Online reading assignment question: advice to future students

Astronomy 210, fall semester 2019
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. The following question was asked after the last lecture, but prior to the final exam.

Tell a student who is about to take this course next semester what he/she needs to know or to do in order to succeed in this course. (Graded for completion.)

"Do the reading assignments on time. It's easy to forget, and the lost points add up."

"Tackle the material covered with general curiosity. In a sense 'trip out' and invest your time into genuinely and you will do great!"

"in order to succeed in astronomy, you need to do be in class every day. Skipping any class day will cause you to lose points for the in-class activities. You also need to do the online reading assignments as missing them will hurt your grade. Finally, study for the exams and the final, they are the most important to do and getting a good grade on them will boost your grade significantly."

"You need to:
•Study for the quizzes.
•Come to class so you learn the material but also don't miss out on in-class-assignments.
•Don't forget to do the online reading assignments."

"I would say definitely show up, pay attention, actually listen and ask for help or ask questions if you don't get it and most importantly talk to the instructor! Super-chill, understanding and extremely helpful. (Thanks for the help btw and putting in effort as well.)"

"Do your homework and pay attention to the presentation slides posted on the blog. If you don't understand something, Google it. But come to class prepared enough to teach the subject to another student and you'll be fine."

"Do the online reading assignments. Show up to every lecture. Be genuinely interested."

"Turn off your phone during class."

"Prepare by doing the reading assignments to provide a rough assessment of your understanding, and questions to bring for the lecture."

"Come to every class--most important thing."

"Keep up with the blogs, not just the reading."

"Do the quiz question packets! Those will help you in preparing for the quizzes and tests which make up the majority of your grade. Helps you get a good grasp of the material. And of course showing up to class!"

"Something I had to learn during this course is to try and open my mind to the universe and using lots of visuals to understand how everything is connected. Specifically for this class I would say showing up for class and participating in lecture is super-important."

"Simply review your quizzes because they will be re-written on the exams."

"Go to office hours with the practice quizzes, get help answering them, study up those sheets and you'll never worry about failing a quiz. "

Online reading assignment question: advice to self for next semester

Physics 205A, fall semester 2019
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students have a bi-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. The following question was asked after the last lecture, but prior to the final exam.

Give a piece of advice to yourself at the start of next semester on what you should do (the same, or differently) in order to succeed in Physics 205A/B (or similar science courses). (Graded for completion.)

"Just stay on top of your assignments, it's easy points. Also try to focus on things that aren't very clear to you the most because if you have a grasp on other concepts then it's pretty straight forward, considering physics is somewhat logic based. Also for the midterms just study what you messed up on the quizzes and grind those concepts into your skull. Other than that, easy cash. I should not procrastinate to study when an exam is coming up."

"Keep up, don't procrastinate. Get very familiar with free-body diagrams vs. tail-to-tail diagrams as early as possible. These are essential to understanding the problems and especially Newton's laws! Study super-hard and read the textbook. It's going to help you understand the material. Don't be dumb and procrastinate."

"A piece of advice I would give myself is to get help from a tutor immediately because you can't teach yourself how to do it."

"Keep up with the homework and reading."

"Keep up on the homework assignments and readings."

"Stay on top of the assignments and don't forget them."

"Spend more time going back through notes/examples from class."

"Look at the more conceptual side of topics. If I look at the more confusing stuff before the basics, it won't do much good."

"Chose the best teachers as always."

"Prepare enough sooner and get use to the format of the class in the beginning so its easy to stay on top of the workload."

"Go to the physics tutor in the Cuesta learning labs."

"Study early on and don't cram/procrastinate."

"I should continue to keep up with the classwork such as labs, homework, practice problems, but I need to stop procrastinating be being very last minute in when studying for exams in Physics 205B/my other course."

"Although it's stupid to procrastinate, getting it done later is better than never getting if done."

"I would tell myself that if you never miss a lab or lecture there's a very good chance that you'll get an 'A' in this class. I would also tell myself to spend a good amount of time trying to understand the reading assignments on waiferx.blogspot.com because they're super-informative and helpful with understanding the material. And P-dog will go over any part of the reading assignment that you don't understand in class the following day!"

"I would advise myself to do all the homework assignments to maximize my points in those categories and give myself a chance of skipping the final altogether."

"Define equation variables before exams."

"Don't give up and keep moving forward! Read the book from the start of the semester!"

"I would tell myself to prepare to have a roller coaster ride through concepts but stay in your seat the whole time and get through it because it will be over before you know it."

"Make sure to do all the online homework and reading assignments because those points rack up."

Online reading assignment: constant acceleration equations of motion

Physics 205A, fall semester 2019
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students have a bi-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 reviewing a flipped class presentation on (constant acceleration) motion.


Selected/edited responses are given below.

Describe what you understand from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview. Your description (2-3 sentences) should specifically demonstrate your level of understanding.

"I am starting to understand the 'chain of pain' much more now, especially after the practice we had in lecture last week."

"Position-time graphs and velocity-time graphs are becoming easier to read and understand with the help of the 'chain of pain.' The more I look at the chain of pain and the graphs, that more they appear logic-based."

"I have a much better understanding of chord and tangent slopes. A chord slope touches two different points on a graph, and therefore represents an average; whereas a tangent slope only touches one point on the graph, providing instantaneous information."

"I understand the how and why of the 'chain of pain,' though I have yet to memorize it."

"We can solve one-dimensional motion problems using kinematic equations by determining the known and unknown variables and then selecting the appropriate equation(s) to solve for the unknowns. These equations only apply when acceleration is constant."

