Three and four mark questions
These are similar to one and two mark questions but you will be expected to write in more depth for three and four mark questions.
This page contains AQA material which is reproduced by permission of AQA.
Sample question 1 - Foundation
Question
The 鈥楤ig Bang鈥 theory is one theory explaining the origin of the Universe.
The graphs X, Y and Z show how the size of the Universe may have changed with time.
Which graph would the 鈥楤ig Bang鈥 theory suggest is correct?
Explain the reason for your answer. [3 marks]
- Y [1 mark]
- It shows the Universe expanding from a (very small) point. [1 mark]
- Graph X suggests that the universe has always been the same size. Graph Z suggests that the Universe is expanding but had a certain size to begin with. [1 mark]
Sample question 2 - Foundation
Question
The life cycle of a star after the 鈥榤ain sequence鈥 period depends on the size of the star.
A particular star is the same size as the Sun.
What are the stages, after the main sequence, in the life cycle of this star?
State them in order by writing in the boxes. [3 marks]
| 1. | Main sequence |
| 2. | |
| 3. | |
| 4. |
| 1. |
| Main sequence |
| 2. |
| 3. |
| 4. |
| 1. | Main sequence |
| 2. | Red giant [1 mark] |
| 3. | White dwarf [1 mark] |
| 4. | Black dwarf [1 mark] |
| 1. |
| Main sequence |
| 2. |
| Red giant [1 mark] |
| 3. |
| White dwarf [1 mark] |
| 4. |
| Black dwarf [1 mark] |
It is quite a common question to ask the stages of the lifecycle of a star. Be sure to revise the lifecycles for both large and small stars.
Sample question 3 - Higher
Question
Astronomers claim that there are about 300 billion stars in the Milky Way.
Describe how stars are formed. [3 marks]
Dust and gas in space are pulled together by gravitational attraction.
Gravitational forces exist between even the smallest particles. This is not obvious on Earth as the Earth鈥檚 gravity is much stronger but in space, far away from other stars and planets, these gravitational forces are enough to collect the dust and gases together.
Sample question 4 - Higher
Question
The 鈥楤ig Bang鈥 theory uses red-shift as evidence to explain the beginning of the Universe.
How does the red-shift from distant galaxies provide evidence for the beginning of the Universe? [3 marks]
- red-shift shows galaxies are moving away from the Earth
- more distant galaxies show bigger red-shift
- distant galaxies are moving away faster
- this suggests the universe started from a single point
Red-shift occurs when a light source is moving away from the observer. This causes the wavelengths to stretch and the light to appear to shift towards the red end of the spectrum.