ASPECt
Energy: Forms, Transformation, Transfer, and Conservation
Item EG017004: For two students of equal height and weight, the student standing on the higher diving board has more gravitational potential energy than the student standing on the lower diving board.
Two students want to see who can make a bigger splash by jumping off a diving board. The students are the same height and weight. One student climbs up to the higher diving board, and the other student climbs up to the lower diving board.
Which student has more gravitational potential energy when they are standing on the diving boards?
- The student on the higher diving board has more gravitational potential energy.
- The student on the lower diving board has more gravitational potential energy.
- Both students have the same amount of gravitational potential energy.
- Neither student has any gravitational potential energy.
Answer Choice |
Overall |
Grades |
Gender |
Primary Language |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n = 1450 |
4–5 n = 357 | 6–8 n = 636 |
9–12 n = 457 |
Male n = 723 |
Female n = 707 |
English n = 1259 |
Other n = 162 |
||
| A. | The student on the higher diving board has more gravitational potential energy. | 70% | 68% | 67% | 76% | 72% | 68% | 71% | 62% |
| B. | The student on the lower diving board has more gravitational potential energy. | 13% | 15% | 15% | 9% | 12% | 15% | 13% | 18% |
| C. | Both students have the same amount of gravitational potential energy. | 13% | 13% | 13% | 12% | 12% | 14% | 12% | 16% |
| D. | Neither student has any gravitational potential energy. | 4% | 4% | 5% | 3% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 4% |