Science Assessment ~ Items ~ RG157002

A teacher opens a window in her classroom, letting in air from outside that is colder than the air inside the classroom.

What will happen to the colder air from outside the classroom when it comes into contact with the warmer air inside the classroom?

The colder air will sink toward the floor.
The colder air will stay at the same height as the window, neither rising nor sinking.
The colder air will sink if it is much colder than the air around it; but if it is only a little colder than the air around it, the cold air will not sink.
The colder air will not sink toward the floor, but the coldness from the air will sink toward the floor and will cool the air that is already there.

Group	Correct	Total	Percent
Overall	675	1595	42%
Grades
4–5	21	81	26%
6–8	382	860	44%
9–12	272	654	42%
Gender
Male	371	778	48%
Female	291	787	37%
Primary Language
English	628	1443	44%
Other	33	113	29%

NRC Framework: PS3.B. Heating is another process for transferring energy. Heat transfer occurs when two objects or systems are at different temperatures. Energy moves out of higher temperature objects and into lower temperature ones, cooling the former and heating the latter. This transfer happens in three different ways—by conduction within solids, by the flow of liquid or gas (convection), and by radiation, which can travel across space.

Science Assessment