Science Assessment ~ Topics ~ Energy: Forms, Transformation, Transfer, and Conservation ~ Item RG128002 ~ Student Performance

A homeowner wants to move two chairs to make room for a new piece of furniture. The two chairs are identical in size and mass. However, the first chair is on a smooth hardwood floor, while the second chair is on thick carpet.

He notices that the chair on the thick carpet is more difficult to move than the chair on the hardwood floor and thinks that there is more friction between the chair and the carpet than the chair and the hardwood floor. Which of the following statements correctly describes the energy transferred while moving each of the chairs?

Friction between the carpet and the chair will increase the amount of energy that is destroyed while the man is moving the chair, so in order to move the chair on the carpet, the man will have to transfer more energy to the chair.
Friction between the carpet and the chair will increase the amount of energy transferred to the environment, so in order to move the chair on the carpet, the man will have to transfer more energy to the chair.
Although friction between the carpet and the chair makes moving the chair more difficult, the man will transfer the same amount of energy to each chair if both are moved the same distance.
Friction between the carpet and the chair means the man will transfer more energy to the chair on the carpet, but only before the chair begins moving. Once the chairs are in motion, the man will transfer the same amount of energy to each chair.

Distribution of responses
Answer Choice		Overall	Grades			Gender		Primary Language
		n = 4054	4–5 n = 563	6–8 n = 1817	9–12 n = 1674	Male n = 1827	Female n = 2093	English n = 3644	Other n = 257
A.	Friction between the carpet and the chair will increase the amount of energy that is destroyed while the man is moving the chair, so in order to move the chair on the carpet, the man will have to transfer more energy to the chair.	34%	37%	37%	30%	33%	35%	34%	39%
B.	Friction between the carpet and the chair will increase the amount of energy transferred to the environment, so in order to move the chair on the carpet, the man will have to transfer more energy to the chair.	37%	28%	34%	44%	39%	36%	37%	34%
C.	Although friction between the carpet and the chair makes moving the chair more difficult, the man will transfer the same amount of energy to each chair if both are moved the same distance.	13%	20%	14%	10%	14%	12%	13%	13%
D.	Friction between the carpet and the chair means the man will transfer more energy to the chair on the carpet, but only before the chair begins moving. Once the chairs are in motion, the man will transfer the same amount of energy to each chair.	16%	15%	16%	16%	14%	17%	16%	14%

Science Assessment

Item RG128002: Friction between a carpet and a chair will increase the amount of energy transferred to the environment, so in order to move the chair on the carpet, a man will have to transfer more energy to the chair.