Original Project
Energy: Forms, Transformation, Transfer, and Conservation
Item EG015003: The mass of a rock will affect the gravitational potential energy of a rock on top of a cliff.
A rock is resting on a flat surface at the top of a cliff. Which of the following always affects the amount of gravitational potential energy a rock has?
- Its mass
- Its shape
- How close it is to the edge of the cliff
- A rock cannot have any gravitational potential energy unless it is falling.
- Distribution of Responses
- Scale Score for Item Difficulty
(200[Easy]-800[Difficult]) - 485
- Students Responding Correctly
| Group | Correct | Total | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1648 | 3252 | 51% |
| Grades | |||
| 6–8 | 841 | 1793 | 47% |
| 9–12 | 803 | 1449 | 55% |
| Gender | |||
| Male | 781 | 1564 | 50% |
| Female | 833 | 1614 | 52% |
| Primary Language | |||
| English | 1476 | 2806 | 53% |
| Other | 128 | 339 | 38% |
- Disciplinary Core Ideas
- PS3.A A system of objects may also contain stored (potential) energy, depending on their relative positions.
- Notes
- The relationship between mass and gravitational potential energy is not addressed in NGSS.