ASPECt
Energy: Forms, Transformation, Transfer, and Conservation
Item EG052005: For two balloons that contain the same number of helium atoms, the helium atoms in the balloon with the greater thermal energy are moving at the greater average speed.
A student has two identical balloons filled with helium gas. Balloon 1 and Balloon 2 have the same number of helium atoms in them.
If the thermal energy of the helium in Balloon 1 is increased so that the helium in Balloon 1 has more thermal energy than the helium in Balloon 2, which helium atoms would be moving faster on average?
- The helium atoms in Balloon 1 would be moving faster on average.
- The helium atoms in Balloon 2 would be moving faster on average.
- The helium atoms in Balloon 1 would be moving at the same average speed as the helium atoms in Balloon 2.
- The only way to tell which helium atoms would be moving faster on average is to also know the temperature of the helium in each balloon.
- Distribution of Responses
- Scale Score for Item Difficulty
(200[Easy]-800[Difficult]) - 483
- Students Responding Correctly
| Group | Correct | Total | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 565 | 1113 | 51% |
| Grades | |||
| 4–5 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 6–8 | 240 | 568 | 42% |
| 9–12 | 325 | 545 | 60% |
| Gender | |||
| Male | 266 | 522 | 51% |
| Female | 281 | 565 | 50% |
| Primary Language | |||
| English | 491 | 953 | 52% |
| Other | 54 | 127 | 43% |
- Disciplinary Core Ideas
- PS3.A Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of particles of matter. The relationship between the temperature and the total energy of a system depends on the types, states, and amounts of matter present.
- NRC Framework
- PS3.A Thermal energy is the random motion of particles (whether vibrations in solid matter or molecules or free motion in a gas)...