Cambridge IGCSE™

COMBINED SCIENCE 0653/41

Paper 4 Theory (Extended) May/June 2024
MARK SCHEME
Maximum Mark: 80

Published

This mark scheme is published as an aid to teachers and candidates, to indicate the requirements of the
examination. It shows the basis on which Examiners were instructed to award marks. It does not indicate the
details of the discussions that took place at an Examiners’ meeting before marking began, which would have
considered the acceptability of alternative answers.

Mark schemes should be read in conjunction with the question paper and the Principal Examiner Report for
Teachers.

Cambridge International will not enter into discussions about these mark schemes.

Cambridge International is publishing the mark schemes for the May/June 2024 series for most
Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge International A and AS Level and Cambridge Pre-U components, and some
Cambridge O Level components.

This document consists of 10 printed pages.

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Generic Marking Principles

These general marking principles must be applied by all examiners when marking candidate answers. They should be applied alongside the
specific content of the mark scheme or generic level descriptions for a question. Each question paper and mark scheme will also comply with these
marking principles.

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 1:

Marks must be awarded in line with:

 the specific content of the mark scheme or the generic level descriptors for the question
 the specific skills defined in the mark scheme or in the generic level descriptors for the question
 the standard of response required by a candidate as exemplified by the standardisation scripts.

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 2:

Marks awarded are always whole marks (not half marks, or other fractions).

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 3:

Marks must be awarded positively:

 marks are awarded for correct/valid answers, as defined in the mark scheme. However, credit is given for valid answers which go beyond
the scope of the syllabus and mark scheme, referring to your Team Leader as appropriate
 marks are awarded when candidates clearly demonstrate what they know and can do
 marks are not deducted for errors
 marks are not deducted for omissions
 answers should only be judged on the quality of spelling, punctuation and grammar when these features are specifically assessed by the
question as indicated by the mark scheme. The meaning, however, should be unambiguous.

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 4:

Rules must be applied consistently, e.g. in situations where candidates have not followed instructions or in the application of generic level
descriptors.

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GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 5:

Marks should be awarded using the full range of marks defined in the mark scheme for the question (however; the use of the full mark range may
be limited according to the quality of the candidate responses seen).

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 6:

Marks awarded are based solely on the requirements as defined in the mark scheme. Marks should not be awarded with grade thresholds or
grade descriptors in mind.

Science-Specific Marking Principles

1 Examiners should consider the context and scientific use of any keywords when awarding marks. Although keywords may be present, marks
should not be awarded if the keywords are used incorrectly.

2 The examiner should not choose between contradictory statements given in the same question part, and credit should not be awarded for
any correct statement that is contradicted within the same question part. Wrong science that is irrelevant to the question should be ignored.

3 Although spellings do not have to be correct, spellings of syllabus terms must allow for clear and unambiguous separation from other
syllabus terms with which they may be confused (e.g. ethane / ethene, glucagon / glycogen, refraction / reflection).

4 The error carried forward (ecf) principle should be applied, where appropriate. If an incorrect answer is subsequently used in a scientifically
correct way, the candidate should be awarded these subsequent marking points. Further guidance will be included in the mark scheme
where necessary and any exceptions to this general principle will be noted.

5 ‘List rule’ guidance

For questions that require n responses (e.g. State two reasons …):

 The response should be read as continuous prose, even when numbered answer spaces are provided.
 Any response marked ignore in the mark scheme should not count towards n.
 Incorrect responses should not be awarded credit but will still count towards n.
 Read the entire response to check for any responses that contradict those that would otherwise be credited. Credit should not be
awarded for any responses that are contradicted within the rest of the response. Where two responses contradict one another, this
should be treated as a single incorrect response.
 Non-contradictory responses after the first n responses may be ignored even if they include incorrect science.

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6 Calculation specific guidance

Correct answers to calculations should be given full credit even if there is no working or incorrect working, unless the question states ‘show
your working’.

For questions in which the number of significant figures required is not stated, credit should be awarded for correct answers when rounded
by the examiner to the number of significant figures given in the mark scheme. This may not apply to measured values.

For answers given in standard form (e.g. a  10n) in which the convention of restricting the value of the coefficient (a) to a value between 1
and 10 is not followed, credit may still be awarded if the answer can be converted to the answer given in the mark scheme.

Unless a separate mark is given for a unit, a missing or incorrect unit will normally mean that the final calculation mark is not awarded.
Exceptions to this general principle will be noted in the mark scheme.

7 Guidance for chemical equations

Multiples / fractions of coefficients used in chemical equations are acceptable unless stated otherwise in the mark scheme.

State symbols given in an equation should be ignored unless asked for in the question or stated otherwise in the mark scheme.

