Only 25% of girls correctly answered Item
G01 PATH OF ELECTRONS TRAVELING THROUGH A MAGNETIC FIELD, which is exactly the percentage
who would have answered correctly if they had just guessed at this 4 part multiple choice
question. Only 22% answered Item G04 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INDUCED CURRENT AND
VARYING MAGNETIC FIELD, which is 3% fewer than would have answered correctly if they had
just guessed at this 4 part question. Only 20% correctly answered Item G05 DIRECTION
REFRACTED RAY OF LIGHT, which is exactly the percent who would have answered it correctly
if they had just guessed at this 5 part question. Only 18% got Item G07 ENERGY
TRANSFORMATION AND COLLISION OF CARS correct, 2% fewer than if they had just
guessed. 11% got Item G08 MECHANICAL ENERGY OF BLOCK AND SPRING SYSTEM correct, 9%
fewer than if they guessed. 17% got Item G09 DIRECTION OF FORCES IN AMUSEMENT PARK
RIDE correct, 8% fewer than if they guessed.20% got Item G10 MINIMUM VOLTAGE NEEDED TO
PRODUCE X- RAYS correct, exactly what they would have gotten by sheer
guesswork. Only 4% correctly answered Item G11 EFFECT OF ICE MELTING ON WATER
LEVEL IN AQUARIUM, only 1% higher than the standard error of 3%. Only 1.4% (less than the
standard error) got G12 CALCULATION OF MASS USING CONSERVATION OF MOMENTUM correct.
7% got Item G13 DOPPLER EFFECT AND MOVING CAR correct, but this is barely a physics
question to anyone who has seen an American highway. 2% (less than the
standard error of 3%) got Item G14 PATHS OF ALPHA, BETA, AND GAMMA RAYS THROUGH AN
ELECTRIC FIELD correct. 2% (less than the standard error) got G15 DIRECTION OF
ACCELERATION OF A BOUNCING BALL correct. 3% (about the standard error) got G16 EFFECT OF
PRESSURE ON WATER LEAKING FROM A BOTTLE correct. 1% (less than the 3% standard error) got
G18 ALPHA PARTICLES PASSING THROUGH GOLD correct. 0% got non-multiple choice Items
G19 LENZ’S LAW AND FALLING ALUMINUM RING, and H18 TELEVISION AS PARTICLE ACCELERATOR
correct. 23% got H03 PHOTOELECTRIC EFFECT AND KINETIC ENERGY OF EMITTED ELECTRONS
correct, 3% more than just guessing. 1% got Item H04 TENSION OF STRING BETWEEN TWO FALLING
OBJECTS correct, 19% less than if they had merely guessed. 29% got Item H06 INDUCED emf IN
ROTATING COIL correct, 4% more than would have correctly answered this 4 part question had
they just guessed at it. Only 9% correctly answered Item H07 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE WITH CONSTANT VOLUME which is 16% fewer than if they had
guessed. Only 10% got Item H08 PATH OF ELECTRONS IN ELECTRIC FIELD correct, 10% less
than if they just guessed. Only 15% got Item H09 REFRACTION AND VELOCITY OF BLUE
LIGHT correct, 5% fewer than just guessing.Only 11% correctly answered Item H10 VECTOR SUM
OF ELECTRIC FORCES, 9% fewer than if they just guessed. 3% (the standard error)
correctly answered H13 INTERPRETATION OF A FORCE VERSUS DISTANCE GRAPH, a non-multiple
choice question. Only 1% correctly answered H14 EFFECT OF DENSITY ON THE FREEZING OF
WATER, which is 24% lower than if they just guessed. 1% (less than the 3% standard error)
correctly answered the non-multiple choice question Item H17 RESISTANCE OF A SERIES
CIRCUIT COMPONENT.
6% correctly answered Items H12 PARTICLE
MOVEMENT IN A TRANSVERSE WAVE, and H15 DE BROGLIE WAVELGTH OF A MOBILE ELECTRON which are
non-multiple choice questions which suggest that the level of understanding was just
slightly higher than the standard error s12alm95.pdf
55% of American correctly answered Item G2, demonstrating
that they were taught and were able to remember this
basic physics principle:
When a small volume of water is boiled, a large volume of
steam is produced. Why?
