Q&A - P3 Science

[tianzhu]

[quote]My Son Got a Question \"Is Apple a livingthing \" and he wrote yes. but got it wrong. The answer was non living thing. [/quote]
Hi

When asking science questions, it’s important to have the complete question. In this question, the location of the apple plays an important part. Does the question come with a picture or diagram that shows an apple tree with some apples or just some apples on a kitchen table?

While on a tree, an apple is part of a living thing, but once picked, it’s no longer a living thing.

Best wishes

[leeven]

It sure cannot be non living thing. when it is in the tree it is basically developed from a flower to vegi then to fruit so sure there it air, food etc going in to it when growing. it is having living cells in it even after plucked and thats why when cut it is subject to oxidisation.


so we can say it once a living thing but not living thing.

but any way the question also didnt specify it was in the tree or out of tree. That is the question from my brilliant son who is asking me since they dont say so he assumed it can be anyway… Hmmmm :x

[tianzhu]

atutor2001:

What about the seeds in the apple. Are they living things?

Hi atutor2001

Some interesting articles on seeds.

http://infopedia.nl.sg/Research/opendoc.aspx?doc=pls/pf_ie_is%20a%20seed%20a%20living%20thing_08.pdf

Best wishes

[tianzhu]

leeven:

but any way the question also didnt specify it was in the tree or out of tree. That is the question from my brilliant son who is asking me since they dont say so he assumed it can be anyway.. Hmmmm :x

Hi

Is this question from your son's SA science paper?If it is, take a look at the complete question after you have the opportunity to see it.

If the location of the apple is not indicated, then the answer to this question is subjective.

Best wishes

[elkniwt]

elkniwt:

There's this question on an experiment. It shows a magnet attracting many nails. Then after the magnet is heated, it shows the number of nails attracted by the magnet is greatly decreased. And the qn asked : What does the experiment above show about magnets?

My dd's ans is \"If you heat a magnet, it will lose its magnetism.\" And it was marked wrong. Her teacher's ans is \"A magnet loses its magnetism when heated.\" What's the difference?? :?

Hi,

For info. My dd checked with her teacher, teacher said must put the words \"over flame\". i.e. if my dd's ans is \"If you heat a magnet over flame, it will lose its magnetism.\" Then, it will be correct.

Hmm.. confusing..

[rains]

elkniwt:

elkniwt:

There's this question on an experiment. It shows a magnet attracting many nails. Then after the magnet is heated, it shows the number of nails attracted by the magnet is greatly decreased. And the qn asked : What does the experiment above show about magnets?

My dd's ans is \"If you heat a magnet, it will lose its magnetism.\" And it was marked wrong. Her teacher's ans is \"A magnet loses its magnetism when heated.\" What's the difference?? :?

Hi,

For info. My dd checked with her teacher, teacher said must put the words \"over flame\". i.e. if my dd's ans is \"If you heat a magnet over flame, it will lose its magnetism.\" Then, it will be correct.

Hmm.. confusing..

But the teacher herself or himself also never put 'over flame' leh.

You mean 'heated' is still not clear ah? 'Heated' - of course is over flame lah, then over ice meh?

[atutor2001]

Hi Muffins, Full.Cream, watmekiasu, tianzhu


(deleted by writer)

ps

Please ignore my post. I have got the definition of fruit all wrong. Didn’t realise that seeds are not part of a fruit.

[Full.010894Cream]

atutor2001:

Hi Muffins, Full.Cream, watmekiasu, tianzhu


Thank you very much for your feedback and information.

Going back to the \"apple question\" and lets say that the question shows an apple on a table (i.e. plucked from the tree)

I am still confused as to whether how a student should define \"apple\" in this question. In science, \"apple\" is a fruit and by science definition, a fruit is made up of flesh, seeds and ... ( :oops: other parts that I don't know).

I have \"a fruit\" where the flesh is non-living thing while the seeds are living thing. Should I call the fruit a living or a non-living thing?

However, if \"apple\" is intended to mean only the part we eat (flesh) as under normal usage, then I feel it is not appropriate as it is a \"science question\"

Hope to hear your views. Thank you in advance.

Regards

1stly, if they say 'apple', it's almost always a standalone apple. It wld be very cheeky to insist that the apple is still on the tree.

Eg, if there's a science qn on which of these (chick, puppy, tadpole) hatch from egg, we don't try to be funny and ask what if the egg is not fertilized, ya?

[watmekiasu]

I think we have to go back to the very basic requirements of all living things - they need air, food and water to survive. A plucked apple does not need any of those, hence, it is not a living thing.


About the oxidation on the apple, it is not proof of a living thing cos even metals can rust under the right conditions. This reminds me of a question my dd posed to me, hoping to catch me off-guard. :lol: Her question was \"Is a live volcano a living thing?\" As I dithered, she went \"No, silly! It may blow its top and spew fumes and ashes like mummy, but it's not a living thing!\" :oops:

[atutor2001]

(deleted by writer)


ps

Please ignore my question. I have got the definition of fruit wrong. Didn't realise that seeds are not part of a fruit. My apology for asking nonsense.