Original Project
Energy: Forms, Transformation, Transfer, and Conservation
Gravitational potential energy is associated with the distance an object is above a reference point, such as the…
Item EG090001: Two identical balls that are thrown up in the air will have the same amount of gravitational potential energy when they are at the same height above the ground.
A student threw two identical balls up into the air. For the balls to have the same amount of gravitational potential energy at a certain point in time, what must be true?
- They must be moving at the same speed.
- They must be at the same height above the ground.
- They must have been thrown at the same time.
- They must have been thrown with the same amount of force.
- Distribution of Responses
- Students Responding Correctly
| Group | Correct | Total | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1171 | 3061 | 38% |
| Grades | |||
| 6–8 | 645 | 1817 | 35% |
| 9–12 | 521 | 1233 | 42% |
| Gender | |||
| Male | 600 | 1479 | 41% |
| Female | 540 | 1513 | 36% |
| Primary Language | |||
| English | 1048 | 2682 | 39% |
| Other | 87 | 296 | 29% |