20171003

Online reading assignment: quantum leaps, sun's outer layers (NC campus)

Astronomy 210, fall semester 2017
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 quantum leaps, and the sun's outer layers.


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.
"How ancient Egyptians represented the chromosphere. Also how sunspots on the surface of the sun are cool, yet the sun is super-hot."

"I found the fire spitting cobras to be pretty sweet."

"How the electron rule and photon rule explained part of the reason for how there can be different colors in the signs."

"That there are different gases in 'neon' signs. I honestly never knew what made those light up or why they were different colors."

"I am fascinated by how photons can excite atoms, but only for a short time."

"That the sun actually has a thin layer [the chromosphere] that is exactly like signs in our stores and shops around San Luis Obispo."

"I thought that sunspots would be one of the more hotter places on the sun."

"I liked the analogy of how the sun is like miso soup when it is hot, that helped me understand it more and it made sense to me."

"I never knew that the warming and cooling of miso particles is what made the soup look like it was moving. Very neat."

"The areas of the sun that are white are the hottest and that the redder areas are the least hot. I always thought of the color red as being super-hot. and if I had not learned this information in the chapter I would have automatically assumed that the white areas would be less hot than the red areas."

"The sun is the reason we are alive. Why you ask? Why is it interesting? That is for you to decide."

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

"I would like further explanation of the energy levels of electrons and the different layers of the sun's atmosphere."

"The electron rule and the photon rule."

"How electrons drop back down an orbit after they have been zapped with electricity. I'm assuming it's because of the energy loss after the initial zap, but I'm not entirely sure."

"Convection, I don't understand why cool particles sink only to rise up again. I would have thought that the cool particles stay on the top since usually the bottom of a plate or cup for example is usually the hottest."

"Why do the electrons have to emit or absorb a photon?"

"Lots of stuff was confusing in this chapter, mainly everything having to do with atoms and temperatures."

"I would like further explanation of the energy levels of electrons and the different layers of the sun's atmosphere."
"I find nothing confusing about this week's reading. Why you ask? Because I've been doing it for a long time, P-dog!"

An electron in an atom must emit a photon when it jumps from a __________ energy orbital to a __________ energy orbital.
lower; higher.  *** [3]
higher; lower.  ******************* [19]
(Both of the above choices.)  * [1]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)  ** [2]

An electron in an atom must absorb a photon when it jumps from a __________ energy orbital to a __________ energy orbital.
lower; higher.  ********************* [21]
higher; lower.  ** [2]
(Both of the above choices.)  [0]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)  ** [2]

The exterior of the sun, from inner to outermost layers, are the:
(Only correct responses shown.)
inner: photosphere [72%]
middle: chromosphere [83%]
outer: corona [84%]

State your preference regarding miso soup.
Strongly dislike.  [0]
Dislike.  * [1]
Neutral.  **** [4]
Like  ******* [7]
Strongly like.  ******** [8]
(I don't know what miso soup is.)  ***** [5]

Ask the instructor an anonymous question, or make a comment. Selected questions/comments may be discussed in class.
"Why did you ask about our opinion on miso soup?"

"What is your preference on miso soup?"

"Why miso soup? Why not chicken or tomato soup?" (Because they don't visibly "churn" like miso particles do when the soup is served very hot.)

"While I like miso soup, I feel that it is unfortunate that it is always too hot to drink when convection occurs naturally, so when it is cool enough, all of the miso sinks to the bottom."

"Umm, I was trying to look at my overall grade, and it is unavailable under the summary tab." (Wait until after the first midterm is graded, which will be a good comparison point. #toosoon.)

"Is there any telescope that has the ability to look towards the sun without damaging your eyes yet?" (Basically, any telescope that has the proper filter for it, like those eclipse glasses for your eyes.)

"The presentations were especially helpful for this reading."

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