"There are four equations we need to know regarding time, velocity, acceleration, and position. We need to know three variables per equation in order to solve for the fourth introduced variable or else it isn't solvable."

Describe what you found confusing from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview. Your description (2-3 sentences) should specifically identify the concept(s) that you do not understand.

"I am still confused about the 'chain of pain' chart. I am not sure what the arrows lead to and how to figure out how to solve a problem using it."

"After attending the class last Wednesday, the 'chain of pain' was not as confusing as it was earlier. The hardest part is just memorizing each process and how to get to each piece of the chart."

"The kinematic graphs are still confusing to me; I need to memorize the 'chain of pain' and how to find chord and tangent slope."

"The constant acceleration equations. I am unsure of when they are supposed to be used during certain equations."

"I am struggling with deciding which constant acceleration equation to use for these problems. It's difficult for me to confirm which quantities are given, especially with the UAV example."

"I am still a bit unsure of how to extract what the problem gives and then plug that information into the equations. I am also still a bit confused on picking the best kinematic equation. I know you pick based off of what information is given, but extracting the information proves to be a bit difficult for me."

"Not much at all. You just have to pay attention to what the problems are asking for."

Mark the level of your expertise in algebraically solving multiple equations for multiple unknowns.

None at all.	* [1]
Slight.	* [1]
Some.	************* [14]
A fair amount.	********************** [22]
A lot.	****** [6]

"2012 Chrysler 300 - First Drive"
NRMA Motoring and Services
flic.kr/p/d1bozj

"The braking distance for a 2012 Chrysler 300C to slow down from 31 m/s to a complete stop is 50.3 m. Assume that the acceleration is constant as the car slows down to a stop, and always points in the opposite direction as its velocity."

From the statement of this problem, determine whether the values of these kinematic quantities are known/given or are unknown/undetermined (without solving the problem numerically).
(Only correct responses shown.)

Final horizontal position x (initial horizontal position x₀ assumed to be 0): known/given. [86%]
Initial horizontal velocity v_0x: known/given. [89%]
Final horizontal velocity v_x: known/given. [82%]
Horizontal acceleration a_x: unknown/undetermined. [75%]
Final time t (initial time t₀ assumed to be 0): unknown/undetermined. [75%]

For the Chrysler 300C, the horizontal distance traveled is __________ the magnitude of the horizontal displacement.

less than.	** [2]
equal to.	******************************** [32]
greater than.	******** [8]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)	** [2]

"Leichtathletik WM 2009 Berlin"
André Zehetbauer
flic.kr/p/6RmNQn

"Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt holds the world record for the 100 m sprint, covering that (straight-line) distance in 9.58 s in Berlin, 2009. Assume that his acceleration starting from rest to when he crosses the finish line is constant, and always points in the same direction as its velocity."

From the statement of this problem, determine whether the values of these kinematic quantities are known/given or are unknown/undetermined (without solving the problem numerically).
(Only correct responses shown.)

Final horizontal position x (initial horizontal position x₀ assumed to be 0): known/given. [95%]
Initial horizontal velocity v_0x: known/given. [52%]
Final horizontal velocity v_x: unknown/undetermined. [52%]
Horizontal acceleration a_x: unknown/undetermined. [77%]
Final time t (initial time t₀ assumed to be 0): known/given. [95%]

For Usain Bolt, the horizontal distance traveled is __________ the magnitude of the horizontal displacement.

less than.	*** [3]
equal to.	**************************** [28]
greater than.	*********** [11]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)	** [2]

"6 kJ Portable Pneumatic Catapult"
UAV Factory
uavfactory.com/product/21

"A portable pneumatic catapult is able to launch a Penguin B unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from rest to a final speed of 23 m/s along a 4.0 m rail. Assume that the rail is horizontal, and that acceleration of the UAV starting from rest to when it is launched is constant, and always points in the same direction as its velocity."

From the statement of this problem, determine whether the values of these kinematic quantities are known/given or are unknown/undetermined (without solving the problem numerically).
(Only correct responses shown.)

Final horizontal position x (initial horizontal position x₀ assumed to be 0): known/given. [61%]
Initial horizontal velocity v_0x: known/given. [82%]
Final horizontal velocity v_x: known/given. [89%]
Horizontal acceleration a_x: unknown/undetermined. [61%]
Final time t (initial time t₀ assumed to be 0): unknown/undetermined. [84%]

For the UAV, the horizontal distance traveled is __________ the magnitude of the horizontal displacement.

less than.	**** [4]
equal to.	************************ [24]
greater than.	******** [8]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)	******** [8]

Ask the instructor an anonymous question, or make a comment. Selected questions/comments may be discussed in class.

"I am still a little unsure of the difference between horizontal distance and the magnitude of the horizontal displacement? I believe they are the same as long as the object is moving in one direction but not confident." (You are correct.)

"For the Usain Bolt 100-m sprint question, are we assuming that he's running on a straight or curved track? If it's curved, wouldn't that make the displacement magnitude smaller than the total distance traveled?" (If the sprint were along a curved track, then yes, the displacement magnitude smaller than the total distance traveled. However, a 100-m sprint is usually along a straight section of track, in which case the displacement magnitude would be equal to the total distance traveled.)

"When a problem says to assume acceleration is constant, does that mean it is 0?" (Not necessarily. When acceleration is zero, it is constant. But acceleration can be a constant non-zero value as well.)

"This is very basic stuff, but it is very important in order to do well in any type of physics."

"Can you please go over one of these questions including kinematic quantities in class." (We will.)

"Will Quiz 2 be structured in roughly the same way as the 'chain of pain' worksheet done in class last Wednesday?" (Yes, for several questions, the rest will be on kinematic equations and on free fall, which we will cover this week.)

