Science Assessment ~ Ideas ~ The energy released from food was once energy from the sun that was captured by plants in the chemical process that forms plant matter (from air and water).

Key Idea: Uncontrolled systems always evolve toward more stable states--that is, toward more uniform energy distribution.

Students should know that:

Unless prevented from doing so, energy will become uniformly distributed among the atoms/molecules within a system or between the system and the surrounding environment.
When energy becomes uniformly distributed, the amount of energy present has not changed but the energy becomes less useful and less concentrated.
After a given amount of energy had become uniformly distributed, it takes additional energy to concentrate the diffuse energy and make it useful again.
Thermal energy in the surrounding environment is sometimes considered a less useful type of energy.

Boundaries:

Items do not ask students to perform any calculations. For example, students are not asked to use equations like KE = 1/2mv² or PE = mgh.
Items do not assess students’ understanding of entropy or the relationship between energy and entropy.

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
AP049004	Predict how the temperature and the energy of the gases in two systems will change when the systems are allowed to be in contact with each other.	N/A	N/A
AP061003	Apply scientific ideas about the transfer of energy and the availability of energy within a system to explain which system best thaws frozen soup. (MC Version)	N/A	N/A
AP029006	In a device that creates water droplets by condensing water vapor, analyze data to make a prediction about whether the device would continue to produce water droplets if one section is kept at a constant temperature. (MC Version)	N/A	N/A
AP030006	In a device that creates water droplets by condensing water vapor, analyze data to make a prediction about whether the device would continue to produce water droplets if one section is kept at a constant temperature. (CR Version)	N/A	N/A

No misconceptions are associated with this idea in the selected project.

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