Original Project
Energy: Forms, Transformation, Transfer, and Conservation
Item EG018004: For two books on a table, the book that weighs more has more gravitational potential energy.
A student places two books on a table. One book weighs less than the other book.
Which book has less gravitational potential energy? (Consider the reference point to be the floor.)
- The book that weighs less has less gravitational potential energy.
- The book that weighs more has less gravitational potential energy.
- Both books have the same amount of gravitational potential energy.
- Neither book has any gravitational potential energy.
Answer Choice |
Overall |
Grades |
Gender |
Primary Language |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n = 3269 |
6–8 n = 1810 |
9–12 n = 1449 |
Male n = 1573 |
Female n = 1618 |
English n = 2827 |
Other n = 333 |
||
| A. | The book that weighs less has less gravitational potential energy. | 48% | 47% | 49% | 47% | 49% | 49% | 43% |
| B. | The book that weighs more has less gravitational potential energy. | 22% | 25% | 18% | 20% | 23% | 22% | 23% |
| C. | Both books have the same amount of gravitational potential energy. | 20% | 18% | 23% | 22% | 19% | 20% | 21% |
| D. | Neither book has any gravitational potential energy. | 10% | 11% | 10% | 11% | 10% | 10% | 13% |