"What is the best way to study for your tests?" (Study questions from old quizzes and midterms. Which is every example done in class, the majority of homework problems, and also the practice quizzes from last semester.)

Online reading assignment: motion

Physics 205A, fall semester 2019
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students have a bi-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 the reading textbook chapters and previewing a flipped class presentation on (constant acceleration) motion.


Selected/edited responses are given below.

Describe what you understand from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview. Your description (2-3 sentences) should specifically demonstrate your level of understanding.

"Using derivatives and integrals to move left or right on the chain of pain, respectively."

"From what I was able to deduce, the reading is about the relationship between acceleration, velocity, and motion. When you follow the charts given they show their relationship by tangents and chords (and areas)."

"The concept of acceleration--how it correlates to what we've already learned with velocity and displacement. With a positive acceleration headed in the same direction as the velocity, the velocity increases, resulting in the object moving faster. However with a negative acceleration pointed in the opposite direction, the object slows down resulting in a smaller velocity."

Describe what you found confusing from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview. Your description (2-3 sentences) should specifically identify the concept(s) that you do not understand.

"I think the kinematic equations were a lot to process. It made sense, but I need to get more familiarized with them."

"I don't understand how chord slopes work and what information it is telling me. I also don't get what number would be the chord slope."

"The graphical relations are confusing at the moment but will hopefully be clarified once I see some of these graphical relations in action. When I'll need to use what equation will take some studying."

"I don't fully understand the operations that are embedded in our non-calculus 'chain of pain.' I'm confused on how they all connect."

"Memorizing all the equations. I have little practice or interactions with these equations and the key to learning it would be to have a visual connected with every part of the equation so I can learn by logic and not memorization. Also lost on the slopes."

Briefly describe the difference(s) between a chord slope and a tangent slope on a graph.

"A chord slope is a straight line that connects two points on a curve. A tangent slope touches the line at only one point."

"A tangent line is slope of a line from a single point on a curved line and a chord slope is the line between two points on the curve."

"Chord slopes are for average values and tangent slopes are for instantanious."

"I honestly don't understand these concepts enough to explain."

Mark the level of your exposure to (basic calculus) concepts of derivatives/integrals.

None at all.	********** [12]
Slight.	******* [7]
Some.	******** [8]
A fair amount.	************* [13]
A lot.	*** [3]

Indicate how each of these quantities are determined from kinematic graphs.
(Only correct responses shown.)

Displacement ∆x: area under a v_x(t) graph. [58%]
Position x: (None of these choices.) [40%]
Change in (instantaneous) velocity ∆v_x: area under an a_x(t) graph. [51%]
(Instantaneous) velocity v_x: tangent slope of an x(t) graph. [65%]
Average velocity v_x,av: chord slope of an x(t) graph. [60%]
(Instantaneous) acceleration a_x: tangent slope of a v_x(t) graph. [56%]
Average acceleration a_x,av: chord slope of a v_x(t) graph. [58%]

Ask the instructor an anonymous question, or make a comment. Selected questions/comments may be discussed in class.

"What is the most important thing to understand from this homework?" (Knowing what to do with a graph, and how to do it (calculating areas, chord slopes, or tangent slopes, i.e. the "chain of pain").)

"I'm a little confused on when to use m/s and m/s². Is m/s used only with velocity and m/s² only with acceleration?" (Yes.)

"Why have a chart that sounds and looks torturous?"

"The chain of pain is so daunting at first but if you stare at it long enough it kind of starts to make sense, as long as you can see the system and you know the variables."

"I am finding the 'chain of pain' very confusing. Can you please lecture on this in class."

"I'm confused by 'v_av,x.' Is that the average velocity based off of the displacement value of x?" (Yes, it is the average horizontal velocity.)

"Will we be making or looking at graphs during the next lab?" (Yes, next lab will be an introduction to graphs in general (using Excel), and the following two labs will have you generating velocity versus time graphs generated from video tracking software, or from ultrasound motion detectors.)

"Do we have to memorize all these formulas and the kinematic graphs?" (All of the equations will be given to you. However, the relationships between the graphs (areas, chord slopes, and tangent slopes, i.e. the "chain of pain") is something you have to memorize yourself.)

"How do you solve kinematics equations that have more than one missing variable? Would you use substitution?" (Yes. You would need as many equations as you have missing variables.)

"This class is beginning to concern me."

"Hopelessly lost :("

Online reading assignment: significant figures, unit conversions, dimensional analysis, advice from previous students

Physics 205A, fall semester 2019
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students have a bi-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 significant figures, course policies, unit conversions and dimensional analysis, and on reading advice from previous semester Physics 205B students.


Selected/edited responses are given below.

Describe what you understand from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview. Your description (2-3 sentences) should specifically demonstrate your level of understanding.

"I understand the role of SI units in making physics measurements. I have used SI units many times in prior chemistry and biology classes, and know that defining units correctly is important to solving any problem in this course accurately. However, I was surprised to learn where some of the common SI units came from, such as how the kilogram was based on a specific measurement of platinum."

"I understand significant figures in a general sort of sense, but definitely needed the refresher. The 'flowchart of pain' helped."

"I just finished a chemistry class so the topic of significant digits is fresh.The easiest rule for me is the multiplication/division rule which typically leads to, 'use smallest amount of digits given in problem.'"

"I understood unit conversions the best, and I understand how to use multiplication to cancel out undesired units. By doing this, the resulting solution leaves only the desired unit of measurement intact, enabling for further conversions or the result as a final answer."

Describe what you found confusing from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview. Your description (2-3 sentences) should specifically identify the concept(s) that you do not understand.

