endothermic
using reaction profiles.
Answer: Answer: You can identify whether a reaction is exothermic or
endothermic by looking at the relative energy levels of the reactants
compared to the products shown on the reaction profile.
,◍ tiny.
Answer: What is the relative mass of an electron?
◍ isotopes.
Answer: Why is the order of atomic weight not always correct on the
Periodic Table?
◍ properties of structures made from small covalent molecules.
Answer: relatively low melting/boiling point, usually liquids/gases, weak
intermolecular forces, no overall electric charge so don't conduct electricity
◍ uses of carbon nanotubes.
Answer: nanotechnology
◍ Question: How many different elements are there approximately.
Answer: Answer: There are about 100 different elements. Elements are
shown in the periodic table.
◍ ionic equations.
Answer: show reaction between ions
◍ type of formula you can work out if you know the charges on ions.
Answer: empirical formula
◍ 1.
Answer: What is the relative mass of a neutron?
◍ Question: What is graphene.
Answer: Answer: Graphene is a single layer of graphite.
◍ Question: How are atoms of each element represented.
Answer: Answer: Atoms of each element are represented by a chemical
symbol, eg O represents an atom of oxygen, Na represents an atom of
sodium.
◍ amount of energy required to break ionic bonds.
Answer: lots
◍ down group.
, Answer: (Group 0) Boiling point increases...
◍ 8.
Answer: How many electrons can the second and third shells take?
◍ covalent compound.
Answer: a compound bonded by shared pairs of electrons
◍ Question: What are the three main parts of eukaryotic cells (plant and
animal cells).
Answer: Answer: Plant and animal cells (eukaryotic cells) have a cell
membrane, cytoplasm, and genetic material enclosed in a nucleus.
◍ Question: What forms a plant organ system for transport.
Answer: Answer: The roots, stem and leaves form a plant organ system for
transport of substances around the plant.
◍ Question: What are risk factors for diseases.
Answer: Answer: Risk factors are linked to an increased rate of a disease.
◍ Question: What are the properties of ionic compounds.
Answer: Answer: Ionic compounds have regular structures (giant ionic
lattices) in which there are strong electrostatic forces of attraction in all
directions between oppositely charged ions.
◍ Question: How are the molecules of a gas described in terms of motion.
Answer: Answer: The molecules of a gas are in constant random motion.
◍ 0.1nm.
Answer: What is the radius of an atom?
◍ Question: What do carbohydrases break down, and give an example.
Answer: Answer: Carbohydrases break down carbohydrates to simple
sugars. Amylase is a carbohydrase which breaks down starch.
◍ Question: What is the structure of fullerenes.
Answer: Answer: Fullerenes are molecules of carbon atoms with hollow
shapes. Their structure is based on hexagonal rings of carbon atoms but they
may also contain rings with five or seven carbon atoms.
, ◍ Question: What is the word equation for photosynthesis.
Answer: Answer: carbon dioxide + water light glucose + oxygen
◍ Question: What is the word equation for aerobic respiration.
Answer: Answer: glucose + oxygen carbon dioxide + water
◍ salt formed from sulphuric acid.
Answer: sulphate
◍ Question: How do the number of electrons and protons compare in an atom,
and what is the atom's overall charge.
Answer: Answer: In an atom, the number of electrons is equal to the number
of protons in the nucleus. Atoms have no overall electrical charge.
◍ ionic compound.
Answer: What do alkali metals form when they react with non-metal
elements?
◍ X(s).
Answer: Symbol for solid
◍ Question: How is the temperature of a gas related to the motion of its
molecules.
Answer: Answer: The temperature of the gas is related to the average kinetic
energy of the molecules.
◍ strength of forces between particles.
Answer: Energy amount needed to change state depends on...
◍ Question: How do bacterial cells (prokaryotic cells) compare in size to plant
and animal cells.
Answer: Answer: Bacterial cells (prokaryotic cells) are much smaller in
comparison.
◍ Question: What simple model can be used to explain enzyme action.
Answer: Answer: the lock and key theory
◍ carbon nanotubes.
COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE 2026 FULL
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◍ Question: What are the chemical symbols for the substances involved in
photosynthesis.
Answer: Answer: the substances involved in photosynthesis and their
chemical symbols are:Carbon dioxide: CO2Water: H2OGlucose:
C6H12O6Oxygen: O2Photosynthesis is represented by the word equation:
carbon dioxide + water light glucose + oxygen. Light is energy transferred
from the environment.
◍ how to balance equations using moles.
Answer: convert masses in grams into moles, and then convert number of
moles to simple
◍ limitations of dot and cross diagrams.
