Online reading assignment question: keep, quit, start

Astronomy 210, fall semester 2018
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

"2018-07 Astr 210 keep"
Waifer X
flic.kr/p/2bgm1o5

Wordle.net tag cloud for "keep" resolutions.


"2018-07 Astr 210 quit"
Waifer X
flic.kr/p/2bgm19s

Wordle.net tag cloud for "quit" resolutions.


"2018-07 Astr 210 start"
Waifer X
flic.kr/p/2bgkZwf

Wordle.net tag cloud for "start" resolutions.

Students were asked to answer a "keep-quit-start" online reflection (hosted by SurveyMonkey.com) on their studying strategies/pitfalls (Mubayiwa, 2009).

Enter a word or brief phrase that describes what you intend to keep doing to study for this class. Explain your answer to the above question (what you intend to keep doing to study for this class).

Enter a word or brief phrase that describes what you intend to quit doing to study for this class. Explain your answer to the above question (what you intend to quit doing to study for this class).

Enter a word or brief phrase that describes what you intend to start doing to study for this class. Explain your answer to the above question (what you intend to start doing to study for this class).

[Word tags have been edited to consolidate related common subjects; student explanations are verbatim.]

Keep word tags:

everything
      Quizzes, pre-class assignments (like this one), and other small projects may seem like easy passes, but the points add up quickly. Together, all of the small tests and activities are worth a big part of the grade. So, I'm going to try not to take them for granted and try to continue to do most of them.
      I figure if I keep doing the work of keeping up with the reading and presentations then I will know more about what we are doing in class. That way instead of trying to learn it all I can focus more on trying to understand better what I do and learn what I don't.
      I plan to keep doing the reading and look over the slides before class and take notes during class because that has worked well so far.

flashcards
      Making flashcards with the moon phases and different astronomers really helped.

focusing
      I want to earn an "A" in this class. Right now my grade is below the level I need to earn an "A." I need to focus more on quizzes and final exams and become more familiar with all the subject matter going forward.

gotoclass
      I feel like I learn the best when I am in class. For me being hands on and having the instructor explaining everything with pictures, is easier than me remembering to study myself online.
      I feel like when I come to class all my questions I had from the nights before, and things I get confused on, get answered when you describe them. That and it allows me time to slow down and process the difficult parts. showing up to class and understanding the lectures its a big help when it comes to doing the reading assignments and also it helps me to get ready for my quizzes and test.
      I need to make sure I attend every class and make sure to pay attention and take good notes.
      I go to every class and do all the homework always. I only left early once, however other then that attending class and not missing and doing all the homework helps to to comprehend the material.
      I intend to continue to come to class regularly because i've learned that what we discuss in class and in our group activities have helped me understand the concepts better.
      The fact that the presentations are online is super helpful, but going to class, working with others is so helpful for cementing the information.

homework
      I intend on continuing to do the reading assignments to help me succeed. They help me understand the material that is shown in class the next day.
      I may be a bit confused during quizzes but I've been staying consistent with the homework helps. Not only to stay informed but to keep those constant weekly points added to the total grade. My friend and I will messsage each other to make sure we don't forget about it.
      In the beginning of this class I accidentally missed the first couple of online reading assignments, and that butchered part of my grade. I've been doing really good at getting these assignments done...I hope.
      Doing the reading and homework really does help keep my grade up and helps me understand the subject more.
      I have been good about doing my homework every week, it also helps brief me on what we're gonna cover in class in case I have questions.
      The only thing I have done consistently in this class has been the reading assignments. Having a chance to review the lecture material before the lecture has real helpful.
      I intend to keep doing my homework, asking questions in class, and studying for my quizzes and tests.
      I intend to keeping doing homework in order to succeed. Staying up on homework is what helps me do well in class and understand the material we read about.
      I intend to continue doing the reading assignments in order to learn the material.

payattenion
      I intend to KEEP paying attention to the instructor because it is a lecture.