The only thing I found slightly confusing or that I did not already know is the standard prefixes used to denote multiples of ten. I know that it is important to know these prefixes and it is something I will have to learn. Perhaps there is an acronym for them?"

"I found adding and subtracting sig figs difficult. This is because I did not know how to count the correct number of sig figs since it is a different process than multiplying and dividing."

"What exactly is a definition or constant number as described in the flowchart?"

"Dimensional analysis confused me during the reading. I can understand its relation with measurements, but I still stumble with how to utilize my understanding into problem-solving. I'm not able to deeply comprehend beyond the very basics, despite being able to see the formulas in the textbook."

"My only concern involved the addition and subtraction rule; however, it was clarified via the decimal line up."

"I was unfamiliar with the 'Rule of Two' and still don't quite understand it."

Match the SI (Système International d'Unités) prefixes with their corresponding powers of ten.
(Only correct responses shown.)

centi- (c): 10^–2. [87%]
giga- (G): 10⁹. [78%]
kilo- (k): 10³. [87%]
mega- (M): 10⁶. [83%]
micro- (µ): 10^–6. [84%]
milli- (m): 10^–3. [85%]
nano- (n): 10^–9. [87%]

Mark the level of your exposure to units and dimensional analysis.

None at all.	*** [3]
Slight.	*********** [11]
Some.	*********** [11]
A fair amount.	******************* [19]
A lot.	*********** [11]

Pick one piece of student advice from the previous semester, and discuss why you agree (or disagree) with it.

"'The practice problems and homework problems are the best way to learn the material.' I completely agree with this piece of advice because I have found that in my previous chemistry and math courses that the best way for me to actually retain the information is to keep doing it over and over again and trying new problems. I feel like the practice problems for me are more useful than just a conceptual or visual explanation and it forces me to work problems out myself."

"'You have to keep up with learning the equations and going over the in-class notes. It's really easy to get lost, especially since we have online presentations. Don't be afraid to bother the embedded tutor during their hours if you have questions!' This advice resonated with me because I've finally taken advantage of embedded tutoring in my other courses, and I realized it was immensely beneficial. I plan on seeking help if I am struggling with the material instead of suffering on my own!"

"'Do all the homework and attend all class sessions and you should have a good start!' This. I've never been good about keeping up with homework and I can see that it really plays a huge part in this class (as well as many others). This is my first semester going to school and not working full-time, so I have a lot more time dedicated to homework and studying."

"'Don't miss a class.' Although it seems simple, I've found that especially with math-related classes, I NEED to be able to visualize how problems are solved, step by step, which can only be done by attending the lectures in class. Although the books have the same information, I have a much easier time understanding concepts and problems when they are taught/shown in-class, rather than just explained as words on a page."

"'You need to keep up with the assignments and be ready for for a barrage of testing the last month before the the final.' My biology class became very test-heavy near the end and that caught me by surprise. I won't let the same happen in this class."

"'Creating my own notes prior to each lecture made everything much more helpful. In the lecture, you will go over problems and you can add these to your notes. Prior to every test, remake those notes with your more current knowledge on the subject and cues that P-dog likes to see in sample student answers. Reviewing the problems he puts on the blogs is extremely important. Not only do you see REAL exam and quiz questions, but you will also see past student answers, their grades, and a description of what each answer needed to be correct. P-daawwwwg can teach this stuff to a third-grader so don't be afraid to ask plenty of questions in class!' I personally like and appreciate this piece of advice because it can be daunting to write notes during presentation/lecture as we go and it is very helpful that P-dog has the course curriculum embedded in his website and available for us to view a week in advance. I will try to take this advice and stay on top of understanding the curriculum and reading ahead of time."

"'Be consistent and diligent with the homework, and GO TO CLASS. Take as many notes as you can and review them. P-dog draws a lot of cartoons that make the material a lot easier to understand.' I agree with this piece of advice because I do want to understand and I want to be diligent. It makes me happy to know the educator wants to be just as involved as the student learning it for the first, or even fourth time. Drawing characters allows a comedic flair allowing some students to relax and get a grip. I appreciate that."

"'Honestly, to succeed in this course you need to participate. Come to class, learn as much as you can and don't worry so much about how you're doing in the class or what your exact grade is.' I agree with this statement completely because participation is key to any STEM course. A lot of time, people get confident about their ability to perform in a subject and sometimes feel like lecture is a waste of time (I have done it a few times). However, there is always at least a few things that I didn’t know, even if I have seen the material before, or a quicker way to complete a problem. Those little things are what pushes you from a 'B' to and 'A' and are critical for success."

"'Don't do the homework at the last minute, and try to understand the material before coming to class. Do the problems and take good notes.' I greatly agree with this piece of advice. My sophomore year of college I took Chem 201A. I still didn't fully understand how to study and I would do a lot of things last minute. That didn't allow me time to go talk to my professor to clarify. Since I didn't ask I didn't understand and I really struggled in the class as it progressed. I also did not thoroughly participate. If something was not worth credit I didn't do it. Now that I have my bachelors and I have been through many more classes I realize it is important to be prepared. Doing extra work will result in a better grade overall. I make sure to do things early (when I can--I am currently taking 16 credits elsewhere and will be starting another course on the 26th. Thankfully the 16 credits will be over within 2 weeks!) so I can come to class with questions to clarify what I was confused about."

Ask the instructor an anonymous question, or make a comment. Selected questions/comments may be discussed in class.

"This reading assignment was interesting. At first it was weird but as I was going through it really does push you to reflect and think about what you know and don't know in this class ahead of time."

