Science Assessment ~ Items ~ RG160002

A meteoroid, a small rock traveling through space, passes close to earth. The meteoroid begins to fall toward the earth.

What happens to the energy of the system containing the earth and the meteoroid as the meteoroid approaches the earth? (Assume the mass of the meteoroid does not change as it falls.)

The gravitational force field of earth causes some of the potential energy of the earth-meteoroid system to be converted to the kinetic energy of the meteoroid.
The gravitational force field of earth creates kinetic energy of the meteoroid. The potential energy of the earth-meteoroid system stays the same.
The gravitational force field of earth is transformed into the kinetic energy of the meteoroid. Potential energy does not play a role in the transformation.
Some of the potential energy of the earth-meteoroid system is converted to the kinetic energy of the meteoroid, but the gravitational force field of earth does not play a role in this conversion.

Details
Performance
NGSS

Topic
Correct Answer: A
Misconceptions

Distribution of Responses

Chart showing distrubtion of responses for Item 160002

Scale Score for Item Difficulty (200[Easy]-800[Difficult]): 498

Students Responding Correctly

Group	Correct	Total	Percent
Overall	653	1520	43%
Grades
4–5	N/A	N/A	N/A
6–8	301	776	39%
9–12	352	744	47%
Gender
Male	344	749	46%
Female	293	740	40%
Primary Language
English	572	1330	43%
Other	61	148	41%

View data table

Disciplinary Core Ideas: PS3.C When two objects interacting through a field change relative position, the energy stored in the field is changed.

Science Assessment

Item RG160002: As a meteoroid approaches the earth, the gravitational force field of earth causes some of the potential energy of the earth-meteoroid system to be converted to the kinetic energy of the meteoroid.