20180925

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

Astronomy 210, fall 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 sunspots on the sun's surface."

"Something I found interesting about the reading was quantum mechanics."

"Over all the years of seeing neon signs and having them draw me in, never once did I look and actually ask myself, How do these colors come about? I always thought it was the tubing that gave it off. It never occurred to me that it might be a reaction of energy and gas happening in there."

"The movement of heat energy in the different parts of the sun."

"During a total solar eclipse you can see the lavender color in the chromosphere."

"One of the things that I found interesting was the Egyptians way to represent the sun. I found it cool how they compared it to fire-spitting cobras"

"I thought that the different atmospheres were interesting because it kind of reminded me of the different zones in the ocean."

"I'm kind of surprised and at the same time fascinated at this section. I thought astronomy only related to things seen in the sky. But I never thought we'd be getting so deep into the atomic makeup of differing objects. I didn't even know temperature had such a complex yet simple explanation! I'm just interested with how complex the things are that we perceive as so simple at first glance."

"The slide showing the magnetic poles was interesting. It reminded me of the Magnetic Drawboard that is made for kids to draw on."

Describe something you found confusing from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview, and explain why this was personally confusing for you.
"If it's dangerous to look at the sun through a telescope, how do they make observations of the sun?"

"Nothing yet."

"But just as confusing is quantum mechanics, I'm actually really into this stuff even if I have a hard time understanding sometimes. I've looked into the particle accelerator in Europe and it’s caught my eye on trying to understand the way atoms work"

"I found the layers of the sun to be a little confusing."

"The chromosphere and the corona"

"How are sunspots magnetic regions?"

"The parts about the atoms seemed to be confusing. Was not sure about how photons move. "

"What was confusing for me was that why are sun spots only are temporary."

"Everything atom-related just have never made sense to me even when I took chemistry in high school, it was a scary topic."

"I think I found the section discussing it in the textbook, but i think i need more clarification as to how the election energy orbitals work. And what they do with photons during their different states."

"Chemistry. I am terrible at everything that has to do with chemistry. So I was pretty lost on that presentation."

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.  ******* [7]
(Both of the above choices.)  [0]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)  [0]

An electron in an atom must absorb a photon when it jumps from a __________ energy orbital to a __________ energy orbital.
lower; higher.  ******** [8]
higher; lower.  ***** [5]
(Both of the above choices.)  * [1]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)  [0]

The exterior of the sun, from inner to outermost layers, are the:
(Only correct responses shown.)
inner: photosphere [64%]
middle: chromosphere [64%]
outer: corona [71%]

State your preference regarding miso soup.
Strongly dislike.  * [1]
Dislike.  *** [3]
Neutral.  *** [3]
Like  *** [3]
Strongly like.  *** [3]
(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.
"I enjoyed reading about the atoms and particles it was good review and it was cool to re learn things from middle school."

"There is just something about the texture of chunks of tofu and the seaweed going down my throat that I do not enjoy."

"I've had good and bad miso soup but mostly good."

"What does miso soup taste like? Do you like it? I've never tried it (thus explaining my neutral stand on the previous question)."

""Miso soup is amazing you throw some chili oil up in there for a twist and ooh wee, sensational. I hope this is on here because you're considering treating us today, Dr. Len."

" this class is starting to get hard."

"I would really like to do more example questions that we will be seeing on the midterm!"

"I have no questions at this time."

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