"Do we need to wear closed toe shoes in lab? Super-excited for this semester, P-dog!" (Any footwear is allowed in physics lab.)

"What did you get your Ph.D. in?" (My research dissertation was titled "Atomic Holography with Electrons and X-rays: Theoretical and Experimental Studies.")

"Do basic SI units go beyond nano and Giga? If so I have never used them or at least heard of them." (In Northern California they are starting to use "hella-" to refer to 10²⁷.)

"I really like the atmosphere of the class. It didn't feel intimidating like other math-heavy science classes. I also appreciate the 10-second rule for any questions that people may have. I always noticed that whenever people did have questions, they often raised their hands after the professor decided to move on."

"I really like your teaching style and feel like I'll actually be learning in this class!"

"Will the correct answers/solutions be posted for these reading assignment questions so we can correct our work?" (You can search for the #CuestaPhys205A hashtag on Twitter to find the answers and responses for every previous reading assignment.)

"What textbook do we NEED for this course-if any--and where do you recommend we get the book from? Would older editions suffice? Can students do well without purchasing a textbook for this class? Signed, A Broke College Student. (Any way you can get the current (11th edition) of this textbook will suffice (used, rent, e-book, etc.). You do not need any additional resources that typically get packaged with an unopened new textbook. It is possible to use a previous edition of the textbook, but you will need to check with someone with the current edition to check how some of the end-of-chapter problems get renumbered/revised from edition-to-edition. Also, the current edition of the textbook is available on reserve from the Cuesta College Library.)

"Looking forward to the learning physics and getting comfortable with your online schedule. Will there be practice quizzes and tests to do before exams that we can print out and practice like in a real setting?" (Yes, on the "Goals" tab of the course website are links to the quizzes and exams from last year's Physics 205A class. We will also have time in class for you to practice taking quizzes as a group for review.)

"That mustache. That is all."

Online reading assignment question: advice to future students

Astronomy 210, spring semester 2019
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. The following question was asked after the last lecture, but prior to the final exam.

Tell a student who is about to take this course next semester what he/she needs to know or to do in order to succeed in this course. (Graded for completion.)

"The best advice for success in this class is: always show up to class. Missing class is the quickest way of getting bad grades."

"To succeed in this course, I would just say to make sure that you attend every class, and do your best to do all of the online reading assignments."

"Show up to class."

"To be successful in this course you need to understand the online reading assignments and be an active listener during lectures."

"You learn everything in class, so study your notes and your quizzes."

"Come to all the classes and do the online reading assignments! This will help especially if you aren't good at taking tests."

"Attend the class."

"Come to class, pay attention to lectures, ask questions, do the reading assignments, and read the book. STUDY PAST QUIZZES! They're one of the most helpful study guide you can have in this class!!!!"

"Do all the things early!"

"Just show up to class, do the reading, and don't be afraid to ask questions."

"You will have a lot more fun (and better grades) if you just go to class and pay attention."

"Show up to class and stay for the in-class activities."

"Actually show up to the lectures, it makes all the difference."

"Just do the online reading assignments and read the textbook!"

"Show up to class and don't be afraid to ask questions."

"Take your time doing the reading! Make time for online reading assignments and study continuously."

"Information from previous chapters will always be relevant for the course."

"In the words of Dori: 'Just keep swimming.'""

"Go to all the classes because the activities really help. STUDY THE QUIZZES!"

"Study, study study. The quizzes are similar to the practice quizzes given in class. Show up to class, do your homework. Every point counts. Don't give up."

"I would recommend focusing on the relationship between the concepts discussed, and perhaps forming visual models to help remember. Also, if nothing else, read the blog."

"Stay up to date with the readings. There were times when I fell behind with the book readings and it was twice as hard to read double the material and understand it."

"Come to class and study for each quiz and exam."

"GO TO CLASS, and take a genuine interest--it'll make it worth your while."

"Go to every class and listen intently on what P-dog has to say. If you are ever confused about anything in the class, he will explain it to you in every way possible until you fully understand it."

"Go to class and stay."

"Attend class, do the reading assignments, study the practice quizzes before the quiz day, and study the overall material for the exams."

Online reading assignment question: advice to future students

Physics 205B, spring semester 2019
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students have a bi-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 the next lecture, regardless if whether their answers are correct/incorrect. The following question was asked after the last lecture, but prior to the final exam.

Tell a student who is about to take this course next year what he/she needs to know or to do in order to succeed in this course. (Graded for completion.)

"Stay on top of all the homework assignments and labs. You don't want to miss easy points for simply doing your work when you may need the cushion later for exams and quizzes. Ask questions, work with your group, see tutors(they are so helpful) and work out every single homework problem! A lot of physics is logic with a just a little bit of equations. You can think your way out of a problem before actually solving for it!"

"It's so helpful to go to office hours and ask questions on the practice quiz problems and follow up with homework problems or in-class problems. P-dog is patient and never gets annoyed no matter the amount of questions asked. It's good to study the material several times because you can advance in what you know each time you review it."

"Stay at the end of lab and write up the lab report while it's fresh in your mind. And pre-lab readings help. And keep practice quizzes and answers."

"Just stay on top of the work, keep going, and ask as many questions as you need to. P-dog is super-patient and will talk with you and help you work through the problem until you understand it. He is one of the few teachers that I have had that has never made me feel dumb for having to ask the same question multiple times in a row. He is by far one of my favorite professors I have had, so don't be afraid to ask for help. Even if the class gets hard, just stick with it, you will be fine :)"

"Instead of trying to answer as many problems as you can before an exam, try to solve a handful in detail. Also, try to get as many points as possible! Even the single points, they rank up at the end!"

