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.
"I thought the different types of light spectra were interesting. I didn't know that there were three types or that there were three different types of light sources as well. It was interesting to compare them."
"How each star has its own unique rainbow. I always thought that light being diffused through a prism would be consistent no matter what because it's just emitting light, but to think there's more to the rainbow than meets the eye is amazing to think about. I hope to learn more about that."
"I thought it was interesting how each star has its own 'bar code.'"
"That there are different light spectrum types, and one has little black lines that read like bar codes--this is interesting to me because while bar codes are something that we created, something like them can be found in nature."
"The Lord of the Rings 'hotness' question. It was pretty funny because I honestly wasn't expecting the balrog reference."
"The Doppler effect is interesting and the video about is very cool and weird."
"The Doppler effect, I've always wondered why moving things sounded like that while passing."
"I thought learning about the Doppler effect was cool because I've heard the term used a lot before but never knew what it meant."
Describe something you found confusing from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview, and explain why this was personally confusing for you.
"The different spectral types because its hard to tell which is which."
"I can tell the difference visually between absorption and emission spectra, but the descriptions are quite similar on the slides."
"I think I'd just like a nice watered-down explanation to help make connections."
"Even though I think it's interesting, I also find the fact each star is producing a unique signature that is specific to that star confusing as heck."
"I really don't understand blackbody radiation."
"I didn't really find anything confusing."
"It all clicked."
I believe Pluto should be a planet. (Original responses.)
Strongly disagree. ** [2] Disagree. *********** [11] Neutral. ********** [10] Agree. ******** [8] Strongly Agree. ** [2]
I believe Pluto should be a planet. (This is a follow-up question.)
Strongly disagree. *** [3] Disagree. ************ [12] Neutral. ********** [10] Agree. **** [4] Strongly Agree. ** [2]
Briefly explain your answer to the previous question (whether Pluto should be a planet).
"Because I grew up with it as a planet."
"I don't really care for it, if the big brains say its not because of scientific facts then I can accept that."
"Pluto is cool, but it's not really worth fighting over."
"I'm neutral because even though it's not considered a planet people choose to believe what they want."
"Because it doesn't dominate its orbit."
"Same as before. According to the 'guidelines' I know why Pluto isn't a planet scientifically, but in my heart I'll always root for Pluto :P"
"Don't be a jerk."
"Pluto does not dominate its own orbit and is therefore a dwarf planet."
"I think classifying it as a dwarf planet is appropriate."
"I don't know enough info to make an assumption."
"Pluto doesn't meet the criteria to be considered a planet, it is too small."
"It's an object in the Kuiper belt like Ceres. It doesn't dominate its orbit so it's not a planet."
"Even though it was a planet when I was a kid, Pluto does not match the description of what a planet should be."
"Pluto is larger than a star, even though it is not the same size as some planets. Therefore, I think it is a planet."
"Thanks to astronomy I know that Pluto is a dwarf planet that lies in the Kuiper Belt, an area full of icy bodies and other dwarf planets out past Neptune. I don't agree or disagree with Pluto being a planet or not being a planet."
"Pluto does not dominate its space!"
"Pluto unfortunately doesn't fit the standards for planethood. It is unable to dominate it's orbit."
"There are rules. They must be followed. (That sounded super-ominous.)"
"Why would I disagree with the scientists who put in all the hard work to determine what is or isn't a planet?!?"
"Because it does not dominate its orbit."
"It doesn't fit the qualifications needed to be a 'real' planet, but its still a dwarf planet so that must count for something."
"Because as time went by we evolved changing our views of what a planet is and thus it is no longer a planet."
"Pluto did not pass all three of the classification rules for it to be called a planet, it does not dominate its orbit (cause other things to orbit around it) so it cannot be called a planet. unfortunately."
"It doesn't meet the necessary criteria (dominating its orbit) so if we allow Pluto to be considered a planet, then we have to apply that same thinking to all other objects."
"Everyone deserves to be included."
"There are constant changes within scientific discoveries and physics so in a couple decades or so the international astronomical union could declare that the qualifications are no longer that the planet has to be spherical by its own gravity, have cleared its orbital neighborhood, etc."
"I see both sides to the argument."
