Science Assessment ~ Topics ~ Energy: Forms, Transformation, Transfer, and Conservation ~ Item NG095003 ~ Student Performance

Imagine a ball on a track where no energy is transferred between the ball and the track or between the ball and the air around the ball The ball goes past Position 1, then down and up a dip on the track, and past Position 2. Position 1 and Position 2 are at the same height.

Will the amount of energy the ball has at Position 2 be more, less, or the same as the total amount of energy the ball had at Position 1? Why? (Remember that no energy is transferred between the ball and the track or between the ball and the air around it.)

The amount of energy the ball has will be more at Position 2 because new energy will be made when the ball goes down the long side of the dip.
The amount of energy the ball has will be less at Position 2 because energy will be used up when the ball goes up the steep side of the dip.
The amount of energy the ball has will be the same at Position 1 and Position 2 because the amount of energy in the system (ball and track) will not change.
Whether the amount of energy of the ball is more, less, or the same at Position 2 compared to Position 1 depends on the speed of the ball before it gets to the dip.

Distribution of responses
Answer Choice	Overall	Grades			Gender		Primary Language
	n = 1497	4–5 n = 0	6–8 n = 803	9–12 n = 694	Male n = 709	Female n = 761	English n = 1380	Other n = 95
A.	17%	N/A	19%	14%	18%	16%	16%	23%
B.	45%	N/A	43%	47%	43%	46%	46%	26%
C.	25%	N/A	23%	27%	26%	23%	24%	32%
D.	14%	N/A	15%	12%	13%	15%	13%	19%

Science Assessment

Item NG095003: The total amount of energy a ball has does not change after it goes down and up a dip because the total energy of the system (ball and track) does not change (assuming no energy transfer between the ball and the track and the ball and the air around it).