Original Project
Atoms, Molecules, and States of Matter
Item AM052003: When an iron frying pan cools, the distance between the iron atoms decreases, so the pan gets a tiny bit smaller.
A cook takes a hot iron frying pan off the stove to cool. What happens as the iron pan cools?
- The mass of the iron atoms increases, so the pan gets a tiny bit heavier.
- The mass of the iron atoms does not change, so the pan remains the same.
- The distance between the iron atoms decreases, so the pan gets a tiny bit smaller.
- The distance between the iron atoms does not change, so the pan remains the same.
Answer Choice |
Overall |
Grades |
Gender |
Primary Language |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n = 2895 |
6–8 n = 1855 |
9–12 n = 1031 |
Male n = 1431 |
Female n = 1433 |
English n = 2540 |
Other n = 306 |
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| A. | The mass of the iron atoms increases, so the pan gets a tiny bit heavier. | 16% | 18% | 13% | 16% | 16% | 16% | 21% |
| B. | The mass of the iron atoms does not change, so the pan remains the same. | 31% | 30% | 34% | 28% | 34% | 31% | 33% |
| C. | The distance between the iron atoms decreases, so the pan gets a tiny bit smaller. | 29% | 26% | 33% | 33% | 24% | 29% | 24% |
| D. | The distance between the iron atoms does not change, so the pan remains the same. | 24% | 26% | 20% | 23% | 25% | 24% | 23% |