reading
      I intend to keep reading the chapters that are assigned and writing my own notes in a way that I can understand the material being taught, so that when I go into class I am not completely clueless on what we are talking about.
      If I want to succeed in this class, I have realized that my main source to studying is the reading. I find that I do a lot better on the assignments and tests when I take a lot of time to read through my notes.
      I retain information really well when reading and as long as I keep doing that, I'm at least doing something to keep up in class.

reviewing
      I need to keep reviewing notes, practice tests, the books, and past presentations to succeed.
      The quiz question packets are a great way to review what will be in the quiz. All of the questions are similar to what will be on the quiz. If I feel confident in the review then I feel confident for the quiz.
      Keep reviewing quizzes, midterms, notes, and previous chapters.
      Reviewing notes keeps the information fresh in my mind, that way when a test or quiz comes around I'm not blindsided. Overall, it keeps me more confident in my ability to understand the material and prepares me for each class.

takenotes
      Taking notes before class allows me to digest the material prior to class, even if I don't fully understand it. My own notes then make the notes done in class make much more sense.

Quit word tags:

beingtired
      By the time I get into class I'm always so tired because its towards the end of the day, and being tired makes it hard to comprehend the content, so if it means downing 5 consecutive shots expresso before class, then I have to do what I have to do in order to comprehend the content.

busynotetaking
      I intend to quit doing notes during lecture when not needed, and to just listen to hear my instructor.
      I find that I spend more time taking notes than actually absorbing the concepts I need to learn.

cramming
      I have a bad habit of cram studying for everything. Tests, quizzes, online assignments, everything. It's not good. Every once in a while I give myself more time to do things and it always turns out better. Yet I am a perpetual cram studier.

nonparticipation
      Believe it or not, I'm a shy person at heart. It's kind of hard to take the initiative and actually talk. That's why it's difficult to actually talk or answer out loud in class. It gets me nervous every time, so I'd rather stay quiet. But, participating in class is key to succeeding and passing this class and many others; so I intend to be a little more "outgoing" for the sake of my success. I'm not going to be the anti-social kid in class who never participates.

notreading
      I need to make sure I need to read the entire chapter and make sure I am familiar with all the topics before i get to class.

procrastinating
      I keep putting off the homework till Monday night. It is bad because repetition is needed to learn.
      Procrastinating is truly my worst habit and I usually end up doing the reading assignments the day before class underestimating the amount of time it will take. In turn, I end up rushing through the last few parts of the assignment.
      I intend to quit procreating because that is what has been affecting me from achieving the grade that I want. I will quit procrastinating on studying for quizzes and on reading assignments.
      I intend to spread out the reading more rather than doing it all at once.
      I work full time down the road from campus. Although my work is demanding and a priority, I need to allocate more time and effort in to studying for this class.
      For the next test I won't procrastinate as much.
      I need to stop procrastinating my homework to the last minute so that my brain stays fresh with all the information over the span of the week.
      I tend to forget about the homework, and put it off until the last moment. Doing homework sooner rather than later seems more helpful.
      I tend to not do the homework till the last day so I want to do more of the reading on the weekend so I can be done with the homework on Monday.
      I need to quit reviewing close to quizzes and start earlier.
      I keep leaving reading assignments for the last minute and have a streak now of not completing them at all because I'm too late or just forget to do them.
      I need to stop procrastinating on studying because i always leave it till the last minute.
      I need to stop procrastinating, I do the reading assignments and online stuff but I always tend to do it the night before so I am in a rush and I feel I'm not absorbing the material like I should be if I was reading throughout the week and going over my notes up until Tuesday.
      Not procrastinating the assignment the day before do it over the weekend to actually take more time to read and let the information settle down. I am soooo tired after work though.
      I tend to forget the online homework or remember after it is too late. I have missed three to my knowledge and if I want to succeed I need to do the rest of them, plus it will improve my test scores.
      I need to do a little better in studying for my quizzes and test. I procrastinate this quite a bit.
      I need to stop procrastinating and study earlier in the week because I need to raise my grade.
      I need to stop putting this class off. I tend to do things for this class at the very last minute. If I spend more time reviewing the material = better grades.
      I need to stop leaving my homework till the last minute, beacuse there are times that I leave my homework and then forget to do it and miss out on points.

