20160301

Online reading assignment: quantum leaps, sun's outer layers (NC campus)

Astronomy 210, spring semester 2016
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students have a weekly online reading assignment (hosted by SurveyMonkey.com), where they answer questions based on reading their textbook, material covered in previous lectures, opinion questions, and/or asking (anonymous) questions or making (anonymous) comments. Full credit is given for completing the online reading assignment before next week's lecture, regardless if whether their answers are correct/incorrect. Selected results/questions/comments are addressed by the instructor at the start of the following lecture.

The following questions were asked on reading textbook chapters and previewing presentations on quantum leaps, and the sun's outer layers.


Selected/edited responses are given below.

Describe something you found interesting from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview, and explain why this was personally interesting for you.
"Finding out how and what neon signs are made of. I would of thought that they would just used colored light bulbs rather than using photons from electron transitions."

"I wasn't at all aware that the sun had sunspots. I thought that the hotter, the redder, but apparently I was wrong."

"How the sun stabilizes its size based on the pressure of its hot gasses and its gravity...look Mom, no hands!"

Describe something you found confusing from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview, and explain why this was personally confusing for you.
"Electrons can switch orbits? Whuuuuuuuuuuuht???"

"The electron and photon rules for quantamin mechanics is a bit confusing."

"How the surface of the sun works."

An electron in an atom must emit a photon when it jumps from a __________ energy orbital to a __________ energy orbital.
lower; higher.  ** [2]
higher; lower.  ********** [10]
(Both of the above choices.)  [0]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)  * [1]

An electron in an atom must absorb a photon when it jumps from a __________ energy orbital to a __________ energy orbital.
lower; higher.  ********* [9]
higher; lower.  *** [3]
(Both of the above choices.)  [0]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)  * [1]

The exterior of the sun, from inner to outermost layers, are the:
(Only correct responses shown.)
inner: photosphere [85%]
middle: chromosphere [77%]
outer: corona [69%]

State your preference regarding miso soup.
Strongly dislike.  * [1]
Dislike.  [0]
Neutral.  **** [4]
Like  ***** [5]
Strongly like.  ** [2]
(I don't know what miso soup is.)  * [1]

Ask the instructor an anonymous question, or make a comment. Selected questions/comments may be discussed in class.
"If we don't do very well in our quizzes, will we fail the class?" (You get to drop your three lowest quizzes this semester. We'll also review the quiz material to prepare for the first midterm. If you're really freaked out, then let's talk, but I think you (and most people in this class) will do okay.)

"I wonder where the idea of miso soup came from. Was someone just like, 'Hey this juice needs a touch of tofu?'"

"ABSOLUTE LOVE MISO SOUP!"

"I really don't like miso soup, no matter how many times I try it, it never gets better."

"Kinda hungry, sushi and miso soup sound pretty good right now."

"Electrons switching orbits is confusing to me. 'I know! We need to build a wall, so no electrons will cross over!' Hey, if there's a wall, I can just avoid figuring out electrons."

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