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Item AM052004: When an iron frying pan heats up, the distance between the iron atoms increases, so the pan gets a tiny bit larger.

A cook places an iron frying pan on the stove.  What happens as the iron pan heats up?

  1. The number of iron atoms increases, so the pan gets a tiny bit larger.
  2. The number of iron atoms does not change, so the pan remains the same.
  3. The distance between the iron atoms increases, so the pan gets a tiny bit larger.
  4. The distance between the iron atoms does not change, so the pan remains the same.
Distribution of Responses
Chart showing distrubtion of responses for Item 052004
Students Responding Correctly
Group Correct Total Percent
Overall 1006 2899 35%
Grades
  6–8 533 1787 30%
  9–12 470 1104 43%
Gender
  Male580138642%
  Female408147328%
Primary Language
  English919259135%
  Other7627628%

View data table

Notes
NGSS does not address thermal expansion or contraction of matter.