Science Assessment ~ Topics ~ Force and Motion ~ Item FM097002 ~ Student Performance

A person is riding a snowmobile in a snowy field. As the snowmobile reaches a frozen lake, the person turns off the snowmobile’s engine and allows the snowmobile to slide across the lake. What will happen to the motion of the snowmobile if friction and air resistance act to slow the snowmobile down?

The snowmobile will move slower and slower the entire time it is sliding across the lake.
The snowmobile will move at a constant speed the entire time it is sliding across the lake.
The snowmobile will move at constant speed for a while and then slow down as it is sliding across the lake.
The snowmobile will slow down for a while and then move at constant speed as it is sliding across the lake.

Distribution of responses
Answer Choice		Overall	Grades		Gender		Primary Language
		n = 3499	6–8 n = 2221	9–12 n = 1270	Male n = 1663	Female n = 1766	English n = 3152	Other n = 276
A.	The snowmobile will move slower and slower the entire time it is sliding across the lake.	45%	42%	50%	51%	40%	47%	32%
B.	The snowmobile will move at a constant speed the entire time it is sliding across the lake.	13%	15%	10%	13%	13%	13%	18%
C.	The snowmobile will move at constant speed for a while and then slow down as it is sliding across the lake.	31%	33%	29%	27%	36%	31%	38%
D.	The snowmobile will slow down for a while and then move at constant speed as it is sliding across the lake.	10%	10%	10%	9%	11%	10%	12%

Science Assessment

Item FM097002: A snowmobile sliding across a lake with its engine turned off will move slower and slower the entire tme it is sliding across the lake.