Original Project
Energy: Forms, Transformation, Transfer, and Conservation
Item EG052004: For two balloons that contain the same number of helium atoms, the helium atoms in the balloon with the greater thermal energy are moving at the greater average speed.
A student has two balloons filled with helium gas, Balloon 1 and Balloon 2. The balloons have the same number of helium atoms in them.
If the thermal energy of the helium in Balloon 1 is increased so that the helium in Balloon 1 has more thermal energy than the helium in Balloon 2, which helium atoms would be moving faster on average?
- The helium atoms in Balloon 1 would be moving faster on average.
- The helium atoms in Balloon 2 would be moving faster on average.
- The helium atoms in Balloon 1 would be moving at the same average speed as the helium atoms in Balloon 2.
- The only way to tell which helium atoms would be moving faster on average is to also know the temperature of the helium in each balloon.
Answer Choice |
Overall |
Grades |
Gender |
Primary Language |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n = 4759 |
6–8 n = 2668 |
9–12 n = 2077 |
Male n = 2297 |
Female n = 2371 |
English n = 4134 |
Other n = 485 |
||
| A. | The helium atoms in Balloon 1 would be moving faster on average. | 48% | 46% | 52% | 50% | 48% | 50% | 40% |
| B. | The helium atoms in Balloon 2 would be moving faster on average. | 20% | 21% | 18% | 19% | 21% | 20% | 20% |
| C. | The helium atoms in Balloon 1 would be moving at the same average speed as the helium atoms in Balloon 2. | 18% | 19% | 17% | 18% | 18% | 17% | 22% |
| D. | The only way to tell which helium atoms would be moving faster on average is to also know the temperature of the helium in each balloon. | 14% | 14% | 13% | 13% | 14% | 13% | 18% |