Item NG099001: When skateboarding down a hill, gravitational potential energy is transformed into motion energy and thermal energy.
A girl is riding her skateboard down a hill. She speeds up as she goes down the hill, and the wheels get a little warmer.
What energy transformations happen while she is going down the hill?
- Motion energy (kinetic energy) is transformed into gravitational potential energy and thermal energy.
- Gravitational potential energy is transformed into motion energy (kinetic energy) and thermal energy.
- Gravitational potential energy is transformed only into motion energy (kinetic energy).
- No energy transformations are involved while she is going down the hill.
- Distribution of Responses

- Students Responding Correctly
Group | Correct | Total | Percent |
---|---|---|---|
Overall | 1370 | 2995 | 46% |
Grades | |||
6–8 | 792 | 1903 | 42% |
9–12 | 572 | 1080 | 53% |
Gender | |||
Male | 680 | 1459 | 47% |
Female | 667 | 1483 | 45% |
Primary Language | |||
English | 1253 | 2706 | 46% |
Other | 80 | 213 | 38% |
- Disciplinary Core Ideas
- PS3.A A system of objects may also contain stored (potential) energy, depending on their relative positions.
PS3.B When the motion energy of an object changes, there is inevitably some other change in energy at the same time. - NRC Framework
- PS3.A Any change in potential energy is accompanied by changes in other forms of energy within the system, or by energy transfers into or out of the system.