Science Assessment ~ Ideas ~ All matter is made up of atoms.

Key Idea: All atoms and molecules are in constant motion.

Sub-Ideas
Items & Student Performance
Misconceptions
NGSS

Students are expected to know that:

Atoms and molecules of all matter are always moving.
This is true for atoms or molecules of solids, liquids, and gases.
Even when objects that are made up of these atoms and molecules appear not to be moving, the atoms and molecules that make up those objects are nonetheless themselves in constant motion.
The motion of atoms or molecules can include moving back and forth with respect to a fixed point, around a fixed point, and/or past each other from one fixed point to another.
The motion (speed and direction) of an atom or molecule can change when it undergoes collision with another atom or molecule resulting in one speeding up and the other slowing down.
Because atoms and molecules are continually colliding with each other, the atoms/molecules of the substance do not have the same speed.

Boundaries:

Students are not expected to know the terms rotation, translation, and vibration.
They are also not expected to know that atoms and molecules of different substances move at different speeds at the same temperature.
Students are not expected to know the special case of absolute zero temperature where, according to kinetic theory, there should be no motion.

Percent of students answering correctly (click on the item ID number to view the item and additional data)
Item ID Number	Knowledge Being Assessed	Grades 6–8	Grades 9–12
AM066003	The molecules of the glass that makes up a window are always moving.	36%	52%
AM053006	The atoms and molecules of both a chair and air in a balloon are moving.	37%	43%
AM054004	The molecules of liquid water in a cup would not stop moving even if the water became a solid, a gas, or if the liquid became still.	34%	44%
AM063002	The water molecules in a glass of liquid water are moving at different speeds.	37%	36%
AM053007	The atoms and molecules of both liquid water and a table are moving.	30%	44%

Frequency of selecting a misconception
Misconception ID Number	Student Misconception	Grades 6–8	Grades 9–12
AMM032	Atoms or molecules of a solid are not moving (Lee et al., 1993; Novak & Musonda, 1991).	48%	42%
AMM058	Molecules within a phase move at the same speed (Griffiths et al., 1992).	41%	47%
AMM054	The atoms or molecules of a liquid will stop moving when the liquid becomes a solid (Novak & Musonda, 1991).	42%	35%
AMM127	The atoms or molecules of a solid move only when heated. For example, the molecules of a glass window move only when the window is warmed by the sun (AAAS Project 2061, n.d.).	24%	19%
AMM033	Atoms or molecules of a liquid are not moving when the liquid itself is still (Johnson, 1998c).	22%	16%
AMM034	Atoms or molecules of a gas are not in motion (Novick et al., 1981).	16%	15%
AMM078	The atoms and molecules of a solid object move only when the object itself moves or is moved (AAAS Pilot testing, 2006).	10%	6%

Frequency of selecting a misconception was calculated by dividing the total number of times a misconception was chosen by the number of times it could have been chosen, averaged over the number of students answering the questions within this particular idea.

No NGSS statements are associated with this idea in the selected project.