P4 General Studies: Plant Growth And Photosynthesis (Paper 4 (error Clinic))

P4 General Studies: Plant Growth and Photosynthesis (Paper 4 (error clinic))

2026-11-13

Tutor Prep Guide · the three raw materials for photosynthesis, chlorophyll and the oxygen given out, roots taking up water and the stem carrying it, and how photosynthesis differs from respiration

P4 General Studies: Plant Growth and Photosynthesis (Paper 4 (error clinic))

Paper four goes at the four commonest slips: breathing at night, what roots do, the two processes running together, and why leaves yellow.

Direct answers　Ask which part of the plant is involved and whether there is light; most wrong answers then show themselves.

01　Paper details (check answers afterwards)

Item	Detail
Questions	10
Suggested time	20
Difficulty mix	Foundation 3 · Intermediate 3 · Challenge 3 · Error redo 1
Chapter	Chapter: P4 General Studies: Plant Growth and Photosynthesis
Level	parts of a closed circuit, conductors against insulators, series against parallel, adding up battery voltage, and electrical safety

02　Questions (10 items)

FoundationDoes photosynthesis run by day or by night?
FoundationWhich gas does a plant take in for respiration?
FoundationWhich part of a plant takes up water?
IntermediateEight of ten potted plants survive the cold spell. What share survived?
IntermediateA plant weighs 50 g and 62 g a week later. How much mass is gained, and what share is that?
IntermediateOne seedling grows 3 cm in 12 days, another needs 48 days. How many times slower is the second?
ChallengeNine of twelve sunflowers clearly lean to the light. What share is that?
ChallengeWhat most likely makes leaves turn yellow?
ChallengeCan photosynthesis and respiration happen at the same time?
Error redoError clinic: plants take in oxygen to breathe, so they do not breathe by day. Is that right?

03　Answers and one-line notes

#	Answer	One-line note
1	It needs light, so mainly by day.	At night there is no light, so photosynthesis stops while respiration carries on.
2	Oxygen.	Like animals, plants take in oxygen and give out carbon dioxide, day and night.
3	The roots.	Root hairs give a large surface for absorbing water and minerals, which the stem then carries upward.
4	80.0 percentage points.	Eight divided by ten and multiplied by 100 gives 80.0 percentage points.
5	12 g, which is 24.0 percentage points.	Sixty-two minus 50 gives 12 g; 12 over 50 times one hundred is 24.0 percentage points.
6	4.0 times.	Forty-eight divided by twelve gives 4.0, so the second grows only a quarter as fast.
7	75.0 percentage points.	Nine divided by twelve and multiplied by 100 gives 75.0 percentage points.
8	Too little light, or a soil short of minerals such as nitrogen.	Chlorophyll forms in the light; without light, or without the minerals it needs, leaves yellow.
9	Yes. Both run by day, but photosynthesis is stronger, so the leaf still gives out oxygen overall.	The two run side by side; by day photosynthesis is faster, so the net result is oxygen given out.
10	No.	Respiration never stops; by day photosynthesis is simply stronger and uses up the carbon dioxide at once, so it is hidden.

04　What to do after marking

After marking, redo only the wrong items and write down which step went wrong (formula, unit, or misread number).
Repeat the same item two days later; move to the next paper only when both attempts are correct.
Parents only need the answer and note columns; there is no need to explain every item.

With all four done, go back to the chapter page and revise the three parts of a closed circuit plus three safety habits.Tutor Registration →

Questions and answers are written originally by the TutorZone team and are not taken from any school, publisher or examination authority paper. Every value is checked by computer.