Science Assessment

Students should know that:

1. One form of energy can be converted into one or more other forms of energy. 
2. If there is a decrease in one form of energy, there will be an increase in one or more other forms of energy.  Similarly, if there is an increase in one form of energy, there will be a decrease in one or more other forms of energy.
3. All forms of energy can be converted to other forms of energy, and all forms of energy can result from a transformation. 
4. Energy transformations typically occur when energy is transferred from object or place to another.  For example, when a compressed spring is used to push a ball, elastic potential energy is transformed into motion energy and energy is transferred from the spring to the ball.
5. Energy cannot be transformed into a force or vice versa (This is because energy is a property of an object or system and force is an interaction between objects or systems.).

Boundaries:

1. Assessment items require students to analyze real world situations involving energy transformations and identify the forms in which energy is manifested before and after the transformation.
2. Items do not ask students to calculate how much of one form of energy is converted into another given properties such as mass, velocity, height, etc. 
3. Items do use contexts in which energy transformations occur between kinetic energy (motion energy), thermal energy, gravitational potential energy, chemical energy, and elastic potential energy.
4. Items do not use contexts in which energy transformations occur between electrical energy, sound energy, or radiant energy because we consider these to be mechanisms of energy transfer and not forms of energy.  Transformations involving electrostatic potential energy may be assessed at the advanced level because electrostatic potential energy is being treated as a form of energy at the advanced level.