ATP: the cell's energy carrier
Grade 9 Science Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.
Flow diagram (model, not to scale), drawn inside the cell membrane. Ari reads that one ATP's hydrolysis releases 7.3 kcal/mol and moving one sodium ion across a membrane takes 2.1 kcal/mol. How many whole sodium ions could that energy move?
- 1 ion: each ATP is meant to move a single sodium ion
- 9 ions: 7.3 + 2.1 = 9.4, and that is rounded down to 9
- 4 ions: 7.3 ÷ 2.1 = 3.5, and half an ion is rounded up to 4
- 3 ions: 3 × 2.1 = 6.3 fits in 7.3, but 4 × 2.1 = 8.4 does not
Read this first
Use this
Flow diagram (model, not to scale), drawn inside the cell. Inputs in boxes on the left: ATP; model reaction X. Outputs in boxes on the right: ADP and Pi; model reaction X done. A wavy arrow points out of the reaction: 14 kcal/mol released by ATP hydrolysis in a living cell. Each run of model reaction X needs 5 kcal/mol.
Bo reads that ATP hydrolysis in a living cell releases 14 kcal/mol. A model reaction X needs 5 kcal/mol each time. How many whole runs of X can one ATP drive?
- 3 runs: 14 ÷ 5 = 2.8, and the 0.8 is counted as a whole run
- 9 runs: 14 − 5 = 9, and each run uses up one unit of 5
- 0 runs: ATP releases energy, so it cannot drive anything
- 2 runs: 2 × 5 = 10 fits in 14, but 3 × 5 = 15 is too much
This is the first step of glycolysis. In the first step of glycolysis, a cell spends ATP to add a phosphate group to glucose. Esme asks why. What is the best reason?
Flow diagram (model, not to scale), drawn inside the cytoplasm. Inputs in boxes on the left: ATP; glucose. Outputs in boxes on the right: ADP; glucose with a phosphate group added. A wavy arrow points out of the reaction: energy released by ATP and used to add the phosphate. This is the first step of glycolysis. Flow diagram (model, not to scale), drawn inside the cytoplasm. Inputs in boxes on the left: ATP; glucose. Outputs in boxes on the right: ADP; glucose with a phosphate group added. A wavy arrow points out of the reaction: energy released by ATP and used to add the phosphate. This is the first step of glycolysis. cytoplasm ATP glucose ADP glucose with a phosphate group added energy released by ATP and used to add the phosphate - Adding a phosphate to glucose releases energy, so ATP is a spare
- Adding a phosphate to glucose needs energy, and ATP hydrolysis supplies it
- ATP stores the glucose until the cell needs it later on
- The ATP is used up for good once it gives away its phosphate
Jun reads a model graph. At time 0 a cell stops rebuilding ATP while it keeps working. When does the ATP run out, and what does that show?
Model graph of ATP in a model cell after rebuilding stops (model data). Time (s) across, 0 to 4, a mark every 1. ATP molecules present (molecules) up, 0 to 40, a mark every 10. The line joins (0 s, 30), (1 s, 20), (2 s, 10), (3 s, 0), (4 s, 0) with straight pieces. Model graph of ATP in a model cell after rebuilding stops (model data). Time (s) across, 0 to 4, a mark every 1. ATP molecules present (molecules) up, 0 to 40, a mark every 10. The line joins (0 s, 30), (1 s, 20), (2 s, 10), (3 s, 0), (4 s, 0) with straight pieces. Model graph of ATP in a model cell after rebuilding stops (model data) 0 1 2 3 4 0 10 20 30 40 Time (s) ATP molecules present (molecules) - At 30 s: ATP is the cell's long-term store of energy
- At 3 s: ATP is a short-term supply that must be rebuilt
- At no point: ADP and Pi turn back into ATP on their own
- At 3 s: the ATP is gone for good, so the cell cannot recover
Use this
Flow diagram (model, not to scale), drawn inside the cell. Inputs in boxes on the left: glucose, amount not shown. Outputs in boxes on the right: energy extracted: 17 energy units (model data); energy released as heat: the rest. No wavy arrow label is drawn. OpenStax: glucose pathways extract about 34 percent of the energy in glucose.
Luz reads that glucose-breakdown pathways extract about 34 percent of the energy in glucose and release the rest as heat. A model cell extracts 17 energy units. About how many units did the glucose hold?
