Science Assessment ~ Items ~ WC081002

Cool air is blowing from Location 1 toward Location 2, where the air is warmer. When the air that was at Location 1 reaches Location 2, clouds begin to appear. If there is no increase in the amount of water vapor in the air as it moves, what could explain why the clouds appear in the air at Location 2?

The cool air pushed the warm air upward, which caused the warm air to cool, condense, and form clouds.
The cool air pushed the warm air upward, which caused the warm air to become warmer, condense, and form clouds.
The warm air pushed the cool air upward, which caused the cool air to become warmer, condense, and form clouds.
The clouds must have moved from somewhere else because air without clouds cannot turn into air with clouds.

Details
Performance
NGSS

Topic: Weather and Climate I: Basic Elements
Correct Answer: A
Misconceptions

Distribution of Responses

Chart showing distrubtion of responses for Item WC081002

Students Responding Correctly

Group	Correct	Total	Percent
Overall	727	1623	45%
Grades
6–8	407	992	41%
9–12	320	629	51%
Gender
Male	325	752	43%
Female	388	837	46%
Primary Language
English	649	1441	45%
Other	61	143	43%

View data table

Disciplinary Core Ideas: ESS2.C Water continually cycles among land, ocean, and atmosphere via transpiration, evaporation, condensation and crystallization, and precipitation, as well as downhill flows on land.

Science Assessment

Item WC081002: As cool air moves toward warmer air, the cool air can push the warmer air upward, which causes the warmer air to cool, condense, and form clouds.