Science Assessment ~ Topics ~ Energy: Forms, Transformation, Transfer, and Conservation ~ Item RG160002 ~ Student Performance

A meteoroid, a small rock traveling through space, passes close to earth. The meteoroid begins to fall toward the earth.

What happens to the energy of the system containing the earth and the meteoroid as the meteoroid approaches the earth? (Assume the mass of the meteoroid does not change as it falls.)

The gravitational force field of earth causes some of the potential energy of the earth-meteoroid system to be converted to the kinetic energy of the meteoroid.
The gravitational force field of earth creates kinetic energy of the meteoroid. The potential energy of the earth-meteoroid system stays the same.
The gravitational force field of earth is transformed into the kinetic energy of the meteoroid. Potential energy does not play a role in the transformation.
Some of the potential energy of the earth-meteoroid system is converted to the kinetic energy of the meteoroid, but the gravitational force field of earth does not play a role in this conversion.

Distribution of responses
Answer Choice	Overall	Grades			Gender		Primary Language
	n = 1520	4–5 n = 0	6–8 n = 776	9–12 n = 744	Male n = 749	Female n = 740	English n = 1330	Other n = 148
A.	43%	N/A	39%	47%	46%	40%	43%	41%
B.	27%	N/A	28%	25%	26%	27%	26%	29%
C.	19%	N/A	20%	17%	18%	21%	19%	15%
D.	12%	N/A	13%	10%	10%	13%	11%	15%

Science Assessment

Item RG160002: As a meteoroid approaches the earth, the gravitational force field of earth causes some of the potential energy of the earth-meteoroid system to be converted to the kinetic energy of the meteoroid.