"Do the reading and work all practice problems over and over till it makes sense."

"Welcome to Physics 205A. If you want to have success in this class here is what you need to do. I'll break it down in three steps. If you can do these three things consistently, you're sure to pass.
      STEP 1: BE AN ACTIVE LEARNER which means show up! Showing up is a huge part of the process. Don't skip lecture, take good notes, take lab seriously. You'll be engaged and it will be easier to retain the information.
      STEP 2: TAKE GOOD NOTES: Writing notes helps commit new info to memory. After class, go home and re-write your notes from lecture. Not only are you reinforcing what you learned, good notes are invaluable reference material for later quizzes and exams.
      STEP 3: BE SMART ABOUT EXAM PREP. Go through the practice exam blog pages thoroughly. P-dog lays out the practice problems and techniques in good depth. If you are consistently answering the practice tests correctly YOU WILL BE FINE. Don't panic and stick to these three steps and you will have success in this class."

"Definitely do all of the homework, reading assignments, labs and lab reports, and in class worksheets. Those are great buffer points that help out and if you max them out then you don't have to do anymore when it's the end of the semester and you are burnt out."

"Do all the homework and reading assignments. Study for the quiz and test. Do all the lab work."

"You need to keep up with the assignments and be ready for for a barrage of testing the last month before the the final."

"I would say, go to class, do the homework and examples. That’s what will get you through the class and help you to understand the topics."

"It's a pretty straightforward class. Just make sure to do the labs, the homework, and study the material. You should be more than fine if you do those things. Stay focused as well. Don't get distracted with other things like I did."

"Do the homework and reading assignments because they are easy points that should not be missed. Even if you don't have time to read the homework just state that you didn't get to it and just for submitting a response you will still get points. These points can easily determines your grade if you are borderline. Write the dates when things are due and make sure to also write the time because '12:00 AM' versus '12:00' PM will cost you points, especially for pre-labs and post labs. You won't be able to submit work online once the survey is timed out, and there go your easy points. If you tend to forget to do post-labs it is a good idea to just complete your post-lab as soon as you finish lab.
      Most labs won't take up all the lab time, so staying in lab to complete this is a good idea. Turning your lab report early will get you an extra-credit point, so that can work as motivation to just get it done.
      Not all the quizzes are summed up for your grade, there will be some that are dropped, so don't be discouraged if you aren't doing so well, there is still a chance to succeed. Midterms are comprehensive, and if you do well in all of the above (homework, reading assignments, post-labs, and pre-labs), then you might not have to take the final.
      Show up to class! Every lecture you are required to do groupwork and this is part of your grade. Practice quizzes are given in the lecture previous to the day on which the quiz is scheduled, so if you do well on this you will know right away that you are going to do decently on the quiz. If not, then you better get to studying because chances are you will be lost. Know what your symbols mean it will be easier to do. Plug-and-chug if you have no clue on how to go about the problem. Being able to read a prompt and break down the information given will show you what SI units or symbols you will use, thus giving you a hint on what equation to use.
      There is extra-credit after the quizzes by doing a group quiz, so even if you know you didn't study or feel that you will do horrible, show up anyways, take the quiz and do the extra credit. A maximum of 20 extra-credit points is applied to course grade. Don't give up, there are plenty of resources, some of which are the Tutoring Center, office hours, Khan Academy, and many more online resources.
      This class is structured to help you succeed not to fail you. Any one can pretty much get a 'C' if they do the minimal work. If you do all of your homework, reading assignments, pre-labs, post-labs and get all your credit you've set yourself up to get a 'B' or and 'A.' Wish you all the best! P-dog is here to help you move on academically, he's on your side!"

"Focus ALL your attention in class. Memorize the concepts of what the instructor is trying to say in the class."

"Make sure you always finish the online assignments and show up to lab. Literally rack up as many points as you can because you'd be dumb not to. Take advantage of the generosity of points this class provides. Also always go over the practice problems before quizzes and exams."

"Make sure you stay caught up on the online readings. If you go into class without some knowledge of the material, it is harder to catch up. Try to max out your points in all of the categories you can, like the reading assignments, homework reports, labs, etc. This will give you room for error on the midterms/final."

"Don't miss the online homework and reading assignments! Don't procrastinate on anything really, staying on top of things helps keep your cool. Taking notes in lecture definitely helps but I really began to understand things when I took notes after/while reading the reading assignments. Even if you don't understand it, try to at least look over all the material before class."

Online reading assignment question: advice to self for next semester

Physics 205A, fall semester 2018
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students have a bi-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. The following question was asked after the last lecture, but prior to the final exam.

Give a piece of advice to yourself at the start of next semester on what you should do (the same, or differently) in order to succeed in Physics 205A/B (or similar science courses). (Graded for completion.)

"While spending a lot of time with the material is great, my goal for next semester is to find study partners in Phys 205B. This has worked great for me in other science and math classes and I wish I had found people in class to study with for Phys 205A."

"Just do the homework and review the labs before class."

"Don't give up early on. It will look like you have a low grade early on in the class, but it works out to be a lot higher. Get information on how the point system works. The first week of class you need to figure out his website. Do it and make sure you understand it. Do the homework; don't freak out if you can't understand the assigned text or problems. Just complete the homework and show up to class, stay over for office hours if you are still confused. Labs are fairly easy and a good grade buffer show up to all of them. The labs are interesting, visual, and help you better understand concept questions on the quizzes. Midterms were hard for me. Just do the example problems and study how the point system works for each midterm example problems. Find a study partner or make a friend so that you can both keep each other up to date on what needs to be done. His website calendar does not change. None of the dates change for tests or quizzes nor do the homework assignments. Nothing should come as a surprise in the class with his calendar. The quizzes are very DSPS-friendly. You make your test-taking calendar in the first few weeks and don't have to worry about turning in a new DSPS sheet every other week for a quiz. It is a one-and-done thing. P-dog is great, it's just the first few weeks are confusing and his website you will hate at first, towards the end you will love it. Show up to all the classes! His worksheets help with quiz scores."

