Science Assessment ~ Topics ~ Energy: Forms, Transformation, Transfer, and Conservation ~ Misconception EGM050

Thermal energy is not related to the speed of the molecules that make up an object (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).

Items that test for misconception EGM050 in this project (Original Project) and key idea (Thermal energy of an object is asso…)
Item ID Number	Item Description	How Often the Misconception was Chosen
EG055004	The thermal energy of an object depends on the speed and type of molecules that make up the object.	34%
EG056004	The thermal energy of an object depends on the speed and number of molecules that make up the object.	30%
EG049002	For two objects that are made up of the same type of molecule and the same number of molecules, the molecules of the object with more thermal energy have the greater average speed.	19%
EG052004	For two balloons that contain the same number of helium atoms, the helium atoms in the balloon with the greater thermal energy are moving at the greater average speed.	18%
EG046003	When the average speed of molecules increases, the thermal energy of an object increases.	12%