BECE questions on water

Below are some BECE questions on water:

1. Show how you would separate the following mixture:

(ii) Muddy water [BECE 1990 Integrated science Paper 2]

2. In each of the following activities, state whether the changes that occurred are:

(ii) reversible or irreversible

(γ) A clean piece of nail was put into a beaker of water. After five days it was observed that the colour of the nail had changed. [BECE 1990 Integrated Science Paper 2]

3. Which of the following processes could be used to obtain water from a salt solution?

A. Filtration

B. Decantation

C. Evaporation

D. Distillation

E. Sedimentation [BECE 1990 Integrated Science Paper 1]

4. A fish dies shortly after being removed from water. This is because it

A. cannot swim

B. is streamlined

C. is hot on land

D. has scales

E. cannot respire [BECE 1990 Integrated Science Paper 1]

5. Which of the following soils is likely to be found in a waterlogged area?

A. Sand

B. Clay

C. Gravel

D. Black soil

E. Loam [BECE 1990 Integrated Science Paper 1]

6. Plants lose water through a process called

A. photosynthesis

B. fertilization

C. transpiration

D. respiration

E. evaporation [BECE 1990 Integrated Science Paper 1]

7. Photosynthesis in plants requires chlorophyll, sunlight, water and

A. oxygen

B. carbon dioxide

C. steam

D. hydrogen

E. nitrogen [BECE 1991 Integrated Science Paper 1]

8. Which of the following animals can live both in water and on land?

A. Mouse

B. Rat

C. Frog

D. Grasscutter

E. Mud fish [BECE 1991 Integrated Science Paper 1]

9. Insects can walk on the surface of water because of

A. diffusion

B. capillarity

C. viscosity

D. friction

E. surface tension [BECE 1991 Integrated Science Paper 1]

10. The washing away of the top soil by running water is called

A. erosion

B. rotation

C. plantation

D. weathering

E. irrigation [BECE 1991 Integrated Science Paper 1]

11. Which of the following soil types can hold the least amount of water?

A. Loam

B. Clay

C. Silt

D. Sand

E. Sandy loam [BECE 1991 Integrated Science Paper 1]

12. Name the method which could be used to separate the following mixtures into their components:

(i) Alcohol and water

(ii) Salt and water

(iv) Powdered chalk and water [BECE 1992 Integrated Science Paper 2]

13. (a) A sample of garden soil is put in a cylinder containing water. It is shaken and allowed to settle. Draw and label the layers formed.

[BECE 1992 Integrated Science Paper 2]

14. What will be the effect on the colour of blue litmus paper when it is dropped in the following solution?

(i) Water [BECE 1993 Integrated Science Paper 2]

15. Write the chemical formulae for the following substances.

(ii) Water; [BECE 1993 Integrated Science Paper 2]

16. Disposal of sewage into a river which supplies water for domestic use may lead to an outbreak of

A. malaria

B. cholera

C. guinea worm

D. river blindness [BECE 1993 Integrated Science Paper 1]

17. A piece of stone sinks in water because

A. its density is the same as that of water

B. it is able to displace its own weight of water

C. its density is less than that of water

D. its density is greater than that of water

E. the water contains air which allows the stone to sink [BECE 1993 Integrated Science Paper 1]

18. A mixture of raw starch and water is best separated by

A. boiling

B. distillation

C. decantation

D. winnowing

E. crystallization [BECE 1993 Integrated Science Paper 1]

19. An aluminium bowl placed on a table is filled with hot water. Name the processes by which heat is lost by the bowl. [BECE 1994 Integrated Science Paper 2 ]

20. Classify the following as either a physical or chemical change

(i) Common salt in water [BECE 1994 Integrated Science Paper 2 ]

21. Which of the following is the cleanest source of drinking water?

A. Lake

B. Stagnant water

C. River

D. Deep well

E. Surface well [BECE 1994 Integrated Science Paper 1]

22. A dam for generating power is constructed across a river. What type of energy is possessed by the water behind the dam?

A. Kinetic energy

B. Potential energy

C. Electrical energy

D. Heat energy

E. Light energy [BECE 1994 Integrated Science Paper 1]

23. Which of the following living things hide during sunny days in order to conserve water in its body

A. Rat

B. Lizard

C. Butterfly

D. Toad

E. Bat

24. Why does water wet glass? [BECE 1995 Integrated Science Paper 2]

25. By what process is heat transferred from the bottom of a beaker containing water to the top?

A. convection

B. conduction

C. radiation

D. absorption

E. transmission [BECE 1995 Integrated Science Paper 1]

26. A mixture of sugar and water can be separated by

A. Filtration

B. Evaporation

C. Decantation

D. Distillation

E. Condensation [BECE 1995 Integrated Science Paper 1]

27. Which of the following environmental factors can cause the fastest rate of water loss from leaf surfaces?

A. High humidity

B. Wet wing

C. Still air

D. Low temperature

E. Dry air [BECE 1995 Integrated Science Paper 1]

28. Ice floats on water because

A. water is denser than ice

B. ice is denser than water

C. ice has the same temperature as water

D. ice has a lower temperature than water

E. ice is different from water [BECE 1995 Integrated Science Paper 1]

25. What is the work done when a girl lifts a pot of water weighing 40 N upward through a distance of 1 m?

A. 400.0 J

B. 40.0 J

C. 4.0 J

D. 1.0 J

E. 0.4 J [BECE 1995 Integrated Science Paper 1]

26. The process used in getting salt from sea water is

A. boiling

B. condensation

C. decantation

D. sedimentation

E. evaporation [BECE 1995 Integrated Science Paper 1]

27. What happens to the temperature of water that is boiling in an open container?

[BECE 1996 Integrated Science Paper 2]

