Science Assessment ~ Items ~ NG017004

A ball, starting from rest at Position 1, rolls down and then up a curved track towards Position 5. The ball speeds up as it rolls from Position 1 to Position 3, and it slows down as it rolls from Position 3 to Position 5. When it reaches Position 5, it rolls back down the track.

When is the kinetic energy (motion energy) of the ball being transformed into gravitational potential energy?

Only when the ball rolls from Position 1 to Position 3
Only when the ball rolls from Position 3 to Position 5
The entire time the ball is rolling from Position 1 to Position 5
It is not being transformed at any time because kinetic energy (motion energy) cannot be transformed into gravitational potential energy.

Details
Performance
NGSS

Topic: Energy: Forms, Transformation, Transfer, and Conservation
Correct Answer: B
Misconceptions

Distribution of Responses

Chart showing distrubtion of responses for Item EG017004

Scale Score for Item Difficulty (200[Easy]-800[Difficult]): 515

Students Responding Correctly

Group	Correct	Total	Percent
Overall	412	1204	34%
Grades
4–5	81	233	35%
6–8	205	626	33%
9–12	126	345	37%
Gender
Male	179	543	33%
Female	219	626	35%
Primary Language
English	365	1057	35%
Other	34	115	30%

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 NG017004: The motion energy of a ball rolling back and forth in a curved track is converted to gravitational potential energy only when it is rolling uphill.