Official AQA Biology Unit 1 GCSE 5th June 2013 NEW SPEC

Original post by SportsFan

The pyramids of biomass looks to be the third option however I put option 1, for goodness sake! :frown:

(But only 1 mark)

I really think it's likely to be the first, considering that I have been taught that pyramids of biomass are always pyramidal shape (at least in GCSE) because the top consumer/ predator is at the top and the producer at the bottom

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Reply 763

zzFishstick

12

Original post by js171

I read through that but I believe that for the GCSE qualification, we are taught that it is always pyramidal shaped, I learnt from the AQA revision biology book and this was the case, I also just looked at bitesize http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/edexcel_pre_2011/environment/populationsandpyramidsrev2.shtml (it's the last paragraph)

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Yeah that's true but, the question was about planktons and according to Wikipedia it says that in some cases with planktons, the pyramid is inverted. I wonder if the specification tells us that we should be aware of this?

Reply 764

I would love to know how the examiners are going to dig themselves out of this biomass pyramid mess! Is it just me that had no idea what the last page was even asking :frown:

Reply 765

vermin123

Lol why is everyone so concerned about a 1 mark question??

Reply 766

Original post by zzFishstick

Yeah that's true but, the question was about planktons and according to Wikipedia it says that in some cases with planktons, the pyramid is inverted. I wonder if the specification tells us that we should be aware of this?

If they did do all this sneaky trick questions for 1 mark, then I would be very surprised. I guess we will just have to wait and see! AQA were really hard on us, I found it was a lot of writing and missed out a few questions hoping to go back to them at the end- but then had no time! Did you find it hard with timings? And what do you suppose the grade boundaries would be? X

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Reply 767

SportsFan

7

Original post by js171

I really think it's likely to be the first, considering that I have been taught that pyramids of biomass are always pyramidal shape (at least in GCSE) because the top consumer/ predator is at the top and the producer at the bottom

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That's what I hope anyway since why would they give such a difficult question, I don't even think inverted pyramids of biomass is the spec.

Reply 768

Original post by Examfailer

I would love to know how the examiners are going to dig themselves out of this biomass pyramid mess! Is it just me that had no idea what the last page was even asking :frown:

The whole last question was so irrelevant

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Reply 769

Bambie33

1

Original post by Examfailer

I would love to know how the examiners are going to dig themselves out of this biomass pyramid mess! Is it just me that had no idea what the last page was even asking :frown:

I ran out of time and didn't even get to read the last page, goodbye any chance of A* :frown:

Reply 770

Original post by SportsFan

That's what I hope anyway since why would they give such a difficult question, I don't even think inverted pyramids of biomass is the spec.

I'm hoping this is the case, they aren't allowed to give us any questions that are not a) in the text book and b) in the specification so I think the answer would be the first one

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Reply 771

Original post by js171

The whole last question was so irrelevant

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I thought I was the only one who thought that! Seriously, I did not really understand what topic it was referring to, what it was assign. I wouldn't be surprised if I lost all the marks on that page. I also didn't see the labelling questions and found many other party's quite tricky. Good bye a* :frown:

Goodluck xx

Reply 772

SportsFan

7

From the spec:
"The mass of living material (biomass) at each stage
in a food chain is less than it was at the previous
stage. The biomass at each stage can be drawn
to scale and shown as a pyramid of biomass."

Reply 773

Original post by Bambie33

I ran out of time and didn't even get to read the last page, goodbye any chance of A* :frown:

Do you know how many marks you missed out? I am in the same position as you apart from the fact I missed out the 5 marker instead and skipped a few to go back too because I don't do it in order (bad move) x praying the grade boundaries are low

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Reply 774

Alien X

Original post by Examfailer

I would love to know how the examiners are going to dig themselves out of this biomass pyramid mess! Is it just me that had no idea what the last page was even asking :frown:

You are definitely not the only one...I answered the first 2 marker with assurance...but the other 2 I wrote gibberish!

Reply 775

Original post by Bambie33

I ran out of time and didn't even get to read the last page, goodbye any chance of A* :frown:

I can really empathise with you. I feel absouloubtly distraught, I really wanted an a*. I hope you get it still. Usually I finish 15 minutes early but this time I only had a couple of minutes to spare xx

Reply 776

ExamNerd123

Are you dope Pyramid: it involved Animal Plankton, Plant Plankton, Shark? You seriously saying a plant eats an animal maybe if its a venus flytrap but still. Common sense

Reply 777

Original post by Examfailer

I thought I was the only one who thought that! Seriously, I did not really understand what topic it was referring to, what it was assign. I wouldn't be surprised if I lost all the marks on that page. I also didn't see the labelling questions and found many other party's quite tricky. Good bye a* :frown:

Goodluck xx

Same! It didn't really test any Biology skills in my opinion and it was worded very badly and I just hated it! Hopefully the boundaries are low so maybe we can both get the a*s good luck! Xxx

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Reply 778

Original post by ExamNerd123

Are you dope Pyramid: it involved Animal Plankton, Plant Plankton, Shark? You seriously saying a plant eats an animal maybe if its a venus flytrap but still. Common sense

What are you trying to say? What do you suppose the answer is

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Reply 779