Skip to content

Write one difference between… (Class 10 Science 2023, Q33)

questionbuddy.in/q/cbse-10-science-2023-31-4-1-q33-difference-between-biodegradable-non-biodegradable

ScienceCBSE Class 10 · Board exam 2023, set 31/4/1 · 3 marks · Short answer

CBSE Class 10 Science 2023: question 33

Set in the CBSE Class 10 board exam of 2023, paper 31/4/1, section C, question 33, for 3 marks. Try it first; the hints and our step-by-step solution are below.

Q33 · 3 marks · Short answerCompetency-basedOur Environment

Write one difference between biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes. List two impacts of each type of the accumulated waste on environment if not disposed off properly.

Source: official question paper from cbse.gov.in (PDF). See it in the full 2023 board paper, set 31/4/1.

Hints

Open one hint at a time and try again before the next.

Hint 1

The difference lies in whether microorganisms can decompose the waste.

Hint 2

Rotting garbage: what do you smell and what insects gather there?

Hint 3

Plastics and pesticides persist. Think of food chains and soil.

Step-by-step solution

Each step shows the marks it earns, as an examiner would award them. Checked by an independent re-solve from the question paper.

  1. Difference: biodegradable wastes (e.g. vegetable peels, paper) can be broken down by biological processes such as the action of bacteria and fungi. Non-biodegradable wastes (e.g. plastics, DDT, glass) cannot be broken down by biological processes.

    1 mark

  2. Impacts of accumulated biodegradable waste:
    (i) It decomposes and gives a foul smell.

    ½ mark

  3. (ii) It becomes a breeding ground for flies, mosquitoes and other disease carriers.

    ½ mark

  4. Impacts of accumulated non-biodegradable waste:
    (i) Harmful chemicals enter food chains and cause biological magnification.

    ½ mark

  5. (ii) It reduces soil fertility and blocks drains and water bodies.

    ½ mark

Answer: Biodegradable: broken down by microbes; non-biodegradable: not. Impacts: foul smell and disease carriers; biomagnification and loss of soil fertility.

Where the marks are

  • Correct difference (1 mark)
  • Two impacts of biodegradable waste (½ + ½ marks)
  • Two impacts of non-biodegradable waste (½ + ½ marks)

Revise the chapter

  • Chapter: Our Environment (notes, formulas, where marks are lost and every past question)
Practise this chapterBoard-style questions from Our Environment, one at a time, marked against the answer key and marking points.Back to the full paper2023 board paper, set 31/4/1: every question, by section.

The question is transcribed from the official paper; figures are described in words. The solution, hints and chapter tag are ours. Spotted an error? Write tosupport@questionbuddy.in.