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Question Answer Marks

1(a) ventricle ; 4

pulmonary ;

lungs ;

closes / shuts ;

1(b)(i) 120 – 160 beats per minute (ticked) ; 1

1(b)(ii) decreases (with age) ; 1

1(b)(iii) any three from: 3

muscles require more energy (for contraction) ;
more oxygen (and glucose) transported (to muscle) ;
reference to increases (rate of) respiration ;
remove more carbon dioxide (from lungs) / increased carbon dioxide in the, blood / muscle / more carbon dioxide released
(from respiration) ;

Question Answer Marks

2(a) A (cold) water (out) (at top) 3

B condenser
C (cold) water (in) (at bottom of condenser)
D heat/(Bunsen) burner
E salt and water / mixture / solution ;;;

5 correct = (3)
3–4 correct = (2)
1–2 correct = (1)

2(b) heat (the solution) ; 2

to remove the water ;

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Question Answer Marks

2(c) 6 Na and 6 Cl ; 2

alternating Na+ and Cl – both horizontally and vertically ;

2(d) sodium (atom) loses an / one electron (to give +1 charge) 2

OR sodium (ion) has one electron fewer than the proton number ;

chlorine (atom) gains an / one electron (to give –1 charge)

OR chloride (ion) has one electron more than the proton number ;

Question Answer Marks

3(a)(i) convection ; 1

3(a)(ii) any two from: 2

water expands on heating ;
density decreases ;
warmer / lower density, water rises ;

3(b)(i) boiling ; 1

3(b)(ii) in the air / vapour (above the boiling water) ; 1

3(c)(i) drawing of lower part of thermometer at an angle to the upper part 1

AND
angle bent shallower, but still below horizontal ;

3(c)(ii) 3  108 m / s / 3  105 km / s ; 1

3(c)(iii) infrared / microwave / radio ; 1

3(c)(iv) speed (of light) increases ; 1

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Question Answer Marks

4(a) B; 2
E;

4(b)(i) any two from: 2

energy store ;
jelly coating OR a coating that changes after fertilisation ;
AVP ;

4(b)(ii) any two from: 2

have a cell membrane ;
contain cytoplasm ;
have a nucleus ;

4(c)(i) protect from mechanical shock ; 1

4(c)(ii) idea that placenta, obtains / exchanges / passes / diffuses nutrients from mother(’s blood) ; 2

idea that the umbilical cord, passes / transports, nutrients / glucose / oxygen (to fetus) ;

Question Answer Marks

5(a)(i) activation energy shown as a maximum between reactants and products ; 3

activation energy labelled correctly ;

energy change of reaction labelled with upwards arrow ;

5(a)(ii) products are at a higher energy level than reactants / products have more energy than reactants / ORA ; 1

5(a)(iii) N2 (g) + O2 (g) → 2NO (g) ; ; 2

correctly balanced equation = (1)

state symbols (g) (g) (g) = (1)

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Question Answer Marks

5(b) buildings: the idea of (chemical) reaction with, metal / building materials ; 2

health: adverse effect on, heart / lungs / breathing ;

Question Answer Marks

6(a)(i) unit mass / 1 kg ; 1

6(a)(ii) (resultant force) = 15 000 – 14 750 (= 250 N) ; 1

6(b)(i) 5.0 (m / s) ; 1

6(b)(ii) a = v  t / evidence of use of formula ; 3

= 0.20 ;
m / s2 ;

6(b)(iii) use of area under graph seen, i.e. ½  25  5 ; 1

(= 62.5 m)

6(b)(iv) (increase in KE =) ½ mv 2 OR ½  1475  5  5 OR 18437.5 ; 4

(increase in PE =) mgh OR 1475  10  62.5 OR 921875 ;

18437.5 AND 921875 ;

940 000 (J) ;

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Question Answer Marks

7(a)(i) P photosynthesis ; 2

Q gas exchange ;

7(a)(ii) gradient and atmosphere ; 3

diffusion ;

decrease ;

7(b)(i) one / 1 ; 1

7(b)(ii) any three from: 3

vulture is on trophic level 5 ;
energy is lost at each trophic level ;
named example of energy lost, e.g., heat / respiration / excretion / protein synthesis / metabolism / not all organism is eaten ;
not enough energy (for quaternary consumer) ;

Question Answer Marks

8(a)(i) cracking ; 1

8(a)(ii) any two from: 2

high temperature ;
high pressure ;
catalyst ;

8(b)(i) similarity: 3
both, have two carbon atoms / are hydrocarbons / contain carbon and hydrogen only / both are covalent / both are simple
molecules ;

differences (any two from):

ethane has (two) more hydrogen atoms / 6 hydrogen not 4 ;
ethene / alkene, has a (carbon to carbon) double bond and ethane / alkane, has only (carbon to carbon) single bonds ;
ethene / alkene, is unsaturated and ethane / alkane, is saturated ;

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Question Answer Marks

8(b)(ii) 2C2H6 + 7O2 → 4CO2 + 6H2O ; ; 2

CO2 and H2O as products = (1)

8(c) five / 5 ; 1

Question Answer Marks

9(a) F; 2
J;

9(b) correct symbol for voltmeter ; 2

connected in parallel with lamps ;

9(c)(i) (difference between e.m.f. and p.d. across lamps = 5.5 – 3.0 =) 2.5 (V) ; 1

9(c)(ii) (R =) V  I in any form OR 0.3 seen OR 3.0  0.6 OR 5(.0) ; 2

10 () ;

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