Physical Science 2 - Assessment Bank

1. As an object falls, what happens to its gravitational energy?

a. increases
b. decreases
c. remains the same
d. more information is needed

2. Which of the following does not represent energy being converted?

a. stretching a rubber band then letting it go

b. dropping a ball
c. playing with a yo-yo
d. a book sitting on a desk

3. What are the factors that influence the amount of elastic energy in an object? Circle all that are correct.

a. stretching
b. compression
c. hardness
d. mass

4. What energy type is represented in the picture to

the right?
Which type of energy conversion is involved
when the arrow is released?

The picture represents elastic energy, which is the result of the bow being bent and the bowstring being
stretched.
When the bowstring is released, this elastic energy is transformed into kinetic energy of the arrow.

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Use the diagram below to answer questions 5, 6, and 7.

5. At which point on the roller coaster will the car have the greatest amount of kinetic energy? Explain why.
Since kinetic energy is the energy of motion, the bottom of the roller coaster after the big drop is the point
at which the car is going the fastest, so it has the most kinetic energy and the least gravitational energy at
point X.

6. At which point on the roller coaster will the car have the greatest amount of gravitational energy?
Explain why.
The further from the center of the Earth, the greater the gravitational energy, so the greatest amount of
gravitational energy is at point W.

7. What energy type(s) is present at point Z? Explain your answer.

At point Z there is gravitational energy (because the roller coaster is above ground level) and kinetic energy because
the car is still moving.

8. What determines the amount of thermal energy of an object? More than one answer is possible.

e. temperature
f. speed
g. mass
h. springiness

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9. Which object has more thermal energy – a large pot of water or a small pot of water at the same
temperature?

e. Both pots have the same thermal energy.

f. The large pot has more thermal energy.
g. The small pot has more thermal energy.
h. There is not enough information to answer the question.

10. Which of the following types of energy is potential energy? More than one answer is possible.

e. gravitational energy
f. kinetic energy
g. thermal energy
h. sound energy

11. A cold can of soda is taken out of the refrigerator. It slowly warms up until it is at room temperature.
Once the soda has warmed up, it has more thermal energy than it had in the refrigerator. Where did this
additional thermal energy come from?

a. The thermal energy was already in the soda.

b. The thermal energy came from the air surrounding the soda can.
c. The thermal energy came from the air surrounding the soda can and from the soda itself.
d. The thermal energy came from the refrigerator.

A student drops a ball from 5 feet above the ground. After bouncing once, it only reaches a maximum height
of 4 feet above the ground.

12. Use energy terms to explain why the ball did not reach its original height after bouncing once.
Some of the balls energy was transferred to the floor and the surrounding air so that the ball was left
with less energy than it originally had. This means that its maximum GE was smaller than it originally
was, so it only reaches a lower height.

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 13. To the right is a diagram presenting the maximum
height the ball reaches after consecutive bounces.

Explain why the maximum height gets smaller

with every bounce.

With each bounces the ball transfers energy to the

floor and the surrounding air, leaving it with less
energy than before, so it can only reach a lower
height than before.

14. Does the diagram above contradict the idea of energy conservation? Explain your answer.

The large mug of hot tea has more thermal energy because it: A) contains more water and B) the water
in it is hotter.

15. You have a large mug with hot tea and a small mug with ice tea. Which mug has more thermal energy?
Explain your answer.
The large mug of hot tea has more thermal energy because it: A) contains more water and B) the water
in it is hotter.
16. Circle one of the following apparatuses and explain in detail how it works. Include a full explanation, an
energy conversion diagram, and an energy transfer diagram.
Pendulum Bouncing Ball Rolling Coffee Can
See full explanation of each apparatus in the teacher guide.

Energy Conversion Diagram

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 Energy Transfer Diagram

17. Diane and Chris are neighbors whose apartment windows face each other. They made an old-
fashioned telephone using two paper cups connected by a long string through the bottom. Each night,
they pull the string tight, and one person talks into a cup, while the other person holds the cup up to her
ear to hear. How is the sound transferred from one person’s voice to the other person’s ear?

Short-Response Rubric:

MS-PS4-2 Develop and use a model to describe that waves are reflected,
absorbed, or transmitted through various materials.

Level of Evidence of Understanding

Understanding

3 Demonstrating Student response provides clear evidence of using the

Expected dimensions* to make sense of the phenomenon. Student
Understanding is able to:

● explain how the sound energy travels from

one friend to the other.
2 Progressing Student responses provide partial evidence of using the
Toward dimensions* to make sense of the phenomenon. The
Understanding response lacks some critical information and details or
contains some errors. Student is able to:

● explain how the sound energy travels from

one friend to the other BUT the explanation
contains errors.
1 Beginning to Student response is incomplete or provides minimal
Develop evidence of using the dimensions* to make sense of the
Understanding phenomenon.

0 Not Showing Student does not respond or student response is

Understanding inaccurate, irrelevant, or contains insufficient evidence of
using the dimensions* to make sense of the
phenomenon.

