ASPECt
Energy: Forms, Transformation, Transfer, and Conservation
Most of what goes on in the universe—from exploding stars and biological growth to the operation of machines a…
Item NG015004: As a ball rolls down a ramp, the gravitational potential energy of the ball decreases and the motion energy of the ball increases because gravitational potential energy is transformed into motion energy.
A student holds a ball at the top of a ramp. He lets go of the ball, and the ball speeds up as it rolls down the ramp.
How and why do the gravitational potential energy and the kinetic energy (motion energy) of the ball change as the ball rolls down the ramp?
- The gravitational potential energy decreases, and the kinetic energy increases because as the ball rolls down the ramp, the gravitational potential energy is converted into kinetic energy.
- The gravitational potential energy decreases, and the kinetic energy increases because as soon as the ball starts moving, it no longer has gravitational potential energy, only kinetic energy.
- The kinetic energy and gravitational potential energy both decrease because as the ball moves, both forms of energy are used up and are not converted into any other form of energy.
- The gravitational potential energy and the kinetic energy both stay the same because one form of energy cannot be converted into a different form of energy.
- Distribution of Responses
- Scale Score for Item Difficulty
(200[Easy]-800[Difficult]) - 486
- Students Responding Correctly
| Group | Correct | Total | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 747 | 1466 | 51% |
| Grades | |||
| 4–5 | 147 | 295 | 50% |
| 6–8 | 289 | 612 | 47% |
| 9–12 | 311 | 559 | 56% |
| Gender | |||
| Male | 372 | 730 | 51% |
| Female | 358 | 703 | 51% |
| Primary Language | |||
| English | 661 | 1291 | 51% |
| Other | 68 | 138 | 49% |
- 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.
- PS3.A Any change in potential energy is accompanied by changes in other forms of energy within the system, or by energy transfers into or out of the system.