ASPECt
Energy: Forms, Transformation, Transfer, and Conservation
Item RG132002: When comparing three springs, the spring that is harder to stretch will have more elastic potential energy than the other springs if they are all stretched the same amount.
A student has three springs and would like to compare the elastic potential energy the springs have when stretched. He stretches all three springs 5 cm and lets go, which allows them to go back to their unstretched lengths. He makes several observations about each spring and records his observations in the table below:
| Spring | How difficult to stretch? | Unstretched Length | Weight |
| 1 | Easiest to stretch | Shortest | In between 2 and 3 |
| 2 | Hardest to stretch | In between 1 and 3 | Lightest |
| 3 | In between 1 and 2 | Longest | Heaviest |
Based on his findings, the student decides that Spring 3 has the most elastic potential energy. Is the student’s conclusion accurate?
- Yes, Spring 3 has the most elastic potential energy because the heavier a spring is the more elastic potential energy it has.
- Yes, Spring 3 has the most elastic potential energy because the longer a spring is the more elastic potential energy it has.
- No, Spring 1 has the most elastic potential energy because the easier a spring is to stretch, the more elastic potential energy it has.
- No, Spring 2 has the most elastic potential energy because the harder a spring is to stretch, the more elastic potential energy it has.
Answer Choice |
Overall |
Grades |
Gender |
Primary Language |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n = 4716 |
4–5 n = 721 | 6–8 n = 1964 |
9–12 n = 2031 |
Male n = 2117 |
Female n = 2456 |
English n = 4245 |
Other n = 302 |
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| A. | Yes, Spring 3 has the most elastic potential energy because the heavier a spring is the more elastic potential energy it has. | 20% | 25% | 21% | 18% | 21% | 20% | 20% | 21% |
| B. | Yes, Spring 3 has the most elastic potential energy because the longer a spring is the more elastic potential energy it has. | 30% | 29% | 29% | 31% | 31% | 29% | 30% | 31% |
| C. | No, Spring 1 has the most elastic potential energy because the easier a spring is to stretch, the more elastic potential energy it has. | 25% | 26% | 25% | 24% | 21% | 28% | 25% | 23% |
| D. | No, Spring 2 has the most elastic potential energy because the harder a spring is to stretch, the more elastic potential energy it has. | 25% | 20% | 24% | 28% | 27% | 23% | 25% | 25% |