Science Assessment ~ Items ~ EG027003

A student has two blocks made of the same type of wood. The wooden blocks are both at the same temperature, but Block 1 weighs more than the Block 2.

Which block has more thermal energy?

Group	Correct	Total	Percent
Overall	1016	2998	34%
Grades
6–8	581	1700	34%
9–12	430	1286	33%
Gender
Male	476	1450	33%
Female	520	1491	35%
Primary Language
English	890	2632	34%
Other	93	287	32%

Disciplinary Core Ideas: PS3.A The temperature of a system is proportional to the average internal kinetic energy and potential energy per atom or molecule (whichever is the appropriate building block for the system's material). The details of that relationship depend on the type of atom or molecule and the interactions among the atoms in the material. Temperature is not a direct measure of a system's total thermal energy. The total thermal energy (sometimes called the total internal energy) of a system depends jointly on the temperature, the total number of atoms in the system, and the state of the material.

Science Assessment