20110914

Astronomy quiz question: sunset horizon position

Astronomy 210 Quiz 1, fall semester 2011
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

An observer in San Luis Obispo, CA notices the sun setting on the horizon at a point between west and northwest. Which month(s) does the sun set at this point on the horizon?
(A) March.
(B) June.
(C) September.
(D) December.
(E) (Two of the above choices.)

Correct answer: (B).

Section 70158
Exam code: quiz01S4lL
(A) : 1 student
(B) : 21 students
(C) : 3 students
(D) : 0 students
(E) : 13 students
(Blank: 1 student)

Success level: 57% (including partial credit for multiple-choice)
Discrimination index (Aubrecht & Aubrecht, 1983): 0.80

1 comment:

Doug Duncan said...

too bad you don't have a planetarium. I hand my students big cardboard arrows and have some of them them stand near the planetarium horizon and PREDICT where the sun will rise/set. Then all the other students vote with clickers/ This seems to impress upon them pretty well. But it requires a planetarium :)

Thanks for all your good work!