ASPECt
Energy: Forms, Transformation, Transfer, and Conservation
Item EG042004: A spring has elastic energy when it is stretched and when it is compressed.
A student has two identical springs. He stretches one spring and compresses the other spring.
Which of the following describes the elastic potential energy of the springs while they are being stretched or compressed?
- Both the compressed spring and the stretched spring have elastic potential energy.
- The compressed spring has elastic potential energy, but the stretched spring does not.
- The stretched spring has elastic potential energy, but the compressed spring does not.
- Neither the compressed spring nor the stretched spring has elastic potential energy.
Answer Choice |
Overall |
Grades |
Gender |
Primary Language |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n = 1642 |
4–5 n = 295 | 6–8 n = 809 |
9–12 n = 538 |
Male n = 740 |
Female n = 868 |
English n = 1477 |
Other n = 127 |
||
| A. | Both the compressed spring and the stretched spring have elastic potential energy. | 37% | 34% | 39% | 35% | 35% | 38% | 37% | 34% |
| B. | The compressed spring has elastic potential energy, but the stretched spring does not. | 31% | 36% | 28% | 32% | 31% | 31% | 31% | 29% |
| C. | The stretched spring has elastic potential energy, but the compressed spring does not. | 25% | 22% | 26% | 24% | 26% | 23% | 24% | 27% |
| D. | Neither the compressed spring nor the stretched spring has elastic potential energy. | 7% | 8% | 6% | 9% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 10% |