Answer: don't show structure of the compound, ionic arrangement or size
◍ Question: What are some examples of metabolic processes mentioned.
Answer: Answer: Metabolism includes: conversion of glucose to starch,
glycogen and cellulose; the formation of lipid molecules from glycerol and
fatty acids; the use of glucose and nitrate ions to form amino acids which
synthesise proteins; respiration; breakdown of excess proteins to form urea
for excretion.
◍ Question: How can you identify reactions as exothermic or endothermic
using reaction profiles.
Answer: Answer: You can identify whether a reaction is exothermic or
endothermic by looking at the relative energy levels of the reactants
compared to the products shown on the reaction profile.
,◍ tiny.
Answer: What is the relative mass of an electron?
◍ isotopes.
Answer: Why is the order of atomic weight not always correct on the
Periodic Table?
◍ properties of structures made from small covalent molecules.
Answer: relatively low melting/boiling point, usually liquids/gases, weak
intermolecular forces, no overall electric charge so don't conduct electricity
◍ uses of carbon nanotubes.
Answer: nanotechnology
◍ Question: How many different elements are there approximately.
Answer: Answer: There are about 100 different elements. Elements are
shown in the periodic table.
◍ ionic equations.
Answer: show reaction between ions
◍ type of formula you can work out if you know the charges on ions.
Answer: empirical formula
◍ 1.
Answer: What is the relative mass of a neutron?
◍ Question: What is graphene.
Answer: Answer: Graphene is a single layer of graphite.
◍ Question: How are atoms of each element represented.
Answer: Answer: Atoms of each element are represented by a chemical
symbol, eg O represents an atom of oxygen, Na represents an atom of
sodium.
◍ amount of energy required to break ionic bonds.
Answer: lots
◍ down group.
, Answer: (Group 0) Boiling point increases...
◍ 8.
Answer: How many electrons can the second and third shells take?
◍ covalent compound.
Answer: a compound bonded by shared pairs of electrons
◍ Question: What are the three main parts of eukaryotic cells (plant and
animal cells).
Answer: Answer: Plant and animal cells (eukaryotic cells) have a cell
membrane, cytoplasm, and genetic material enclosed in a nucleus.
◍ Question: What forms a plant organ system for transport.
Answer: Answer: The roots, stem and leaves form a plant organ system for
transport of substances around the plant.
◍ Question: What are risk factors for diseases.
Answer: Answer: Risk factors are linked to an increased rate of a disease.
◍ Question: What are the properties of ionic compounds.
Answer: Answer: Ionic compounds have regular structures (giant ionic
lattices) in which there are strong electrostatic forces of attraction in all
directions between oppositely charged ions.
◍ Question: How are the molecules of a gas described in terms of motion.
Answer: Answer: The molecules of a gas are in constant random motion.
◍ 0.1nm.
Answer: What is the radius of an atom?
◍ Question: What do carbohydrases break down, and give an example.
Answer: Answer: Carbohydrases break down carbohydrates to simple
sugars. Amylase is a carbohydrase which breaks down starch.
◍ Question: What is the structure of fullerenes.
Answer: Answer: Fullerenes are molecules of carbon atoms with hollow
shapes. Their structure is based on hexagonal rings of carbon atoms but they
may also contain rings with five or seven carbon atoms.
, ◍ Question: What is the word equation for photosynthesis.
Answer: Answer: carbon dioxide + water light glucose + oxygen
◍ Question: What is the word equation for aerobic respiration.
Answer: Answer: glucose + oxygen carbon dioxide + water
◍ salt formed from sulphuric acid.
Answer: sulphate
◍ Question: How do the number of electrons and protons compare in an atom,
and what is the atom's overall charge.
Answer: Answer: In an atom, the number of electrons is equal to the number
of protons in the nucleus. Atoms have no overall electrical charge.
◍ ionic compound.
Answer: What do alkali metals form when they react with non-metal
elements?
◍ X(s).
Answer: Symbol for solid
◍ Question: How is the temperature of a gas related to the motion of its
molecules.
Answer: Answer: The temperature of the gas is related to the average kinetic
energy of the molecules.
◍ strength of forces between particles.
Answer: Energy amount needed to change state depends on...
◍ Question: How do bacterial cells (prokaryotic cells) compare in size to plant
and animal cells.
Answer: Answer: Bacterial cells (prokaryotic cells) are much smaller in
comparison.
◍ Question: What simple model can be used to explain enzyme action.
Answer: Answer: the lock and key theory
◍ carbon nanotubes.