*As outlined in the Performance Expectations (PE) of the NGSS, the three

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 dimensions are the disciplinary core ideas (DCI), science and engineering
practices (SEP), and crosscutting concepts (CCC). Note that due to the complexity
of the PEs, individual assessment items may not address all three dimensions.

Scoring Notes:

The sound energy from one person’s voice causes the air molecules inside the cup to vibrate.
The vibration transfers energy to the bottom of the cup, where the string is attached, causing
the string to vibrate. The vibration in the string travels from the bottom of the cup through the
tight string, all the way to the bottom of the other cup. This causes the air molecules inside the
other cup to vibrate and enter someone’s ear. This makes sound that they can hear as it travels
through the air when the string vibrates.

18. Miguel claims that as a ball falls, it loses potential energy. Izzy claims that as a ball falls, it gains
kinetic energy. Can both students be correct? Describe the evidence which would support either
student.

MS-PS3-5. Construct, use, and present arguments to support the claim that when the
motion energy of an object changes, energy is transferred to or from the object.

Level of Evidence of Understanding

Understanding

2 Demonstrating Student response provides clear evidence of using the

Expected dimensions* to make sense the specific phenomenon.
Understanding Student is able to:

· describe the evidence that supports either that as a ball

falls, it loses potential energy OR that as a ball falls, it gains
kinetic energy.

1 Progressing Student response provides partial evidence of using the

Toward dimensions* to make sense the specific phenomenon. The
Understanding response lacks some critical information and details or
contains some errors. Student is able to:

· describe the evidence that supports either that as a ball

falls, it loses potential energy OR that as a ball falls, it gains
kinetic energy BUT the description is partially correct or is
missing parts.

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 0 Not Showing Student does not respond or student response is inaccurate,
Understanding irrelevant, or contains insufficient evidence of using the
dimensions* to the specific phenomenon.

*As outlined in the Performance Expectations (PE) of the NGSS, the three dimensions are the disciplinary core ideas
(DCI), science and engineering practices (SEP), and crosscutting concepts (CCC). Note that due to the complexity of the
PEs, individual assessment items may not address all three dimensions.

Scoring notes:

● Both students can be correct. Evidence of decreasing energy is the decreasing sound
the ball makes on impact [or the decreasing height at which it rebounds]. Evidence of
jincreasing kinetic energy is that a ball falling with greater force initially has a louder
sound when it hits something, like a floor.

19. In 1908, a meteorite impact occurred in Russia. The dashed line indicates the area in which the
fireball that hit the surface of the Earth flattened millions of trees.

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(Image source: https://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/ciencia/esp_ciencia_tunguska01.htm)

Content source: https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2008/30jun_tunguska/

Part 1: Which characteristics of the meteorite are supported by the data in the map? (Select all that
apply.)

A. had a large mass

B. was falling at a high speed
C. had a large amount of kinetic energy when falling
D. was travelling from a very long distance in the solar system

Part 2: Explain your choice(s) using the map data as evidence.

To flatten trees for over 25 km, the meteorite had to hit the Earth with a great impact. Because the
amount of force is determined by mass and speed, I chose A and B. Because kinetic energy is related
to how fast something is moving, I also chose C. There is no way to know how far the meteorite
travelled, so I didn’t choose D.

20. Hydropower plants are a type of hydroelectric plant. Here are some steps in the process of
generating electricity at these types of plants.

1. Energy is stored in water found in reservoirs located at low elevations.

2. The water is pumped to higher elevations.
3. The water is then released, and then falls due to gravity.
4. Falling water enables turbines to turn, increasing energy and generating an electrical
current.
5.
Part 1: Which change would decrease the amount of potential energy in the hydropower plant system?

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 A. Increasing the capacity of the reservoir.
B. Increasing the length of time the water is stored in the reservoir.
C. Decreasing the amount of water falling onto the turbines.
D. Decreasing the height between the reservoir and the location where the water is
released.

Part 2: Explain your answer.

An object has more gravitational energy the further it is from Earth’s center. So, the higher the water is
when it is released (falls), the more energy it can produce. If the height of the reservoir were
decreased, the system would produce less energy as the turbine would not turn as quickly to generate
electricity.

21.

(Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Half-Pipe_Vert_Ramp.svg)

The diagram shows a type of ramp called a half-pipe that skateboarders and snowboarders use to
perform high jumps and tricks in the air.

Part 1: How does the energy compare when the skateboarder is on the bottom of the ramp versus
when the skateboarder is in the air performing a trick?

A. The skateboarder has less gravitational energy on the bottom and more kinetic energy in
the air.
B. The skateboarder has more gravitational energy on the bottom and less in the air.
C. The skateboarder has more kinetic energy on the bottom and more gravitational energy in
the air.
D. The skateboarder has less kinetic energy on the bottom and more kinetic energy in the air.

Part 2: Explain your answer.

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The skateboarder has more kinetic energy when they are moving along the sides and bottom of the half
pipe. When they are highest in the air, and furthest from Earth, the amount of gravitational energy is the
greatest. The lose gravitational energy as they move closer to Earth’s surface, and they gain kinetic
energy at the same time.

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