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 runaway planets (Venus and Mars), jovian planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune), and the dwarf planets (and the International Astronomy Union classification scheme).
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.
"That both Mars and Venus used to have oceans on them."
"Low mass planets emit less greenhouse gases and massive planets emit more to their atmospheres."
"The retention of atmosphere is dependent on mass, because I never thought about atmosphere as being held by gravity."
"The three IAU criteria questions to verify a planet's status."
"The volcanic pressure building up in Venus, to be released all at once, interesting. That would be really cool to see an entire planet erupt at once."
Describe something you found confusing from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview, and explain why this was personally confusing for you.
"It was all fairly straightforward."
"I was surprised that pretty much I understood the reading."
"The IAU classification rules lost me immediately."
"The runaway greenhouse effect and runaway refrigerator effect--I'm having a hard time understanding them."
"Why Pluto isn't a planet, because they keep flip-flopping?"
Identify the relative amounts of these characteristics for Venus, compared to Earth. (Only correct responses shown.)
Interior core heat, today: about the same as Earth [27%]
Geologic activity, today: less than Earth [55%]
Volcanic outgassing, up until now: about the same as Earth [36%]
Heat from the sun: more than Earth [86%]
Amount of atmosphere, today: more than Earth [57%]
Identify the relative amounts of these characteristics for Mars, compared to Earth. (Only correct responses shown.)
Interior core heat, today: less than Earth [68%]
Geologic activity, today: less than Earth [68%]
Volcanic outgassing, up until now: less than Earth [68%]
Heat from the sun: less than Earth [77%]
Amount of atmosphere, today: less than Earth [86%]
Which jovian planet has the coolest interior temperatures?
Jupiter (most massive). [0] Saturn (most prominent rings). [0] Uranus (least active weather patterns). *********** [11] Neptune (farthest from the sun). *********** [11] (Unsure/guessing/lost/help!) [0]
I believe Pluto should be a planet.
Strongly disagree. [0] Disagree. ****** [6] Neutral. ********* [9] Agree. **** [4] Strongly Agree. *** [3]
Briefly explain your answer to the previous question (whether Pluto should be a planet).
"No, because it is in Kupiter's belt because it does not have a great enough mass to dominate its orbit."
"No, because it is in Kupiter's belt because it does not have enough mass to dominate its orbit."
"I grew up being told it was a planet, but I mean with the evidence that's a dwarf planet I feel like we should be open to the change and accept reality."
"I believe since it was a planet before then they should have kept it a planet."
"There have been other dwarf planets found that are larger than Pluto."
"Pluto is not a planet, but it's a dwarf planet. It is one of the icy worlds that orbits beyond Neptune."
"I grew up thinking Pluto was a planet, but the scientists say otherwise."
"Because Pluto is way out there and it probably gets super lonely. It would be nice to include it into the family."
"It has always been one."
Ask the instructor an anonymous question, or make a comment. Selected questions/comments may be discussed in class.
"Not sure how the planets core temperature is measured or known." (More like inferred, from the amount of geological activity in the past, up until now.)
"I do not really understand the 'gas giant' planets. Is the gas just the atmosphere and then below it they have a core with no crust?" (Yes, and the gases in the atmosphere just get gradually thicker and thicker the deeper in you go, until they basically transition to liquid form, then to solid form. Weird, huh?)
"Does any amount of our atmosphere leak out into space or is it completely contained by Earth's gravity?" (Not much leaks out, and whatever escapes is replaced by volcanic outgassing anyways.)
"Do you think Pluto should be a planet? Think about it. You guys could both be 'P-dog.'" (There can only be one 'P-dog.')
"Tips on how to be 100% prepared for your quizzes and tests! (:" (Go through the flashcard question packet. You can see me right after class, during office hours, or e-mail me to see if your answers are right (don't wait until the night before the quiz!) and I can "grade" your answers and tell you which are correct, and/or go over your incorrect answers.)
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