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Item NG100001: When a ball is falling down, the gravitational potential energy of the ball is transformed into motion energy but the elastic energy of the ball is not.

A ball is falling towards the ground.  The speed of the ball increases as it falls.  While the ball is falling and before it hits the ground, which of the following forms of energy is the gravitational potential energy of the ball being transformed into?  (Assume that the ball is not stretched or compressed when it is traveling through the air.)

  1. Both the motion energy (kinetic energy) of the ball and the elastic energy of the ball
  2. The motion energy (kinetic energy) of the ball but not the elastic energy of the ball
  3. The elastic energy of the ball but not the motion energy (kinetic energy) of the ball
  4. Neither the elastic energy of the ball nor the motion energy (kinetic energy) of the ball
Distribution of responses
Answer Choice
Overall
Grades
Gender
Primary Language
 
n = 2968
6–8
n = 1817
9–12
n = 1141
Male
n = 1388
Female
n = 1508
English
n = 2589
Other
n = 282
A. 27% 28% 25% 27% 27% 27% 22%
B. 45% 42% 50% 45% 46% 46% 42%
C. 17% 18% 16% 17% 17% 17% 20%
D. 10% 11% 9% 10% 10% 10% 16%