ASPECt
Energy: Forms, Transformation, Transfer, and Conservation
Item NG024003: When a warm plastic block is in contact with a cold metal block, thermal energy will be transferred from the warm block to the cold block until they reach the same temperature.
The temperature of a plastic block is 60°F, and the temperature of a metal block is 40°F. A student puts the plastic block on top of the metal block. Will the blocks ever reach the same temperature? Why or why not?
- Yes, but only for a little while because the metal block will continue to get warmer and the plastic block will continue to cool
- Yes, because energy will be transferred from the plastic block to the metal block until they reach the same temperature
- No, because the temperature difference is not large enough for energy to be transferred
- No, because the blocks are made of different materials
Answer Choice |
Overall |
Grades |
Gender |
Primary Language |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n = 8992 |
4–5 n = 794 | 6–8 n = 4482 |
9–12 n = 3716 |
Male n = 4199 |
Female n = 4582 |
English n = 7876 |
Other n = 876 |
||
| A. | Yes, but only for a little while because the metal block will continue to get warmer and the plastic block will continue to cool | 19% | 26% | 20% | 18% | 20% | 19% | 19% | 18% |
| B. | Yes, because energy will be transferred from the plastic block to the metal block until they reach the same temperature | 44% | 31% | 43% | 47% | 47% | 41% | 44% | 39% |
| C. | No, because the temperature difference is not large enough for energy to be transferred | 13% | 19% | 12% | 12% | 12% | 13% | 12% | 15% |
| D. | No, because the blocks are made of different materials | 24% | 24% | 25% | 24% | 21% | 27% | 24% | 27% |