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 NG100002: When a ball is falling down, the gravitational potential energy of the ball is transformed into motion energy but the elastic energy of the ball is not.
A ball is falling toward the ground. The speed of the ball increases as it falls. While the ball is falling and before it hits the ground, which of the following forms of energy is gravitational potential energy being transformed into? (Assume that the ball is not stretched or compressed when it is traveling through the air.)
- Both kinetic energy (motion energy) and elastic potential energy
- Kinetic energy (motion energy) but not elastic potential energy
- Elastic potential energy of the ball but not kinetic energy (motion energy)
- Neither elastic potential energy nor kinetic energy (motion energy)
- Distribution of Responses
- Scale Score for Item Difficulty
(200[Easy]-800[Difficult]) - 484
- Students Responding Correctly
| Group | Correct | Total | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 511 | 988 | 52% |
| Grades | |||
| 4–5 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 6–8 | 329 | 644 | 51% |
| 9–12 | 182 | 344 | 53% |
| Gender | |||
| Male | 235 | 458 | 51% |
| Female | 264 | 503 | 52% |
| Primary Language | |||
| English | 454 | 864 | 53% |
| Other | 45 | 101 | 45% |
- Disciplinary Core Ideas
- PS3.B When the motion energy of an object changes, there is inevitably some other change in energy at the same time.
- NRC Framework
- 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.