ASPECt
Energy: Forms, Transformation, Transfer, and Conservation
Item RG206001: When a battery is connected to a capacitor in a closed circuit, chemical energy in the battery is converted into electrostatic potential energy in the capacitor.
A battery is connected to a capacitor in a closed circuit. A capacitor is a device that is composed of two large conductive plates separated by a nonconductive insulating layer. When the battery is connected to the capacitor, a chemical reaction occurs in the battery that causes one of the plates in the capacitor to acquire a negative charge and the other an equal amount of positive charge. Which of the following describes how energy changes while the capacitor is being charged by the battery?
- Matter inside the battery is converted into electrostatic potential energy in the capacitor.
- Matter inside the battery is converted into kinetic energy (motion energy) in the capacitor.
- Chemical energy in the battery is converted into electrostatic potential energy in the capacitor.
- Chemical energy in the battery is converted into kinetic energy (motion energy) in the capacitor.
- Distribution of Responses
- Scale Score for Item Difficulty
(200[Easy]-800[Difficult]) - 501
- Students Responding Correctly
| Group | Correct | Total | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1589 | 3858 | 41% |
| Grades | |||
| 4–5 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 6–8 | 789 | 2056 | 38% |
| 9–12 | 800 | 1802 | 44% |
| Gender | |||
| Male | 779 | 1828 | 43% |
| Female | 775 | 1943 | 40% |
| Primary Language | |||
| English | 1447 | 3451 | 42% |
| Other | 110 | 306 | 36% |