20180228

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

Astronomy 210, spring semester 2018
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.
"The idea of atoms 'jumping' from orbital to orbital because it's funny to picture."

"The 'photon rule,' because of how moving an electron from a lower energy to a higher one requires absorbing that photon with the exact same amount of energy."

"Quantum leaps because it deals with chemistry too."

"That true neon signs only produce a red-orange color. Makes me wonder why they didn't choose a different name."

"That when hydrogen emits photons its electrons are technically being tortured and you can see them scream... Lol whaaat."

"I thought the analogy that was used for the sun and miso soup/lava lamps was interesting. I had never thought of the sun in that way and it gave me a very clear image of how the sun works."

"That you referred to miso soup as 'sun-surface soup.'"

"I found the sun spots and how photosphere works to be interesting because its interesting to know that there are parts of the sun that are actually a lot cooler"

"I thought the analogy of the lava lamp was really interesting because it helped me visualize how the sun operates. The miso soup was also an interesting analogy because both examples really help explain the complex principles of the sun that would otherwise be pretty difficult to grasp."

"I really enjoyed reading about the sunspots in this lecture. It is honestly mind blowing to consider the fact that they come in pairs because they are 'temporarily magnetic regions,' that have north and south poles that actually impact that location's convection currents. This is personally interesting to me because it shows off yet another element of this crazy natural world that operates in such a multifaceted way that I have managed to go my whole life without ever really noticing."

"I did not really focus enough to comment."

"I had a hard time understanding most of it. It was hard to find anything interesting."

"I haven't found myself particularly confused by anything just yet, but would definitely like to spend more time with the material before class."

Describe something you found confusing from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview, and explain why this was personally confusing for you.
"I am a bit confused on how exactly the electrons in a neon or other gas discharge tube creates different colors of light."

"Something confusing to me was quantum leaps and remembering the difference between the electron rule versus the photon rule."

"If I'm being honest, I found almost everything to do with the chemistry portion to be confusing as I have never taken a chem class before. So all of this is just very new to me. To be more specific however, I am struggling with wrapping this old brain around the concept of the the electron and photon rules. Again, it's all personally confusing to me because it's all so new."

"Electrons in atoms emitting photons."

"The electron and photon section is pretty confusing. I'm not really sure exactly what the rules are or how the atomic properties really apply to astronomy. I think I have the emitting and absorbing part down okay, but the application of that stuff is still sort of foggy."

"Why are electrons more agitated when in a hot object because the books explains that electrons one faster is hot objects but it didn't explain why they do."

"The analogy with the TV and magnet confused me. I didn't really get what was happening."

"How magnetic fields yields a cooler sunspot area. I would assume that a stronger magnetic field would push the sun to be hotter in that certain area."

"Anything that has chemistry is confusing to me."

An electron in an atom must emit a photon when it jumps from a __________ energy orbital to a __________ energy orbital.
lower; higher.  ******* [7]
higher; lower.  ************************ [24]
(Both of the above choices.)  ** [2]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)  *** [3]

An electron in an atom must absorb a photon when it jumps from a __________ energy orbital to a __________ energy orbital.
lower; higher.  ************************* [25]
higher; lower.  ****** [6]
(Both of the above choices.)  ** [2]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)  *** [3]

The exterior of the sun, from inner to outermost layers, are the:
(Only correct responses shown.)
inner: photosphere [69%]
middle: chromosphere [81%]
outer: corona [72%]

State your preference regarding miso soup.
Strongly dislike.  * [1]
Dislike.  * [1]
Neutral.  ********** [10]
Like  ******** [8]
Strongly like.  *************** [15]
(I don't know what miso soup is.)  * [1]

Ask the instructor an anonymous question, or make a comment. Selected questions/comments may be discussed in class.
"Can you talk more the energy levels of atoms?"

"I wish we had like a more specific study guide for the quizzes...and the midterms, too." (There are study guides for the quizzes, but we'll get more specific especially for the upcoming midterm, and have a review session as well.)

"It's so interesting that we can know about the sun's solar interior by the use of helioseismology!"

"All of the household item and food-related analogies that you use to assist in our grasping of these new topics is really helpful! By turning new concepts into ones that have a familiar edge I really find myself attaining a greater understanding of the subjects at hand."

"I like how you always makes references to food. It is an interesting/good way to learn!" (It's also because I'm almost always hungry.)

"Why are you asking us about miso soup, P-dog?"

"Will there be miso soup? I am still (somehow) sick, so that would be cool. Maybe I'll bring some."

"Hi, I like your class a lot; it's one of my favorite classes of the week."

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