Original Project
Atoms, Molecules, and States of Matter
Item AM065003: Wet jeans hung on a clothesline eventually dry because the water molecules move faster and become part of the air.
You wash a pair of jeans. You hang the wet jeans on a clothesline. A few hours later, the jeans are dry. What happened to the water molecules?
- The water molecules became part of the jeans.
- The water molecules disappeared and no longer exist.
- The water molecules moved faster and became part of the air.
- The water molecules broke down into hydrogen and oxygen atoms.
(Modified from Keeley, et al., 2005)
Answer Choice |
Overall |
Grades |
Gender |
Primary Language |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n = 4926 |
6–8 n = 2773 |
9–12 n = 2136 |
Male n = 2373 |
Female n = 2484 |
English n = 4320 |
Other n = 527 |
||
| A. | The water molecules became part of the jeans. | 7% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 8% | 7% | 11% |
| B. | The water molecules disappeared and no longer exist. | 12% | 15% | 8% | 12% | 11% | 11% | 17% |
| C. | The water molecules moved faster and became part of the air. | 42% | 38% | 47% | 42% | 42% | 43% | 36% |
| D. | The water molecules broke down into hydrogen and oxygen atoms. | 39% | 40% | 38% | 38% | 39% | 39% | 36% |