"I don't think it should be a planet because it doesn't follow all the three planet rules. I used to think that it should be a planet but I now see why the science community has ripped that title away from it."
"All planets have feelings. Treat others how you would want to be treated."
Match the spectrum type with their appearance.
(Only correct responses shown.)
Rainbow containing all colors: continuous [81%]
Rainbow with thin black lines: absorption [68%]
Colored lines on a black background: emission [68%]
Given off by hot, dense object: continuous [61%]
Given off by hot, diffuse gas atoms: emission [68%]
Passing through cool, diffuse gas atoms: [55%]
continuous; rainbow. ************* [13] emission; series of bright lines on a dark background. ********** [10] absorption; series of dark lines on a rainbow background. ** [2] (Unsure/guessing/lost/help!) ****** [6]
continuous; rainbow. **** [4] emission; series of bright lines on a dark background. ********* [9] absorption; series of dark lines on a rainbow background. ************ [12] (Unsure/guessing/lost/help!) ****** [6]
continuous; rainbow. ***** [5] emission; series of bright lines on a dark background. ****************** [18] absorption; series of dark lines on a rainbow background. * [1] (Unsure/guessing/lost/help!) ******* [7]
continuous; rainbow. ******** [8] emission; series of bright lines on a dark background. ******** [8] absorption; series of dark lines on a rainbow background. ****** [6] (Unsure/guessing/lost/help!) ********* [9]
continuous; rainbow. ****** [6] emission; series of bright lines on a dark background. ********** [10] absorption; series of dark lines on a rainbow background. ****** [6] (Unsure/guessing/lost/help!) ********* [9]
starts loud, then gets quieter. ****** [6] starts quiet, then gets louder. * [1] starts quiet, gets louder, then goes back down to quiet. ********************** [22] starts loud, gets quieter, then goes back up to loud. [0] (Unsure/guessing/lost/help!) ** [2]
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. ************** [14] starts low, then goes higher. * [1] starts low, goes higher, then drops back down to low. ********* [9] starts high, goes lower, then goes back up to high. **** [4] (Unsure/guessing/lost/help!) *** [3]
Ask the instructor an anonymous question, or make a comment. Selected questions/comments may be discussed in class.
"The midterm was harder than expected... Looking forward to new material and getting tutoring for the older questions." (Don't worry about going back and reviewing the first midterm material for now; the second midterm only covers stuff from after the first midterm.)
"Definitely need more detailed review on the different spectrum types."
"So blue shifts and red shifts aren't always blue or red?" (It just means that the wavelengths are all shortened (moving slightly to the blue end of the spectrum), or all lengthened (moving slightly to the red end of the spectrum), and not literally becoming all blue, or all red. We'll get into more detail on this during the in-class activity worksheet tonight.)
"Can we review all of this new material in class in addition to what will be on the next quiz?" (Yes, and yes.)
"I didn't get to read the textbook yet because I had to catch up on work I fell behind on at my job during my classes midterms, but I wanted to know (a) why each star has its own unique fingerprint? Is it because it's always very unlikely to contain the exact same combination of gases? Also, (a) why is the Big Bang Theory still on the air?" (So, (a) yes, each star has its own unique mixture of atoms in its surrounding atmospheric layers, but you can group together similar "bar code" stars with each other, and then notice similarities (and differences). And (b) some things in the universe will always be a mystery to us.)
"I understand the concept of the Doppler effect and how depending on if the object is moving towards or away from you affects the wavelengths you receive. But how does one actually measure these wavelengths, with special equipment or sensors?" (For sound waves, you can actually hear the "squished" or "stretched" wavelengths as a higher or lower pitch. For light waves, once you split light into its different wavelengths (like through a prism), then just using your eyes you can carefully note whether the absorption lines are slightly shifted to one end or to the other end of the spectrum.)
"If you were a donut what kind of donut would you be?" (Chocolate cake, with chocolate glazing, and chocolate chips on top.)
"What was the most amazing helpful study tip for the midterm? What was the most amusing short answer response on this or any midterm?" (Actually, for the extra-credit assignment this week, you'll be reading over everyone else's comments on midterm study tips.)
"I don't have a question." (That's okay, you just made a comment.)
"When did you first grow that marvelous goatee?" (Probably from before you were born.)
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