28. State whether each of the following is a physical or a chemical change

(i) freezing of water

(ii) dissolving sugar in water [BECE 1996 Integrated Science Paper 2]

29. A mixture of sand and water can be separated through

A. filtration

B. ionization

C. condensation

D. sedimentation

E. evaporation [BECE 1996 Integrated Science Paper 1]

30. A stone with mass 80.0 g was put into a measuring cylinder containing water. If the water level rises by 20.0 cm, calculate the density of the stone. A. 0.25 gcm-3

B. 1.20 gcm-3

C. 1.80 gcm-3

D. 3.30 gcm-3

E. 4.00 gcm-3 [BECE 1996 Integrated Science Paper 1]

31. The organ which enables a fish to breathe in water is the

A. Nostril

B. Pectoral fin

C. Dorsal fin

D. Gall bladder

E. Gill [BECE 1996 Integrated Science Paper 1]

32. Which of the following is true about loamy soil?

I. Is formed from a mixture of sand and clay

II. It is good for plant cultivation

III. Its water retention is poor

A. I only

B. I and II only

C. I and III only

D. II and III only [BECE 1996 Integrated Science Paper 1]

33. State whether each of the following is a solution, suspension or a colloid:

Clay in water

Sugar in water

Ammonia in water

Powdered chalk in water

Potassium permanganate in water Soap in water

[BECE 1997 Integrated Science Paper 2]

34. What property of water causes mosquito larvae to float on it?

[BECE 1997 Integrated Science Paper 2]

35. Which of the following activities of man causes both air and water pollution?

A. Afforestation

B. Construction of houses

C. Construction of roads

D. Deforestation

E. Industrialization [BECE 1997 Integrated Science Paper 1]

36. The number of hydrogen atoms present in two molecules of water is

A. 1

B. 2

C. 3

D. 4

E. 5 [BECE 1997 Integrated Science Paper 1]

37. Which of the following substances is used to purify water for town supply?

A. Alcohol

B. Carbon dioxide

C. Chlorine

D. Nitrogen

E. Sulphur [BECE 1997 Integrated Science Paper 1]

38. The volume of water in a container rises when a piece of stone is put into the container. The change in the volume of water is equal to the

A. mass of the container

B. mass of the stone

C. density of the stone

D. density of the water

E. volume of the stone [BECE 1997 Integrated Science Paper 1]

39. Explain the following:

(i) A fitting mechanic washes his greasy hands with petrol and not with water.

[BECE 1998 Integrated Science Paper 2]

40. What observation will be made if a piece of blue litmus paper is dropped in each of the following:

(i) distilled water

(ii) rain water [BECE 1998 Integrated Science Paper 2]

41. The equation Carbon (IV) oxide + water → Glucose + Oxygen, represents

A. Breathing

B. Diffusion

C. Photosynthesis

D. Respiration

E. Transpiration [BECE 1998 Integrated Science Paper 1]

41. Which of the following pairs of diseases are both contracted through water?

A. Cholera and dysentery

B. Smallpox and dysentery

C. Ringworm and smallpox

D. Tuberculosis and cholera

E. Tuberculosis and dysentery [BECE 1998 Integrated Science Paper 1]

42. A mixture of engine oil and water could be best separated by

A. Evaporation

B. Freezing

C. Decantation

D. Heating

E. Addition of soap [BECE 1998 Integrated Science Paper 1]

43. Name the separation method used in the production of each of the following substances

(i) tap water [BECE 1999 Integrated Science Paper 2]

44. Classify each of the following substances as an element, compound or mixture: Water, air, potassium, alcohol, common salt, sugar. [BECE 2000 Integrated Science Paper 2]

45. (ii) List two pollutants each of:
(β) water [BECE 2000 Integrated Science Paper 2]

46. Clayey soil holds more water than any other type of soil because it has

A. large particle size

B. larger air spaces

C. irregular particle size

D. greater attraction for water

E. reduced air spaces [BECE 2000 Integrated Science Paper 1]

47. The method of separation used in the treatment of water at the water works is

A. decantation

B. distillation

C. evaporation

D. magnetization

E. precipitation [BECE 2000 Integrated Science Paper 1]

48. Which of the following conditions will cause the same quantity of sugar to dissolve faster in a given volume of water?

A. Stirring the solution

B. Grinding the sugar

C. Heating the solution

D. Dissolving in a bigger container

E. Cooling the solution [BECE 2000 Integrated Science Paper 1]

49. The property of water that causes mosquito larvae to float on it is

A. density

B. viscosity

C. surface tension

D. volume

E. capillarity [BECE 2000 Integrated Science Paper 1]