A. The molecules are further apart in steam than in water.
B. Water molecules expand when heated.
C. The change from water to steam causes the number of
molecules to increase.
D. Atmospheric pressure works more on water molecules than
on steam molecules.
E. Water molecules repel each other when heated.
51% of American girls (vs. 48% of American boys)
correctly answered Item G3, demonstrating that they were taught and were able to remember
this basic physics principle:
A jar of oxygen gas and a jar of hydrogen gas are at the
same temperature.
Which of the following has the same value for the
molecules of both gases?
A. the average velocity
B. the average momentum
C. the average force
D. the average kinetic energy
43% of American girls correctly answered Item G6,
demonstrating that they were taught and were able to remember this basic physics
principle:
By what process do most stars release energy?
A. Electromagnetic induction resulting from strong
magnetic fields
B. Rapid rotation of the star
C. Radioactivity in the interior of the star
D. Nuclear fusion in the interior of the star
E. Heat which was stored when the star was
‘born’
42% of American girls correctly answered Item G12 DIRECTION OF FORCE DUE CURRENT, demonstrating that they were taught and were able to remember
this basic physics principle.
42% of American girls (vs. 38% of American boys)
correctly answered Item H01 BOXES
SLIDING DOWN INCLINED PLANES demonstrating that they
were taught and were able to remember this basic physics principle.
39% of American girls correctly answered Item H02 LIQUID EVAPORATION demonstrating that they were taught and were able to remember this
basic physics principle:
H2. Which one of the following statements about liquid
evaporation is correct? When a liquid evaporates
A. the temperature in the air above the liquid decreases.
B. fast-moving liquid molecules near the surface escape to
the air and the liquid gets warmer.
C. the gas pressure of the substance directly above the
liquid depends only on the atmospheric pressure.
D. fast-moving liquid molecules near the surface escape to
the air and the liquid gets colder.
35% of American girls (vs. 33% of American boys)
correctly answered Item H05 LENGTH OF
SPACESHIP IN FLIGHT demonstrating that they were
taught and were able to remember this basic physics principle:
H5. A spaceship passes an observer at a speed of 0.9 c.
The observer knows that the length of the spaceship, measured at rest before it took off,
was 100 m. What is the length of the spaceship in flight as seen by the observer?
A. 19 m
B. 44 m
C. 229 m
D. 526 m
6% & 34% of American girls correctly answered Item H19A & B SPEED OF SOUND EXPERIMENT/ REASON demonstrating that they were taught and were able to remember this
basic physics principle:
(a) Briefly outline an experiment Susan could do at her
school, using echos on the playground wall to measure the speed of sound. Indicate what
materials Susan would need, what measurements she will take, and what computations she
will make.
(b) Four teams in Susan’s class did the experiment
you described. Each team got a different answer. Explain one reason why this might happen.
On every question which relied on reasoning or
computation, a statistical zero percent of girls answered correctly. On thirteen
4-answer multiple choice questions, the percent of girls who answered correctly was lower
than if they had just guessed at the answer. On eight 5-answer multiple choice
questions, the percent who answered correctly was just 4.75% higher than if they had just
guessed. Overall, an average of only 3.5% more American girls correctly answered all
of the questions than if they had just guessed, compared to an international average of
23.2% of boys. The percent of American girls correctly answering non-memorization
questions was zero, compared to an international average of 14.3% of boys.
4% of girls vs. 15% of boys answered Item G11 correctly:
The water level in a small aquarium reaches up to a mark
A. After a large ice cube is dropped into the water, the cube floats and the water level
rises to a new mark B. What will happen to the water level as the ice melts? Explain your
reasoning.
7% of girls vs. 40% of boys answered Item G13 correctly:
A car moving at constant speed with a siren sounding comes
towards you and then passes by. Describe how the frequency of the sound you hear
changes.
