ASPECt
Energy: Forms, Transformation, Transfer, and Conservation
Item RG099002: After one car bumps into another car, the first car moves slower and second car moves faster because energy was transferred from the first car to the second..
A child is playing with toy cars. Both cars are moving along a track. Car A and Car B are both moving in the same direction. Car B is moving slower than Car A, and Car A bumps into the back of Car B.
Which of the following correctly describes Car A’s and Car B’s speeds after the bump and why?
- After the bump, Car A is moving slower and Car B is moving faster because energy was transferred from Car A to Car B.
- After the bump, Car A and Car B are both moving slower because some energy was destroyed when Car A hit Car B.
- After the bump, Car A and Car B are both moving faster because the cars create energy as they move.
- After the bump, Car A and Car B are both moving at the same speed because no energy was transferred when Car A hit Car B.
- Distribution of Responses
- Scale Score for Item Difficulty
(200[Easy]-800[Difficult]) - 458
- Students Responding Correctly
| Group | Correct | Total | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 2448 | 3833 | 64% |
| Grades | |||
| 4–5 | 456 | 750 | 61% |
| 6–8 | 994 | 1569 | 63% |
| 9–12 | 998 | 1514 | 66% |
| Gender | |||
| Male | 1151 | 1721 | 67% |
| Female | 1232 | 2001 | 62% |
| Primary Language | |||
| English | 2216 | 3419 | 65% |
| Other | 165 | 288 | 57% |