Science Assessment ~ Items ~ NG013003

A rubber ball speeds up as it falls toward the floor. How and why do the kinetic energy (motion energy) and gravitational potential energy of the ball change as it falls?

Both the kinetic energy and gravitational potential energy increase because as an object moves, new energy is made.
Both the kinetic energy and gravitational potential energy decrease because as an object moves, energy is used up and is not converted into any other form of energy.
The kinetic energy decreases, and the gravitational potential energy increases because the kinetic energy is converted into gravitational potential energy.
The kinetic energy increases, and the gravitational potential energy decreases because the gravitational potential energy is converted into kinetic energy.

Details
Performance
NGSS

Topic
Correct Answer: D
Misconceptions

Distribution of Responses

Chart showing distrubtion of responses for Item 013003

Scale Score for Item Difficulty (200[Easy]-800[Difficult]): 518

Students Responding Correctly

Group	Correct	Total	Percent
Overall	504	1512	33%
Grades
4–5	N/A	N/A	N/A
6–8	253	863	29%
9–12	251	649	39%
Gender
Male	238	698	34%
Female	259	787	33%
Primary Language
English	454	1385	33%
Other	40	103	39%

View data table

NRC Framework: PS3.A …lifting an object increases the stored energy in the gravitational field between that object and Earth (gravitational potential energy) compared to that for the object at Earth’s surface; when the object falls, the stored energy decreases and the object’s kinetic energy increases.

Science Assessment

Item NG013003: As a rubber balls falls to the floor, the motion energy of the ball increases and the gravitational potential energy of the ball decreases because the gravitational potential energy is transformed into motion energy.