1% of girls vs. 11.5% of boys answered G18 correctly:
A stream of alpha particles is directed at a very thin
sheet of gold. Explain why most of the alpha particles pass through the sheet.
| TIMSS Physics
Questions from timssallitems.pdf 39 released questions. |
Percent of US
12th Grade Girls With Correct Answers |
Correction for
Multiple Choice Questions |
Actual Percent of
US 12th Grade Girls Demonstrating knowledge of the question |
Boys'
International Average |
Boys'
International Average Corrected for guesses |
US boys prior to
adjustment for guesses |
Intl' boys prior
to adjustment for guesses |
Country With
Highest Score |
US boys adjusted
for guesses |
Int'l boys
adjusted for guesses |
| G01 PATH OF
ELECTRONS TRAVELING THROUGH A MAGNETIC FIELD 26 2.5 27 3.4 25 2.7 |
25
|
25
|
0
|
42.7
|
24
|
42.7
|
61.1
|
Norway |
17.7
|
36.1
|
| G04 RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN INDUCED CURRENT AND VARYING MAGNETIC FIELD 26 2.6 31 3.8 22 2.7 |
22
|
25
|
-3
|
33.6
|
11
|
33.6
|
48.2
|
France |
8.6
|
23.2
|
| G05 DIRECTION
REFRACTED RAY OF LIGHT 27 2.8 33 3.5 20 2.9 |
20
|
20
|
0
|
37
|
21
|
33
|
59.1
|
Russia |
13
|
39.1
|
| G07 ENERGY
TRANSFORMATION AND COLLISION OF CARS 23 2.4 27 3.9 18 2.5 |
18
|
20
|
-2
|
32.7
|
16
|
27.1
|
61.1
|
Slovenia |
7.1
|
41.1
|
| G08 MECHANICAL
ENERGY OF BLOCK AND SPRING SYSTEM 13 1.6 14 2.5 11 2.3 |
11
|
25
|
-14
|
38.2
|
18
|
14.2
|
56.6
|
Norway |
-10.8
|
31.6
|
| G09 DIRECTION OF
FORCES IN AMUSEMENT PARK RIDE 15 2.2 13 2.1 17 4.0 |
17
|
20
|
-3
|
19.4
|
-1
|
12.8
|
56.5
|
Cyprus |
-7.2
|
36.5
|
| G10 MINIMUM
VOLTAGE NEEDED TO PRODUCE X- RAYS 23 2.6 25 3.5 20 4.2 |
20
|
20
|
0
|
31.7
|
15
|
24.8
|
54.5
|
Slovenia |
4.8
|
34.5
|
| G11 EFFECT OF ICE
MELTING ON WATER LEVEL IN AQUARIUM 5 1.1 6 1.8 4 0.8 |
4
|
0
|
4
|
14.9
|
14.9
|
6
|
30.3
|
Switzerland |
6
|
30.3
|
| G13 DOPPLER
EFFECT AND MOVING CAR 12 1.7 16 3.0 7 1.9 |
7
|
0
|
7
|
39.8
|
39.8
|
16.5
|
68.9
|
Italy |
16.5
|
68.9
|
| G14 PATHS OF
ALPHA, BETA, AND GAMMA RAYS THROUGH AN ELECTRIC FIELD 5 1.1 7 2.1 2 0.8 |
2
|
0
|
2
|
30
|
30
|
7.3
|
59.5
|
Norway |
7.3
|
59.5
|
| G15 DIRECTION OF
ACCELERATION OF A BOUNCING BALL 6 1.2 10 2.1 2 1.1 |
2
|
0
|
2
|
19.3
|
19.3
|
9.6
|
51.9
|
Norway |
9.6
|
51.9
|
| G16 EFFECT OF
PRESSURE ON WATER LEAKING FROM A BOTTLE 3 1.0 4 1.3 3 1.0 |
3
|
0
|
3
|
9.9
|
9.9
|
3.9
|
20.5
|
France |
