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

Astronomy 210, fall 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.

"Quantum mechanics is such a huge part played in our universe. I wish there was more covered in our book than described."

"You can use the Doppler effect to measure the speed of blobs of gas, because I didn't know you could do that."

"The comparison between the bar codes we see in stores and absorption lines in the spectrum of a star."

Describe something you found confusing from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview, and explain why this was personally confusing for you.

"How do we know about the Doppler effect? I know the book describes it and gives examples, but how are we so sure?"

"Trying to remember and distinguish the different types of sprectra and sounds and the practicality of them. Regarding discussion, more explanation please."

"The blueshifts/redshifts are confusing, I'm not understanding how wavelengths either 'squish' or 'stretch."

"More clarification regarding atomic spectra."

"Frequencies and pitches of Doppler effect sounds."

I believe Pluto should be a planet.

Strongly disagree.	[0]
Disagree.	**** [4]
Neutral.	*********** [11]
Agree.	***** [4]
Strongly Agree.	[0]

Briefly explain your answer to the previous question (whether Pluto should be a planet).

"Just leave it as it is. Pluto was already a planet. No need to take its status that it already earned away."

"I am still not sure its not up to me to say it is or isn't a planet."

"The book says its a dwarf planet."

"I disagree because then we would have to let all the other previous planets be planets again and that is too many."

"It doesn't bother me it's not a planet."

"Taking away Pluto's title is mean."

"I don't mind it and I don't dislike it."

Match the spectrum type with their appearance.
(Only correct responses shown.)

Rainbow containing all colors: continuous [79%]
Rainbow with thin black lines: absorption [68%]
Colored lines on a black background: emission [74%]
Given off by hot, dense object: continuous [58%]
Given off by hot, diffuse gas atoms: emission [74%]
Passing through cool, diffuse gas atoms: [74%]

Hot, molten metal produces a __________ spectrum, which appears as a:

continuous; rainbow.	****** [6]
emission; series of bright lines on a dark background.	******* [7]
absorption; series of dark lines on a rainbow background.	**** [4]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)	** [2]

The sun produces a __________ spectrum, which appears as a:

continuous; rainbow.	**** [4]
emission; series of bright lines on a dark background.	******* [7]
absorption; series of dark lines on a rainbow background.	***** [5]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)	*** [3]

The lights atop the Fremont Theater in San Luis Obispo, CA, produces a __________ spectrum, which appears as a:

continuous; rainbow.	******** [8]
emission; series of bright lines on a dark background.	**** [4]
absorption; series of dark lines on a rainbow background.	****** [6]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)	* [1]

Your instructor produces a __________ spectrum, which appears as a:

continuous; rainbow.	**** [4]
emission; series of bright lines on a dark background.	********** [10]
absorption; series of dark lines on a rainbow background.	**** [4]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)	* [1]

The balrog from The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring produces a __________ spectrum, which appears as a:

continuous; rainbow.	[0]
emission; series of bright lines on a dark background.	********** [10]
absorption; series of dark lines on a rainbow background.	***** [5]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)	**** [4]

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.	[0]
starts quiet, then gets louder.	*** [3]
starts quiet, gets louder, then goes back down to quiet.	**************** [16]
starts loud, gets quieter, then goes back up to loud.	[0]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)	[0]

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.	*** [3]
starts low, then goes higher.	** [2]
starts low, goes higher, then drops back down to low.	********* [9]
starts high, goes lower, then goes back up to high.	[3]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)	** [2]

Ask the instructor an anonymous question, or make a comment. Selected questions/comments may be discussed in class.

"The test kicked my ass."

"Will there be more opportunities to get extra credit?" (Yes, you'll need them.)

"Can you please clarify the difference between the spectra, and how to identify which is which?"

"How does electricity energize the particles in a neon sign?" (It gives electrons the right amount of energy to jump to higher orbitals, and then when the electrons jump back down to lower orbitals they give off photons.)

"I hope you enjoyed some of the time off from school." (It was awesome--Mrs. P-dog and I got to stay in a five-thousand star hotel.)