20130127

Online reading assignment: reflection and refraction

Physics 205B, spring semester 2013
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 reflection and refraction.

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.
"This one is one of my favorite topics, light reflection/refraction is cool."

"Refraction, because I would expect the light ray to stay in the same direction rather than changing."

"How reflection and refraction relate to geometry, because I am love seeing how geometry relates to everyday life."

"Diffuse reflection actually helps us to see better because more of the light waves are coming off of the reflective surface at once instead of being reflected in an angle equal to the angle of incidence."
Describe something you found confusing from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview, and explain why this was personally confusing for you.
"I unfortunately have not received my textbook yet."

"Figuring out the difference between specular reflection and diffuse reflection. The textbook even says there is not a sharp distinction between them but I was wondering if there is an easy way to identify each."

"Nothing too confusing yet."

"Snell's law will probably become clear after applying it."
Ask the instructor an anonymous question, or make a comment. Selected questions/comments may be discussed in class.
"Light slows down when it passes through glass, but will it speed up once it reaches air again, or will it stay at the slower speed?" (It will speed up once it is again in air, as the speed depends only the medium it is currently traveling through.)

Could we possibly have an example of Snell's law done in class? A worked-out problem?" (Be careful of what you ask for.)

"Looking forward to another one of your classes!" (Be careful of what you ask for.)

"I have no questions." (Thus you have made a comment.)

"I'm just trying to reserve my PIN. I'm a dork." (No comment.)

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