Item CL129002: The air temperature at a town usually increases during July and begins to decrease in early August because the amount of energy transferred to the town from the sun becomes less than the amount of energy transferred from the town into space in early August.
The air temperature at a town usually increases during July and begins to decrease in early August. Does a change in the amount of energy transferred to or from the town cause the average daily air temperature to begin to decrease?
- Yes, the amount of energy transferred from the sun to the town starts to decrease in early August, which causes the air temperature to decrease regardless of how much energy is transferred from the town into space.
- Yes, the amount of energy transferred to the town from the sun becomes less than the amount of energy transferred from the town into space in early August, which causes the air temperature to decrease.
- No, the amount of energy transferred to or from the town could change, but it would not affect the air temperature at the town.
- No, the amount of energy transferred to and from the town does not change in August. The decrease in temperature must be caused by a change in weather patterns so that colder air moves to the town in the beginning of August.
- Distribution of Responses
- Students Responding Correctly
Group | Correct | Total | Percent |
---|---|---|---|
Overall | 756 | 2179 | 35% |
Grades | |||
6–8 | 398 | 1154 | 34% |
9–12 | 355 | 1014 | 35% |
Gender | |||
Male | 368 | 1074 | 34% |
Female | 359 | 1027 | 35% |
Primary Language | |||
English | 657 | 1883 | 35% |
Other | 71 | 215 | 33% |
- NRC Framework
- ESS2.D To maintain any average temperature over time, energy inputs from the sun and from radioactive decay in Earth’s interior must be balanced by energy loss due to radiation from the upper atmosphere.
- PS3.B Even when a system is isolated (such as Earth in space), energy is continually being transferred into and out of it by radiation.