ASPECt
Energy: Forms, Transformation, Transfer, and Conservation
Transformations and transfers of energy within a system usually result in some energy being released into its su…
Item RG170002: Which energy flow diagram represents the flow of energy when a wind-up car is wound and then let go?
A child is playing with a wind-up toy car, pictured below. The child winds the car’s spring by using the wind-up key in the back of the car. A spring inside the car stores the energy the child has transferred to the car. As the spring is released, the car travels across the floor.
A student would like to use an energy flow diagram to illustrate the flow of energy in this situation. An energy flow diagram is a representation of the transfers of energy in a system. The arrows indicate the direction energy is transferred.
Which of the following energy flow diagrams correctly identifies the flow of energy in the situation described above? (Assume that the wind-up car starts out at the same temperature as the air.)
- Distribution of Responses
- Scale Score for Item Difficulty
(200[Easy]-800[Difficult]) - 520
- Students Responding Correctly
| Group | Correct | Total | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 497 | 1548 | 32% |
| Grades | |||
| 4–5 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 6–8 | 221 | 773 | 29% |
| 9–12 | 276 | 775 | 36% |
| Gender | |||
| Male | 224 | 734 | 31% |
| Female | 266 | 782 | 34% |
| Primary Language | |||
| English | 462 | 1395 | 33% |
| Other | 28 | 113 | 25% |