Online reading assignment question: confusing Midterm 1 physics topics

Physics 205B Reading assignment 14, spring semester 2013
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

130324Phys205B-confusing-c
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Wordle.net tag cloud for confusing topics covered in Midterm 1, generated by responses from Physics 205B students at Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA (www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/6522935/Untitled).

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.

List at least three words describing confusing subjects covered in class (up through this midterm). (Graded for completion.)

[Responses have been edited to consolidate related common subjects.]

Student responses
Section 30882

lenses, raytracings, virtualimages
electricfields, electricforces, conceptualquestions
electricfields, electricforces
flustering, deceivinglycomplex
microscopes, charges
correctivelenses, nearpoint
electricfields, interference, diopters
polarization, raytracings, TIR
nothing
interference, polarization, electricfields, electricforces
polarization, raytracings, lenses
electricpotential, capacitance, electricfields
interference, polarization, electricpotentialenergy
telescopes, electricfields, electricforces, interference, diffraction
polarization, refraction, electricpotential
somanyformulas
interference, diffraction

Describe your most confusing subject, and briefly explain why this subject interested you. (Graded for completion.)

The following are all of the student responses to this question, verbatim and unedited.

"I think that lens diagrams and explaining how they work is pretty confusing. I just need to study it harder."

"I find it confusing how to solve conceptual equations, even when I understand the equations for the problem."

"i am still having trouble with electric fields and forces problems, mainly because i have a hard time remembering what some of the terms mean in the equations."

"Polarizes, the concept just took me a while to wrap my head around. Also understanding the difference between electric field and force equations."

"calculating force of a charge"

"the corrective lens part of the class"

"Diopters. I guess this is more of a complaint than a confusing thing. I just think that the may we explain magnification is stupid. The prescription for glasses should be the magnification needed, not an inverse of it. Some people just want to feel more self-important by making things harder for everyone else."

"Polarizers were difficult to understand. Some of these concepts are just hard to follow. I sort of get them, but I need to truly understand these concepts."

"Diffraction, double slit and single slit"

"for some reason i can get to explain how this topics work or how they relate to something i can do."

"The most confusing thing we have covered this semester has been polarizers for me. I have a hard time picturing what is going on in my head."

"I had to put the most work into forces and fields to grasp the concepts."

"polirizer because i dont get them a lot."

"The most confusing subject was electrical fields and forces because they are so similar to eachother."

"Polarizers still confuse me despite all your efforts to explain, i still just feel like there are so many directions that light can come at you from, how can you say a specific direction?"

"Some of the wavelength stuff. Defraction, internal reflection. Lots of formulas and measurements that require the right reference point."

"Interference of all kind confuses me. Double slit, single slit, constructive, and destructive are all confusing to me."