Original Project
Atoms, Molecules, and States of Matter
All atoms are extremely small.
Item AM061003: It would take millions of atoms to make a line across a small dot (about one millimeter in diameter).
About how many atoms would it take to make a line across this dot: 
?
- 6
- 600
- 6000
- 6,000,000
(Modified from Mulford and Robinson, 2002)
- Distribution of Responses
- Students Responding Correctly
| Group | Correct | Total | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1906 | 4035 | 47% |
| Grades | |||
| 6–8 | 708 | 1883 | 38% |
| 9–12 | 1190 | 2135 | 56% |
| Gender | |||
| Male | 1045 | 1968 | 53% |
| Female | 828 | 1999 | 41% |
| Primary Language | |||
| English | 1712 | 3548 | 48% |
| Other | 160 | 413 | 39% |
- NRC Framework
- PS1.A: While too small to be seen with visible light, atoms...
- Notes
- NGSS does not address the size of atoms except to say that all matter is made of atoms and that atoms are too small to be seen with visible light.