Original Project
Energy: Forms, Transformation, Transfer, and Conservation
Item EG018004: For two books on a table, the book that weighs more has more gravitational potential energy.
A student places two books on a table. One book weighs less than the other book.
Which book has less gravitational potential energy? (Consider the reference point to be the floor.)
- The book that weighs less has less gravitational potential energy.
- The book that weighs more has less gravitational potential energy.
- Both books have the same amount of gravitational potential energy.
- Neither book has any gravitational potential energy.
- Distribution of Responses
- Scale Score for Item Difficulty
(200[Easy]-800[Difficult]) - 484
- Students Responding Correctly
| Group | Correct | Total | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1564 | 3269 | 48% |
| Grades | |||
| 6–8 | 842 | 1810 | 47% |
| 9–12 | 713 | 1449 | 49% |
| Gender | |||
| Male | 745 | 1573 | 47% |
| Female | 791 | 1618 | 49% |
| Primary Language | |||
| English | 1374 | 2827 | 49% |
| Other | 144 | 333 | 43% |
- 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.