Science Assessment ~ Topics ~ Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition ~ Item WE025005 ~ Student Performance

Could wind and water have broken the solid rock of a mountain so that it is now half the height that it was millions of years ago?

Wind and water could have broken the solid rock of the mountain gradually every day, which after millions of years could have made the mountain half the height it used to be.
Wind and water could have made the mountain half the height it used to be, but only by occasionally breaking the solid rock of the mountain during huge storms.
Even though the mountain could have become be half the height it used to be, it could not have gotten smaller from wind and water breaking the solid rock of the mountain.
Wind and water could have broken the solid rock of the mountain and made it smaller, but wind and water could not have made the mountain half the size it used to be.

Distribution of responses
Answer Choice		Overall	Grades		Gender		Primary Language
		n = 1165	6–8 n = 711	9–12 n = 454	Male n = 570	Female n = 569	English n = 1018	Other n = 112
A.	Wind and water could have broken the solid rock of the mountain gradually every day, which after millions of years could have made the mountain half the height it used to be.	59%	58%	61%	59%	60%	61%	49%
B.	Wind and water could have made the mountain half the height it used to be, but only by occasionally breaking the solid rock of the mountain during huge storms.	20%	20%	20%	20%	20%	19%	23%
C.	Even though the mountain could have become be half the height it used to be, it could not have gotten smaller from wind and water breaking the solid rock of the mountain.	11%	12%	10%	11%	11%	11%	15%
D.	Wind and water could have broken the solid rock of the mountain and made it smaller, but wind and water could not have made the mountain half the size it used to be.	10%	10%	9%	9%	10%	9%	13%

Science Assessment