3.9
|
20.5
|
| G17 DIRECTION OF
FORCE DUE CURRENT 12 2.1 11 1.9 12 3.9 |
12
|
0
|
12
|
31.2
|
31.2
|
10.9
|
48.4
|
Slovenia |
10.9
|
48.4
|
| G18 ALPHA
PARTICLES PASSING THROUGH GOLD 2 0.7 3 1.3 1 0.5 |
1
|
0
|
1
|
11.5
|
11.5
|
2.5
|
28.1
|
Germany |
2.5
|
28.1
|
| G19 LENZ’S
LAW AND FALLING ALUMINUM RING 1 0.3 1 0.6 . . |
0
|
0
|
0
|
16.3
|
16.3
|
1.1
|
42.2
|
Germany |
1.1
|
42.2
|
| H03 PHOTOELECTRIC
EFFECT AND KINETIC ENERGY OF EMITTED ELECTRONS 24 2.4 26 2.7 23 3.1 |
23
|
25
|
-2
|
41.2
|
22
|
25.9
|
65.2
|
Norway |
0.9
|
40.2
|
| H04 TENSION OF
STRING BETWEEN TWO FALLING OBJECTS 33 2.2 43 3.1 23 2.2 |
23
|
25
|
-2
|
39.1
|
19
|
42.6
|
52.3
|
Sweden |
17.6
|
27.3
|
| H06 INDUCED emf
IN ROTATING COIL 34 2.1 38 3.4 29 3.1 |
29
|
25
|
5
|
31.7
|
9
|
38.2
|
40.2
|
Latvia |
13.2
|
15.2
|
| H07 RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE WITH CONSTANT VOLUME 15 2.0 20 3.1 9 1.8 |
9
|
25
|
-16
|
45.4
|
27
|
19.9
|
55.8
|
Denmark |
-5.1
|
30.8
|
| H08 PATH OF
ELECTRONS IN ELECTRIC FIELD 12 1.6 13 2.5 10 1.9 |
10
|
20
|
-10
|
34
|
18
|
13.3
|
54.7
|
France |
-6.7
|
34.7
|
| H09 REFRACTION
AND VELOCITY OF BLUE LIGHT 19 2.1 23 3.2 15 2.3 |
15
|
20
|
-5
|
31.9
|
15
|
22.7
|
63.5
|
Australia |
2.7
|
43.5
|
| H10 VECTOR SUM OF
ELECTRIC FORCES 15 1.5 18 2.1 11 1.7 |
11
|
25
|
-14
|
36.5
|
15
|
18.2
|
56.4
|
Sweden |
-6.8
|
31.4
|
| H12 PARTICLE
MOVEMENT IN A TRANSVERSE WAVE 11 2.0 16 3.5 6 1.7 |
6
|
0
|
6
|
29.8
|
29.8
|
16.1
|
71.6
|
Sweden |
16.1
|
71.6
|
| H13
INTERPRETATION OF A FORCE VERSUS DISTANCE GRAPH 7 1.7 10 2.2 3 1.5 |
3
|
0
|
3
|
42.2
|
42.2
|
10
|
63.6
|
Germany |
10
|
63.6
|
| H14 EFFECT OF
DENSITY ON THE FREEZING OF WATER 2 0.6 3 0.9 1 0.8 |
1
|
25
|
-24
|
14.6
|
-14
|
2.6
|
39.6
|
Sweden |
-22.4
|
14.6
|
| H15 DE BROGLIE
WAVELGTH OF A MOBILE ELECTRON 7 1.4 7 1.5 7 1.9 |
7
|
0
|
7
|
24.2
|
24.2
|
6.5
|
74.2
|
Norway |
6.5
|
74.2
|
| H16 SPEED OF AN
ELECTRON TRAVELING THROUGH PERPENDICULAR ELECTRIC AND MAGNETIC FIELD 2 0.6 1 0.7 2 1.1 |
2
|
0
|
2
|
22.4
|
22.4
|
1.3
|
55.2
|
Norway |
1.3
|
55.2
|
| H17 RESISTANCE OF
A SERIES CIRCUIT COMPONENT 2 0.7 2 1.2 1 0.4 |
1
|
0
|
1
|
19.7
|
19.7
|
2.3
|
48.4
|
Sweden |
2.3
|
48.4
|
| H18 TELEVISION AS
PARTICLE ACCELERATOR 1 0.3 2 0.6 0 0.1 |
0
|
0
|
0
|
17.2
|
17.2
|
1.5
|
55.9
|
Germany |
1.5
|
55.9
|
| AVERAGE |
|
|
-1.1%
|
22.1%
|
14.3%
|
12.3%
|
40.6%
|
|
3.2%
|
|
