Original Project
Energy: Forms, Transformation, Transfer, and Conservation
Item NG065004: A pendulum stops swinging because the motion energy of the ball is transferred somewhere else, like the air, as the ball swings from side to side.
A student is playing with a pendulum (a ball attached to the end of a string). He gives the ball a push and watches the ball as it swings from side to side. After a while, the ball stops swinging.
Why does the ball stop swinging?
- The motion energy (kinetic energy) of the ball is transferred somewhere else, like the air, as the ball swings from side to side.
- A little bit of the ball’s motion energy (kinetic energy) is used up each time it swings from side to side, but the motion energy is not transferred anywhere else.
- Some motion energy (kinetic energy) is transferred somewhere else, like the air, and some motion energy is used up.
- An object only has motion energy (kinetic energy) when a person makes it move, and the student is no longer pushing the ball.
- Distribution of Responses
- Students Responding Correctly
| Group | Correct | Total | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 946 | 3844 | 25% |
| Grades | |||
| 6–8 | 482 | 2366 | 20% |
| 9–12 | 462 | 1465 | 32% |
| Gender | |||
| Male | 508 | 1820 | 28% |
| Female | 419 | 1942 | 22% |
| Primary Language | |||
| English | 847 | 3408 | 25% |
| Other | 64 | 309 | 21% |