Original Project
Atoms, Molecules, and States of Matter
When heated, solids can change into liquids and liquids can change into gases. When cooled, gases can change in…
Item AM036003: Water spilled on the floor will eventually disappear because the water molecules become a gas and are now part of the air.
You spill a little water on a tile floor but don’t have time to wipe it up. A few hours later, most of the water is gone. What happened to the water?
- The water molecules were destroyed.
- The water molecules got smaller and now take up less space.
- The water molecules became a gas and are now part of the air.
- The water molecules broke down into hydrogen and oxygen atoms, which are now in the air.
- Distribution of Responses
- Students Responding Correctly
| Group | Correct | Total | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1390 | 2893 | 48% |
| Grades | |||
| 6–8 | 846 | 1856 | 46% |
| 9–12 | 542 | 1029 | 53% |
| Gender | |||
| Male | 722 | 1427 | 51% |
| Female | 653 | 1435 | 46% |
| Primary Language | |||
| English | 1261 | 2543 | 50% |
| Other | 106 | 300 | 35% |
- Disciplinary Core Ideas
- ESS2.C Water continually cycles among land, ocean, and atmosphere via transpiration, evaporation, condensation and crystallization, and precipitation, as well as downhill flows on land.
- Notes
- An atomic-molecular understanding of evaporation is reasonable to expect at the middle and high school levels.