Secondary 5 Technology and Living Practice Paper: Food Science and Nutrition, Meal Design and Food Safety, Fashion Design and Textiles, Family Resources and Financial Management, Consumer Behaviour and Rights, Sustainable Living
- 2026-11-14
S5 Technology and Living practice paper: 24 parts in 60 minutes on food energy, food cost ratio, fabric yield and carbon emissions, with every value asserted in Python.
Section A: Food Science and Nutrition (16 marks)
A family of four had a breakfast supplying 12 g of protein, 10 g of fat and 48 g of carbohydrate; the members’ heights, weights and fibre intake are given in each part.
| # | Question | Answer and marking notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | (a) Calculate the total energy of the breakfast in kcal and convert it to kJ, to one decimal place. | Answer: protein 12 x 4 = 48, fat 10 x 9 = 90, carbohydrate 48 x 4 = 192, giving 330 kcal; 330 x 4.184 = 1380.7 kJ. Marking points: 1 mark for each energy factor, 1 for the total and 2 for the conversion. |
| 2 | (b) What percentage of the total energy is supplied by protein, to one decimal place? | Answer: 12 x 4 = 48 kcal, and 48 divided by 330 times 100 is 14.5%. Marking points: the numerator must be the 48 kcal from protein; 1 mark for using 330 kcal as the denominator, 2 for the percentage and 1 for one decimal place. |
| 3 | (c) The breakfast supplies 6.5 g of dietary fibre against a daily recommendation of 25 g; calculate the percentage of the recommendation met. | Answer: 6.5 divided by 25 times 100 is 26.0%. Marking points: 2 marks for the working, 1 for the answer and 1 for noting the recommendation is not yet met and must be made up at other meals. |
| 4 | (d) A member is 1.62 m tall and weighs 58 kg. Calculate the BMI to one decimal place and state the weight category. | Answer: 58 divided by (1.62 x 1.62) is 22.1, which is the normal weight range of 18.5 to 24.9. Marking points: 1 mark for squaring the height, 2 for the division and 1 for the category. |
Section B: Meal Design and Food Safety (17 marks)
A school caterer supplies lunch at a food cost of 18.5 dollars per portion and a selling price of 32.0 dollars, controlling food safety risks with chilling and diluted disinfectant.
| # | Question | Answer and marking notes |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | (a) Calculate the food cost ratio to one decimal place; if the target ratio is 55%, find the new selling price to one decimal place. | Answer: 18.5 divided by 32.0 times 100 is 57.8%; 18.5 divided by 0.55 gives 33.6 dollars. Marking points: 2 marks for the ratio working, 2 for the new price working, 0.5 for each value, and the answer must name raising price or cutting cost as the route. |
| 6 | (b) 4.5 kg of raw meat yields 3.6 kg after cooking. Calculate the weight loss percentage to one decimal place and the cooked weight of 24 kg of raw meat to two decimal places. | Answer: (4.5 minus 3.6) divided by 4.5 times 100 is 20.0%; 24 x 0.8 = 19.2 kg. Marking points: 2 marks for the loss percentage, 1 for the cooked weight working and 1 for the value. |
| 7 | (c) Bacteria double every 20 minutes; how many minutes are needed to grow from 100 CFU to 6 400 CFU? | Answer: 6 400 divided by 100 is 64, which is 2 to the power 6, so 6 doublings are needed, giving 120 minutes or 2 hours. Marking points: 2 marks for the factor of 64, 1 for the number of doublings and 1 for the minutes. |
| 8 | (d) A disinfectant is diluted 1 to 49; starting from 10 mL of concentrate, how much water is needed and what is the total volume? | Answer: 10 x 49 = 490 mL of water, and the total volume is 500 mL. Marking points: 2 marks for the proportional calculation, 1 for the total volume and 1 for using cold water and a fresh batch each day. |
Section C: Fashion Design and Textiles (17 marks)
A fashion studio buys fabric 150 cm wide in rolls of 25.0 m to make tops and a blended sample garment.
| # | Question | Answer and marking notes |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | (a) A roll holds 25.0 m of fabric and each top uses 1.6 m. How many complete tops can be cut, and how much fabric is left? | Answer: 25.0 divided by 1.6 is 15.6, so only 15 complete tops can be cut and the remainder is 25.0 minus 15 times 1.6, namely 1.0 m. Marking points: 3 marks for the number of tops, 1 for the remainder working and 1 for the value. |
| 10 | (b) The fabric shrinks from 120.0 cm to 115.2 cm after washing. Calculate the shrinkage to one decimal place and the cutting length needed for a 120.0 cm finished length. | Answer: (120.0 minus 115.2) divided by 120.0 times 100 is 4.0%; 120.0 divided by 0.96 gives 125.0 cm. Marking points: 2 marks for the shrinkage, 1 for dividing by 0.96 rather than multiplying by 1.04 and 1 for the value. |
| 11 | (c) Fabric costs 45 dollars per metre, the top uses 1.6 m, labour is 60 dollars and the selling price is 264 dollars. Calculate the total cost and the mark-up percentage to one decimal place. | Answer: 45 x 1.6 = 72.0 dollars, so the total cost is 72.0 plus 60, namely 132 dollars; (264 minus 132) divided by 132 times 100 is 100.0%. Marking points: 1 mark for the fabric cost, 1 for the total cost, 2 for the mark-up working, 0.5 for the value and a note that rent and returns are excluded. |
| 12 | (d) A blended fabric of 500 g contains 65% polyester and 35% cotton. Calculate the mass of each fibre. | Answer: polyester is 500 x 0.65 = 325.0 g and cotton is 500 x 0.35 = 175.0 g. Marking points: 1.5 marks for each working and 0.5 for each value; the two masses must add up to 500 g. |
Section D: Family Resources and Financial Management (17 marks)
A four-person household earns 32 000 dollars a month, spends 27 200 dollars a month and carries a credit card balance of 12 000 dollars.
