Science Assessment ~ Topics ~ Energy: Forms, Transformation, Transfer, and Conservation ~ Item EG048004 ~ Student Performance

Object 1 and Object 2 are both made up of the same type of molecule and the same number of molecules. Object 1 has more thermal energy than Object 2. Do the molecules of Object 1 have more, less, or the same amount of kinetic energy (motion energy) than the molecules of Object 2?

The molecules of Object 1 have more kinetic energy than the molecules of Object 2.
The molecules of Object 1 have less kinetic energy than the molecules of Object 2.
The molecules of Object 1 have the same amount of kinetic energy as the molecules of Object 2.
More information is needed to say anything about the kinetic energy of the molecules.

Distribution of responses
Answer Choice		Overall	Grades			Gender		Primary Language
		n = 1489	4–5 n = 0	6–8 n = 831	9–12 n = 658	Male n = 714	Female n = 757	English n = 1350	Other n = 107
A.	The molecules of Object 1 have more kinetic energy than the molecules of Object 2.	39%	N/A	35%	44%	39%	38%	39%	36%
B.	The molecules of Object 1 have less kinetic energy than the molecules of Object 2.	19%	N/A	18%	20%	17%	21%	19%	23%
C.	The molecules of Object 1 have the same amount of kinetic energy as the molecules of Object 2.	23%	N/A	27%	19%	24%	22%	23%	28%
D.	More information is needed to say anything about the kinetic energy of the molecules.	19%	N/A	20%	17%	19%	19%	20%	13%

Science Assessment

Item EG048004: For two objects that are made up of the same type of molecule and the same number of molecules, the molecules of the object with more thermal energy have more motion energy.