20161012

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

Astronomy 210, fall semester 2016
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.
"The Doppler effect, because it explains how we perceive sounds from moving objects."

"Doppler effect explanation was cool. The horn changes noise and that's something I have experienced but I didn't know why."

"I think the whole thing about light getting squished or stretched when stars are moving is pretty interesting. It's such a fascinating concept when you really think about it."

"That each type of star has its own unique spectral barcode."

Describe something you found confusing from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview, and explain why this was personally confusing for you.
"How do scientists study light as a color spectrum? How do you create tools that can see what the eye cannot see?"

"I don't really understand the dark lines on a colored background thing."

"I did not get to this yet. Sorry."

"The Doppler effect."

"I understood the doppler effect of sound, bu not quite sure I understand how light is squished and stretched by distance, or what it does."

"I found the different spectra to be somewhat confusing. When infrared light is being emitted what does the spectrum look like?"

"Everything was pretty easy to understand in this homework section."

"The different types of spectra."

I believe Pluto should be a planet.
Strongly disagree.  [0]
Disagree.  ******* [7]
Neutral.  ************* [13]
Agree.  *** [3]
Strongly Agree.  * [1]

Briefly explain your answer to the previous question (whether Pluto should be a planet).
"Pluto should be a planet but it is not because even though it orbits the sun, and it is round, it does not dominate its own orbit. However it is one of the most important objects in its orbit and just because other debris is in its orbit makes me still question if it really couldn't be considered a planet."

"I think it should."

"I still think it should be a planet but all of the qualifications say otherwise."

"Neutral because I grew up on Pluto being a planet but if there is scientific evidence backing up that it isn't then I am open to it."

"I still have a nostalgic need for Pluto to be a planet, but I know that science is science."

"I don't think it should be a planet because of how close it is to the asteroid belt. Chances are in the future it might change again and it might become a planet or we might lose a different planet and it will change then become a dwarf planet."

"It should still be a planet. It's just not fair."

"I understand why it is not classified as a planet anymore but having grown up learning that there were nine planets I an biased to thinking that it should be a planet."

"I'm still neutral. I know that it does not meet the required fields to be a planet but I grew up being taught that it is a planet so I feel neutral."

"After learning about the 'rules to be a planet' I realize and understand that Pluto does not follow a specific rule that would make it a planet; it does not dominate its orbit."

"Even though Pluto doesn't dominate its orbit as we have found, it still has moons and was looked at as a planet for so long."

"After the reading about Pluto and the IAU's criteria for planets, I can see why they no longer consider Pluto a planet. This, to me, demonstrates the changeable nature of science as technology allows us to see more of space and our understanding of how the universe works grows. Pluto does not fit into the criteria of what the IAU considers a planet; it is unable to clear it's orbit of other objects."

"As the definition of a planet seems to change every so often, I think it comes down to a matter of opinion, yes I understand why it is not--but with its own structure being circular and its previous classification as a planet, I still want it to be one. Even if by definition it shouldn't be."

"Because Pluto does not dominate its own orbit, it should not be considered a planet because all the other planets do dominate their orbits. Also, if we let Pluto into the planet club then we would have to let many other dwarf planets in."

"Pluto should not be considered a planet because it does not dominate its own orbit. It is therefore a dwarf planet."

"Listen, I get it! it doesn't dominate its orbit! But should we really judge a planet on circumstances it can't control. Can we really judge Pluto on its terrible upbringing? I think not!"

"After the class discussion about why Pluto isn't a planet, I do not believe Pluto should be a planet. If Pluto does not meet the requirements for being classified as a planet then it simply shouldn't be on the list."

"Let science determine, if this helps astronomers and scientists, then I'm cool with it, even though I'm old enough to have been taught that Pluto was a planet."

"Because of it's size and orbit (the yes/no questions)."

"I don't really have an opinion either way. It does not affect me, Earth or space whether or not it is classified a certain way as far as I can see."

Match the spectrum type with their appearance.
(Only correct responses shown.)
Rainbow containing all colors: continuous [79%]
Rainbow with thin black lines: absorption [71%]
Colored lines on a black background: emission [75%]
Given off by hot, dense object: continuous [63%]
Given off by hot, diffuse gas atoms: emission [61%]
Passing through cool, diffuse gas atoms: [67%]

Hot, molten metal produces a __________ spectrum, which appears as a:
continuous; rainbow.  ************ [12]
emission; series of bright lines on a dark background.  ****** [6]
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.  *** [3]
emission; series of bright lines on a dark background.  **** [4]
absorption; series of dark lines on a rainbow background.  *********** [11]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)  ****** [6]

The lights atop the Fremont Theater in San Luis Obispo, CA, produces a __________ spectrum, which appears as a:
continuous; rainbow.  ***** [5]
emission; series of bright lines on a dark background.  *************** [15]
absorption; series of dark lines on a rainbow background.  * [1]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)  *** [3]

Your instructor produces a __________ spectrum, which appears as a:
continuous; rainbow.  ******* [7]
emission; series of bright lines on a dark background.  ****** [6]
absorption; series of dark lines on a rainbow background.  ****** [6]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)  ***** [5]

The balrog from The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring produces a __________ spectrum, which appears as a:
continuous; rainbow.  ********* [9]
emission; series of bright lines on a dark background.  ******** [8]
absorption; series of dark lines on a rainbow background.  *** [3]
(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.  **** [4]
starts quiet, then gets louder.  ** [2]
starts quiet, gets louder, then goes back down to quiet.  ***************** [17]
starts loud, gets quieter, then goes back up to loud.   [0]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)  * [1]

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.  ********** [10]
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.   [1]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)  **** [4]

Ask the instructor an anonymous question, or make a comment. Selected questions/comments may be discussed in class.
"Can you explain the spectrum types a little more?" (Yes, looks like the class could use more explanation.)

"How can we get extra credit?" (During the second half of class tonight. Also online this weekend.)

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