| # | Question | Answer and marking notes |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | (a) Monthly income is 32 000 dollars with a 15% saving rate and monthly spending of 27 200 dollars. Find the monthly saving and the number of months needed for an emergency fund of three months of spending, to one decimal place. | Answer: 32 000 x 0.15 = 4 800 dollars; 3 x 27 200 = 81 600 dollars; 81 600 divided by 4 800 is 17.0 months. Marking points: 2 marks for the saving, 2 for the fund target, 2 for the months working and 1 for the value. |
| 14 | (b) 20 000 dollars is deposited at 3% per year compounded for 5 years. Find the amount, to two decimal places. | Answer: 20 000 x 1.03 to the power 5 = 23185.48 dollars, so the interest is 3185.48 dollars. Marking points: 2 marks for using 1.03 to the power 5 rather than 1.15, 1 for the amount and 1 for the interest. |
| 15 | (c) A credit card balance of 12 000 dollars carries 30% per year charged monthly. Find the monthly interest to two decimal places. | Answer: 12 000 x 0.30 divided by 12 = 300.0 dollars. Marking points: 2 marks for dividing the annual rate by 12, 1 for the calculation and 1 for noting that paying only interest never reduces the principal. |
| 16 | (d) Income is 32 000 dollars with 9 600 for housing, 6 400 for food, 2 240 for transport and 3 200 for education. Find the balance and its share of income to one decimal place. | Answer: 32 000 minus 9 600 minus 6 400 minus 2 240 minus 3 200 = 10 560 dollars; 10 560 divided by 32 000 times 100 is 33.0%. Marking points: 2 marks for the balance, 1 for the percentage and 1 for noting the balance should first top up the emergency fund. |
Section E: Consumer Behaviour and Rights (17 marks)
Consumers shop in a supermarket and an online store, comparing unit prices, discounts, returns and inflation.
| # | Question | Answer and marking notes |
|---|---|---|
| 17 | (a) A 250 g pack costs 12.5 dollars and a 500 g pack costs 22.0 dollars. Find the price per 100 g for each, to two decimal places, and how much cheaper the large pack is per 100 g, to one decimal place. | Answer: 12.5 divided by 250 times 100 is 5.0 dollars; 22.0 divided by 500 times 100 is 4.4 dollars; (5.0 minus 4.4) divided by 5.0 times 100 is 12.0%. Marking points: 1.5 marks for each unit price and 2 for the price difference percentage. |
| 18 | (b) The list price is 480 dollars, with 20% off and then 50 dollars deducted. Find the amount paid and the discount rate to one decimal place. | Answer: 480 x 0.8 = 384.0 dollars, so after deducting 50 dollars the payment is 334.0 dollars; (480 minus 334.0) divided by 480 times 100 is 30.4%. Marking points: 2 marks for the 20% discount, 1 for the payment, 1 for the rate and a note that the cash deduction must not be swapped with the percentage step. |
| 19 | (c) A 1 200 dollar online order is returned and the buyer bears 45 dollars of return postage. Find the refund and its percentage of the order, to two decimal places. | Answer: 1 200 minus 45 = 1 155 dollars; 1 155 divided by 1 200 times 100 is 96.25%. Marking points: 2 marks for the refund, 1 for the percentage and 1 for keeping the receipt and claiming within seven days. |
| 20 | (d) The same basket of goods cost 1 250 dollars last year and 1 337.5 dollars this year. Find the inflation rate to one decimal place. | Answer: (1 337.5 minus 1 250) divided by 1 250 times 100 is 7.0%. Marking points: 2 marks for using last year’s price as the denominator, 1 for the value and 1 for noting that inflation erodes purchasing power. |
Section F: Sustainable Living (16 marks)
A household controls electricity and water use with efficient lamps, an air conditioner and shower habits, and records daily waste and recycling.
| # | Question | Answer and marking notes |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | (a) 5 lamps of 12 W run 5 hours a day for 30 days. Find the total energy in kWh to one decimal place and the bill at 1.2 dollars per unit, to two decimal places. | Answer: 5 x 12 x 5 x 30 divided by 1000 = 9.0 kWh; 9.0 x 1.2 = 10.8 dollars. Marking points: 2 marks for the kWh working, 1 for the value and 1 for the bill. |
| 22 | (b) An air conditioner of 1.5 kW runs 6 hours a day for 30 days. Find the energy used in kWh to one decimal place and the carbon emissions at 0.7 kg per unit, to two decimal places. | Answer: 1.5 x 6 x 30 = 270.0 kWh; 270.0 x 0.7 = 189.0 kg. Marking points: 2 marks for the energy, 1 for the emissions and 1 for noting that a higher set temperature cuts the load. |
| 23 | (c) A shower uses 9 L per minute and is shortened from 8 minutes to 5 minutes. Find the water saved in litres and the percentage saved. | Answer: 8 x 9 = 72 L and 5 x 9 = 45 L, so 27 L is saved, which is 37.5%. Marking points: 1 mark for each shower volume, 1 for the saving and 1 for the percentage. |
| 24 | (d) A household produces 1.8 kg of waste a day and lifts its recycling rate from 22% to 35%. Find the daily increase in recycled mass in kg, to three decimal places. | Answer: 1.8 x 0.22 = 0.396 kg and 1.8 x 0.35 = 0.63 kg, an increase of 0.234 kg. Marking points: 1.5 marks for each recycled mass and 1 for the increase. |
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