"Put in more effort, focus more, and try to ask questions!"

"Make sure you do all the homework, reading, labs and study for your quizzes."

"Physics is one of those classes where the amount of work you put in directly dictates the results you get. Study hard, pay attention in class, and make sure you understand everything cause information often resurfaces. read those chapters ahead of time."

"Actually do all the assignments because they do help a lot. I noticed that when I did the reading and homework assignments it was a lot easier to follow the next class."

"Just stay on top of the homework and the reading. Also to do the lab reports sooner in the week so I'm not as stressed about them."

"Study, do the homework and reading assignments, go to class and pay attention."

"Practice, practice, practice solving all the example problems given to you. Also, it helps a lot to write out short answers on what you did."

"Always, always do the work. It's easy points and can make the difference when passing the class."

"Rack up all the points you can before tests because you never test well. Stay organized and remember all of the reading assignments and post labs. Every point is worth it."

"Stay up on the homework, go to lab, take good notes in lecture and stay organized."

"I would do all of the reading assignments and homework. Go to the class and lab."

"I would say to continue doing what you're doing, but could spend more time on the homework problems which I feel like would help on the quizzes."

"I suggest the future students take notes while reading (the night before lecture), to better understand the material. Take notes again in class and ask QUESTIONS!"

"Do the dang reading assignments!!!!!!"

"Stay on top of homework! You killed yourself this semester with that."

"The grade you get is how much time you put in."

"Study the concepts more than how to do them."

"Disregard trying to read the textbook and read the blog posts carefully instead because the book is not user-friendly."

"Try to go to office hours if my schedule has time to do so."

"Do all reading assignments and homework early so you don't forget when you are studying for all classes! Print out calendar from the waiferx.com course website and mark off upcoming/completed assignments."

"Read everything on the waiferx.com course website because there are no reminders and it is not organized like Canvas."

"Keep up on the pre-labs and post-labs along with the homework assignments. They are super-mellow so there really shouldn't be a reason not to do them."

"Show up to all the classes and after class go over the problems/worksheets until you understand them."

"Keep doing the problems until I understand them completely."

"Next semester I need to go into office hours if I have topics that confuse me instead of only trying to figure it out myself."

"Do a lot of example problems with varying variables missing in order to prepare."

"Either write down or make a document of all the practice and homework problems so they can be easily referenced!"

"You're doing great!"

Online reading assignment: constant acceleration equations of motion

Physics 205A, fall semester 2018
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students have a bi-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 reviewing a flipped class presentation on (constant acceleration) motion.


Selected/edited responses are given below.

Describe what you understand from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview. Your description (2-3 sentences) should specifically demonstrate your level of understanding.

"Some of the basic differences between instantaneous velocity vs average velocity (same with acceleration). Average velocity puts into consideration the whole time scope from t₀ = 0 s to the finish, whereas instantaneous uses small snippets of time and examines each small vector (hopefully I am explaining this correctly. Also the slopes and how to read/understand the graphs more this time around, and what the graph reflects about an object's movement. I realize that 'magnitude' reflects absolute value of a quantity."

"How to find velocity, acceleration and displacement through the use of calculus concepts pretty well. I took calculus in high school and a lot of the material is coming back to me which is great."

"That you have to choose which equation you use carefully to determine the correct unknown variable. I understand the correlations for the 'Chain of Pain,' and which operations should be used to calculate what is trying to be found."

"I'm beginning to understand the relationship between velocity, speed, displacement, and distance traveled a lot more than before. Although displacement and distance traveled can be the same, they can also be different if the movement of the object is not along a straight line. I'm also beginning to see that average speed connects to distance traveled whereas average velocity connects to displacement. Finding these connections among the variables has helped with my ability to problem solve and my overall understanding of the equations."

"I understand that when doing problems with kinematics, it is essential to write down the given information and work step by step in order to avoid errors. I also understand the four kinematic variables (x, v_x, a_x, and t) and their meaning."

"This was the same reading assignment as last time, which helped because I did not really understand the "chain of pain" until reading this chapter again. However, I have seemed to have a better grasp on the concept. I understand that you can find the distance traveled from a velocity graph by finding the are of the graph because the displacement is the same as distance traveled if the distance is all in one direction. I know you can find the average acceleration from a velocity graph by finding the chord slope."

"That in order to solve a problem, we should be able to determine which information is given to us and which isn't first. Then, figure out what equations to use, but actually using it in practice is confusing to me."

"That picking a random physics equation and trying to use it won't end well. I understand that in this class we will need to remember what equations to use and when to use them."

"I took a closer look at what all the variables stand for and it was a bit easier to read the equations."

"How to read the position versus time and the velocity versus time graphs. I think its a little bit easier to solve those problems actually instead of just when information is given."

Describe what you found confusing from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview. Your description (2-3 sentences) should specifically identify the concept(s) that you do not understand.

"Chords, tangents, and areas."

"I would like to go over how to use the chain of pain little bit more and brief overview the stuff is probable good for me."

"The differences between acceleration and velocity. Especially on which variables are used to calculate each one."

"Everything so far makes sense. The 'Chain of Pain' is becoming much clearer now as I spend more time with it and understand its components better."

