Year 10 Science practice questions
6 free sample questions from Lock in’s Year 10 Science course, with answers you can reveal one at a time: 4 multiple choice and 2 written answers with a model answer and marking criteria.
No card. Full access for 24 hours.
Topics covered
Lock in’s Year 10 Science course has 7 units with 124 flashcards and 122 practice questions, plus timed exams built fresh each time.
- Genetics and inheritanceDNA, genes and chromosomes; Mitosis and meiosis; Mendelian inheritance and Punnett squares; Pedigrees and sex-linked inheritance; Mutations and genetic technologies
- Evolution and natural selectionVariation and natural selection; Evidence for evolution; Speciation; Humans and selection
- Periodic table and chemical bondingAtomic structure and electron configuration; Periodic table organisation and trends; Ionic bonding; Covalent bonding; Metallic bonding
- Chemical reactions and ratesBalancing chemical equations; Types of reactions; Rates of reaction; Acids, metals and the activity series; Conservation of mass in practice
- Forces, motion and energySpeed, velocity and acceleration; Motion graphs; Newton’s laws of motion; Energy and its conservation; Momentum
- The universe and global systemsThe big bang theory and its evidence; Stars, galaxies and distances; Earth’s spheres and energy flow; The carbon cycle; Greenhouse effect and climate change
- Working scientificallyQuestions and hypotheses; Variables and fair tests; Validity, reliability, accuracy and precision; Errors and outliers; Processing and analysing data; Evaluating claims and peer review
Sample questions with answers
Try each question before you open the answer. Written answers show what a full-marks response needs to include.
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If 20% of DNA bases are cytosine, the percentage of adenine is…
- A20%
- B60%
- C40%
- D30%
Show answer
D. 30%
C = G = 20%, so A + T = 60%.
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The wings of bats and birds are homologous as forelimbs, but as wings they are…
- AAnalogous
- BVestigial
- CTransitional
- DIdentical
Show answer
A. Analogous
Flight evolved separately.
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A rock contains 25% of its original potassium-40 (half-life 1250 million years). Calculate its age and explain why fossils found just above it are younger.
Show model answer and marking criteria
Model answer. 100% → 50% → 25% is two half-lives, so the rock is 2 × 1250 = 2500 million years old. By the law of superposition, rock layers above it were laid down later, so fossils in those layers must be younger than 2500 million years.
A full-marks answer:
- 25% means 2 half-lives have passed
- Age = 2 × 1250 = 2500 million years
- Law of superposition: layers above were deposited later, so fossils there are younger
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Which has the smallest atomic radius?
- AAluminium
- BMagnesium
- CChlorine
- DSodium
Show answer
C. Chlorine
Furthest right in period 3.
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Write the formulas of aluminium sulfate and calcium nitride, showing how the charges balance.
Show model answer and marking criteria
Model answer. Aluminium sulfate: Al^3⁺ and SO₄^2⁻. Two Al^3⁺ (+6) balance three SO₄^2⁻ (−6), giving Al₂(SO₄)₃. Calcium nitride: Ca^2⁺ and N^3⁻. Three Ca^2⁺ (+6) balance two N^3⁻ (−6), giving Ca₃N₂.
A full-marks answer:
- Aluminium sulfate: Al^3⁺ and SO₄^2⁻, LCM 6, so Al₂(SO₄)₃
- Calcium nitride: Ca^2⁺ and N^3⁻, LCM 6, so Ca₃N₂
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Which metal will NOT react with dilute hydrochloric acid?
- AZinc
- BIron
- CMagnesium
- DCopper
Show answer
D. Copper
Copper is below hydrogen.
How to study Year 10 Science
Learn the key terms exactly, because Science questions often give a mark for the right word. In calculations, write the formula, substitute the numbers with units, then give the answer with its unit. For investigations, be ready to name the independent, dependent and controlled variables.
In Lock in, every Science topic has short notes, then flashcards that use spaced repetition: rate each card Again, Hard, Good or Easy and it comes back just before you would forget it. Practice questions come in three levels, Foundation, Standard and Complex. Three right in a row moves you up a level, and two wrong moves you back.
Press Study for me and the app builds a 15 to 20 minute session from the cards that are due, the mistakes that are due and questions on your weakest topics. Anything you get wrong comes back 1, 3 and 7 days later until you get it right. When an exam is close, sit a timed practice exam with AI marking.
More Year 10 subjects
Year 10 Maths practice questions, Year 10 English practice questions, Year 10 History practice questions, Year 10 Geography practice questions, Year 10 PDHPE practice questions.
Science in other years
Year 7 Science practice questions, Year 8 Science practice questions, Year 9 Science practice questions.
Questions
- What does Year 10 Science cover in Lock in?
- 7 units: Genetics and inheritance; Evolution and natural selection; Periodic table and chemical bonding; Chemical reactions and rates; Forces, motion and energy; The universe and global systems; Working scientifically. Each topic has short notes, flashcards and practice questions at three levels, plus timed practice exams for the whole subject.
- Are these Year 10 Science questions free?
- Yes. The questions on this page are free with full answers. In the app, every new account gets one free day with everything unlocked. After that, a pass costs A$5 for a week or A$20 for three months, paid once.
- Does Lock in mark written answers?
- Yes. Short and extended answers are marked by AI against the marking criteria, with a note on what was missing. AI marking can make mistakes, so check its feedback against your notes or ask your teacher.
Practise all of Year 10 Science.
Every topic above, with adaptive sessions, AI marking and timed exams. Your first 24 hours are free, with full access and no card. After that, a week is A$5.