20150317

Online reading assignment: Kirchhoff's laws (NC campus)

Astronomy 210, spring semester 2015
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 Kirchhoff's laws.


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.
"Learning about emission, absorption and continuous spectra. I didn't know that it could be classified into three categories, and how to you can spot them in nature, etc."

"I liked seeing which items gave off which types of light. Now when I walk around town, I can see what things are made of. I am not sure whether or not this will ever benefit me but, hey it's pretty cool."

"The Doppler effect. I found it interesting because it was knowledge that I did not have before. Now, I can explain it to others when there's a car passing by."

"Quantum mechanics, because by studying the behavior of atoms and atomic particles, we can learn more about some of the mysteries in the universe."

"A spectrum can be used as a 'fingerprint' to show what celestial objects are made of."

"That you could know what a 'product' is by just looking at the 'barcode.' Can I take barcode deciphering as a foreign language?"

Describe something you found confusing from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview, and explain why this was personally confusing for you.
"Nothing was overly confusing."

"Still trying to figure out how to know where something is ginning off absorption, emission and/or continuous rainbow. Would be great if we can still go over some of this in class."

"I am confused as to why the wave lengths are squished when the car is moving toward the observer."

"I did not understand how they used the Doppler effect to measure the speed of stars."

"The difference between emission and absorption."

"How each 'barcode' can be completely different from one another."

I believe Pluto should be a planet.
Strongly disagree.  ** [2]
Disagree.  **** [4]
Neutral.  ******************* [19]
Agree.  ******* [7]
Strongly Agree.  *** [3]

Briefly explain your answer to the previous question (whether Pluto should be a planet).
"I do not care whether or not Pluto is a planet. honestly, it is a chunk of rock far out into space that will never affect anyone on Earth. people need to get over it."

"It's an ice ball in the sky that we never see. I'll take it or leave it."

"I do agree that Pluto should be a planet. Once a planet always a planet."

"I understand the need for scientific definition and lines to be drawn, but I feel bad for Pluto."

"I want it to be a planet, I really really do! However, based on the current rules, I must admit that, no poor little Pluto is not a planet. Perhaps the rules will change again and Pluto will be readmitted into the realm of planets."

Match the spectrum type with their appearance.
(Only correct responses shown.)
Rainbow containing all colors: continuous [91%]
Rainbow with thin black lines: absorption [83%]
Colored lines on a black background: emission [85%]
Given off by hot, dense object: continuous [74%]
Given off by hot, diffuse gas atoms: emission [65%]
Passing through cool, diffuse gas atoms: [63%]

Hot, molten metal produces a __________ spectrum, which appears as a:
continuous; rainbow.  ************** [14]
emission; series of bright lines on a dark background.  ********* [9]
absorption; series of dark lines on a rainbow background.  **** [4]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)  ******** [8]

The sun produces a __________ spectrum, which appears as a:
continuous; rainbow.  ******** [8]
emission; series of bright lines on a dark background.  ******* [7]
absorption; series of dark lines on a rainbow background.  ************* [13]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)  ******* [7]

The lights atop the Fremont Theater in San Luis Obispo, CA, produces a __________ spectrum, which appears as a:
continuous; rainbow.  ******* [7]
emission; series of bright lines on a dark background.  **************** [16]
absorption; series of dark lines on a rainbow background.  ****** [6]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)  ****** [6]

Your instructor produces a __________ spectrum, which appears as a:
continuous; rainbow.  **** [4]
emission; series of bright lines on a dark background.  ********* [9]
absorption; series of dark lines on a rainbow background.  *********** [11]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)  *********** [11]

The balrog from The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring produces a __________ spectrum, which appears as a:
continuous; rainbow.  ***** [5]
emission; series of bright lines on a dark background.  ****************** [18]
absorption; series of dark lines on a rainbow background.  *** [3]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)  ********* [9]

Suppose you are standing on the sidewalk as a car, with its horn continuously on, passes by (video link). The loudness of the car horn:
starts loud, then gets quieter.  ****** [6]
starts quiet, then gets louder.  * [1]
starts quiet, gets louder, then goes back down to quiet.  ************************** [26]
starts loud, gets quieter, then goes back up to loud.   ** [2]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)  []

Suppose you are standing on the sidewalk as a car, with its horn continuously on, passes by (video link, same as above). The pitch (high note/low note) of the car horn:
starts high, then drops lower.  ******************** [20]
starts low, then goes higher.  [0]
starts low, goes higher, then drops back down to low.  ********* [9]
starts high, goes lower, then goes back up to high.   ** [2]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)  **** [4]

Ask the instructor an anonymous question, or make a comment. Selected questions/comments may be discussed in class.
"Are you doing anything fun for St. Patrick's Day?" (For me, every day is my day.)

"Are there other spectra than just continuous, emission, and absorption?" (No, that's it.)

"What was the website where we can see the times for the International Space Station passing over us?" (spotthestation.nasa.gov. Don't forget to select your specific town, as times/positions will vary.)

"P-dawggy dawg is sick!" (I'm down with that.)

"Where do you get your cool t-shirts?" (shirt.woot.com.)

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