"Honestly, the textbook is pretty confusing. The chapters assigned just confused me even further. Their use of examples to define something doesn't help explain what something is in the first place if you don't know what it is. How do you decide what equation to use?"

"The 'Chain of Pain' graphical relations flowchart makes sense when I am looking at it but it is very hard to remember/memorize. Hopefully more work with these types of problems will make me more efficient."

"Understanding graphs. Sometimes I get confused on which equations to use when given a graph to analyze. For instance, when to use the area below the curve versus a different type of equation. This confusion may have to do with the need for some more practice with graphs. I am however beginning to understand the equations themselves more which will probably slowly help with understanding the graphs."

"I do mostly understand the 'Chain of Pain' graph however, the symbols are still a bit confusing."

"Figuring out how to use the equations and knowing which one to use in a certain problem. I think during class it could be beneficial to learn how to analyze problems and figure out what information we already have and expand on the process of how to get what we want. I know we've already done this, but I have a hard time doing this with our assigned homework problems and problems from the book."

"Still not familiar with the equations used for finding values, especially what each variable represents. I need to review the definitions more."

"How to determine which equation you choose to determine the variable that is being asked to solve for."

"I think I'm okay."

Mark the level of your expertise in algebraically solving multiple equations for multiple unknowns.

None at all.	**** [4]
Slight.	****** [6]
Some.	************** [14]
A fair amount.	***************** [17]
A lot.	********* [9]

"2012 Chrysler 300 - First Drive"
NRMA Motoring and Services
flic.kr/p/d1bozj

"The braking distance for a 2012 Chrysler 300C to slow down from 31 m/s to a complete stop is 50.3 m. Assume that the acceleration is constant as the car slows down to a stop."

From the statement of this problem, determine whether the values of these kinematic quantities are known/given or are unknown/undetermined (without solving the problem numerically).
(Only correct responses shown.)

Final horizontal position x (initial horizontal position x₀ assumed to be 0): known/given. [88%]
Initial horizontal velocity v_x: known/given. [82%]
Final horizontal velocity v_0x: known/given. [84%]
Horizontal acceleration a_x: unknown/undetermined. [72%]
Final time t (initial time t₀ assumed to be 0): unknown/undetermined. [74%]

For the Chrysler 300C, the horizontal distance traveled is __________ the magnitude of the horizontal displacement.

less than.	*** [3]
equal to.	********************************* [33]
greater than.	****** [6]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)	******** [8]

"Leichtathletik WM 2009 Berlin"
André Zehetbauer
flic.kr/p/6RmNQn

"Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt holds the world record for the 100 m sprint, covering that distance in 9.58 s in Berlin, 2009. Assume that his acceleration starting from rest to when he crosses the finish line is constant."

From the statement of this problem, determine whether the values of these kinematic quantities are known/given or are unknown/undetermined (without solving the problem numerically).
(Only correct responses shown.)

Final horizontal position x (initial horizontal position x₀ assumed to be 0): known/given. [94%]
Initial horizontal velocity v_x: known/given. [50%]
Final horizontal velocity v_0x: unknown/undetermined. [56%]
Horizontal acceleration a_x: unknown/undetermined. [74%]
Final time t (initial time t₀ assumed to be 0): known/given. [96%]

For Usain Bolt, the horizontal distance traveled is __________ the magnitude of the horizontal displacement.

less than.	[0]
equal to.	************************************** [38]
greater than.	***** [5]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)	******* [7]

"6 kJ Portable Pneumatic Catapult"
UAV Factory
uavfactory.com/product/21

"A portable pneumatic catapult is able to launch a Penguin B unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from rest to a final speed of 23 m/s along a 4.0 m rail. Assume that the rail is horizontal, and that acceleration of the UAV starting from rest to when it is launched is constant."

From the statement of this problem, determine whether the values of these kinematic quantities are known/given or are unknown/undetermined (without solving the problem numerically).
(Only correct responses shown.)

Final horizontal position x (initial horizontal position x₀ assumed to be 0): known/given. [74%]
Initial horizontal velocity v_x: known/given. [82%]
Final horizontal velocity v_0x: known/given. [82%]
Horizontal acceleration a_x: unknown/undetermined. [70%]
Final time t (initial time t₀ assumed to be 0): unknown/undetermined. [76%]

For the UAV, the horizontal distance traveled is __________ the magnitude of the horizontal displacement.

less than.	*** [3]
equal to.	****************************** [30]
greater than.	***** [5]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)	************ [12]

Ask the instructor an anonymous question, or make a comment. Selected questions/comments may be discussed in class.

"Can we go over displacement vs distance again using the three examples you gave us for homework?"

"If something is traveling in a straight line and does not go backwards or turn right or left, is displacement equal to distance?" (Yes.)

"Can we use the kinematic equations to solve for distance traveled on a velocity versus time graph, or would you prefer we show how we found the area by using squares and triangles?" (Whichever method works best for you. I'll teach you both methods, but ultimately how you get your answer is your call.)

"Will you give kinematic equations to us on quizzes and exams, or do we need to memorize them?" (You are always given those equations, so don't memorize them. Instead concentrate on how they are to be used.)

"How do you decide which kinematic equation to use? And will you give these to us on tests/quizzes or do we need to memorize them?" (The "most useful" kinematic equation to use will depend on the information that you are given, and what you are being asked to solve for, which will be different for every particular problem.)

"Could we go through one of these problems in class?" (We will. Then you'll go through one of these problems on your own for problem-solving today, and then more for homework later.)

"I think I just need a bit more practice with identifying all the different variables in the problems, also being able to calculate the different variables as well."

"No comment or question today. Class is going well!"