Flow diagram (model, not to scale), drawn inside the cell. Inputs in boxes on the left: glucose, amount not shown. Outputs in boxes on the right: energy extracted: 17 energy units (model data); energy released as heat: the rest. No wavy arrow label is drawn. OpenStax: glucose pathways extract about 34 percent of the energy in glucose. Flow diagram (model, not to scale), drawn inside the cell. Inputs in boxes on the left: glucose, amount not shown. Outputs in boxes on the right: energy extracted: 17 energy units (model data); energy released as heat: the rest. No wavy arrow label is drawn. OpenStax: glucose pathways extract about 34 percent of the energy in glucose. glucose energy extracted: 17 energy units energy released as heat: the rest - About 50, because 17 is about 34 percent of 50
- About 83, because 17 plus the 66 percent lost is 83
- About 6, because 34 percent of 17 is about 6
- About 17, because the cell extracts the full amount
Flow diagram (model, not to scale), drawn inside the cell. Noah's notebook shows ATP and water becoming ADP and Pi, with a wavy arrow into the reaction labeled energy needed. What is the flaw?
Flow diagram (model, not to scale), drawn inside the cell. Inputs in boxes on the left: ATP; water. Outputs in boxes on the right: ADP with 2 phosphate groups; Pi. A wavy arrow points into the reaction: energy needed. Flow diagram (model, not to scale), drawn inside the cell. Inputs in boxes on the left: ATP; water. Outputs in boxes on the right: ADP with 2 phosphate groups; Pi. A wavy arrow points into the reaction: energy needed. ATP water ADP with 2 phosphate groups Pi energy needed - The ADP box should show 3 phosphate groups to match ATP
- Water should be an output, since hydrolysis releases water
- The arrow is right: making ADP and Pi from ATP needs an energy input
- The wavy arrow should point out: breaking ATP down releases energy
ATP in a working model cell (model data)
time (s) ATP present ATP broken down each second ATP rebuilt each second 0 60 12 12 10 60 12 12 20 60 12 12 Pia says the amount of ATP stayed at 60, so the cell used none. What is the flaw in that claim?
- A steady amount can mean ATP is rebuilt as fast as it is used
- The amount should rise, because using ATP makes more of it
- A steady amount shows the ATP was stored away in the cell, not used
- The amount should fall, because used ATP is gone for good
Where cells keep energy (real data, from OpenStax Biology 2e)
form of energy how it is used ATP immediate work starch in plants stored glucose fats long-term storage Ren says a plant should keep its winter energy as ATP in every cell. Which reply is best?
- Disagree: ATP is for immediate work, so plants store sugar as starch
- Disagree: plants keep their winter energy as ADP, which holds more than ATP
- Agree: ATP is a stable long-term store, like starch
- Disagree: plants cannot store energy in any form
Use this
Flow diagram (model, not to scale), drawn inside the cell. No wavy arrow label is drawn. No wavy arrow labels are drawn.
Tala's friend says rebuilding ATP is what releases the energy a cell uses for work. Which reply is correct?
Flow diagram (model, not to scale), drawn inside the cell. Inputs in boxes on the left: ATP and water; ADP and Pi. Outputs in boxes on the right: ADP and Pi; ATP and water. No wavy arrow label is drawn. Two changes make a loop: ATP breaks into ADP and Pi, and ADP and Pi join back into ATP. No wavy arrow labels are drawn. Flow diagram (model, not to scale), drawn inside the cell. Inputs in boxes on the left: ATP and water; ADP and Pi. Outputs in boxes on the right: ADP and Pi; ATP and water. No wavy arrow label is drawn. Two changes make a loop: ATP breaks into ADP and Pi, and ADP and Pi join back into ATP. No wavy arrow labels are drawn. ATP and water ADP and Pi ADP and Pi ATP and water ATP breaks into ADP and Pi ADP and Pi join back into ATP - Disagree: rebuilding takes energy in; breaking ATP down releases it
- Disagree: rebuilding releases energy, and breaking takes it in
- Agree: joining the third phosphate to ADP releases energy
- Agree: ADP and Pi make the energy by themselves
ATP made during glucose breakdown (real data, from OpenStax Biology 2e)
process share of the ATP where it happens chemiosmosis 90 percent mitochondria in a eukaryotic cell substrate-level phosphorylation a few ATP molecules steps of the glucose pathways Zee reads that the mitochondria in a model muscle cell stop working. Which prediction fits the card?
- ATP rebuilding stays the same, since ADP and Pi make energy alone
- ATP rebuilding stays the same, since stored ATP lasts for months
- ATP rebuilding falls sharply, since 90 percent of the ATP from glucose is made in mitochondria
- ATP rebuilding stops at once, since the ATP is used up for good