selfdoubt
      There have been some times where I am sure I know the answer and or how to explain something, but I start to doubt myself as I look around the room sometimes. So I need to be more confident in the fact that I know the answer because I have done the reading. And will for sure ask the questions if I don't.

skimming
      I sometimes tend to skim over the text if there's a large portion i need to read. So when going back to study its harder to recall facts.

skipclass
      Lately I've left class during the second session. I need to buckle down and stick through it no matter how tired I am, so I can get those points.

slacking
      I need to step it up and not slack off so much outside of class. I need to study for the quizzes more in advance rather than the day of.

worrying
      I've just been put into a higher position at my company and I literally cannot stop staring at my email inbox out of anxiety. So basically I need to stop worrying so much about work and focus more on school!

Start word tags:

askquestions
      I intend to ask questions on what I don't understand in this class, I feel like it would help me a lot and help me understand the material.
      I intend to start asking more questions when I need help or visiting during office hours, I will also ask my peers more questions since we can easily help each other out.
      I need to be more open and start asking the questions when I'm confuse about something whether is during the lecture during class, or the class activities or the reading assignments.

caffeinating
      I need to drink energy drinks before class from now on in order to stay focused for three hours.

details
      It's always the small details that I overlook or ignore that cause me to lose points.

earlier
      I need to raise my grade and I shouldn't bank on having time the day before the class to study.
      I usually don't start studying for quizzes until a few hours before the class (the procrastination really killing me), so I want to begin studying at least two days out from the quiz. I intend on doing this with tests as well.
      I intend to start doing my homework earlier then the day it is due. I want to start having my homework done by Mondays.

everything
      I am going to continue what I have been doing because I am doing pretty good on the quizzes and hopefully the next exams to make up for the one I missed.

homework
      I am going to do all of the available online reading assignments for the rest of the year to make sure i get all the points I can.

prioritizing
      I like having a job and money but I need to put my schoolwork first.
      My goal is to pace myself on studying, learning and my homework so that I can get the results I am capable of.
      I need to allocate more time for studying and becoming more knowledgeable about the subject matter in the assignments.
      I just need to study and practice more. I feel like I understand the material until I take a quiz or test so maybe I just need to put practicing as a first priority apart from reading and well working!

reading
      Since I leave the homework for the last second, I tend to focus only on the online presentations and not reading the chapters thoroughly. I want to start reading or at least skimming the chapters to get a better understanding of the subjects.

reviewing
      Review notes more. I don’t do it enough, and my quiz grades have reflected that. My midterm showed me what a good amount of review can do, so I need to put more effort into that.

rewritenotes
      For the next test/quiz I will rewrite out notes to help me understand it and retain it better.

studyguides
      You always provide us with a study guide packet for the next upcoming quiz and I never seem to even look at it or use it. From what you have shown us in class it seems to be a very handy tool to be able to succeed on the quizzes because all the question on there as you have mentioned are going to be the same ones that are on the quizzes. With that being said im going to try harder to get those opened more often and gone over.
      I intend to start studying the practice quizzes.

studymore
      Going through the textbook assignments and the online lectures is one thing, but actually understanding and paying attention to what you're studying is another. I can put a bunch of facts in my head and memorize them automatically, but I need to make sure I'm really getting the point so I can explain it when needs be.
      I know I'm tired after work but I do need to step it up I’m close to graduating. Now is not the time to slow down.
      I have a bad habit of forgetting to study for my tests and sometimes opting out all together, and taking tests off of class knowledge, few online homework and textbook readings alone. It works better when I am in class more. Either way if I studied along the way in preparation I would do better.
      I didn't do too bad on my midterm, which I was shocked by. But for the final I need to go over notes and our textbook, because this class is hard and I want to pass!!! find a way to cover the text better when going back to it.
      I study before the quizzes and test however I want to start studying everyday just to keep the information fresh in my brain.
      I need to start spending more time on in this class to make sure I learn the material. I want to improve the way I study, do my homework, and read in order to succeed. I really want an "A" in this class and if I'm going to do so than I need to improve in my study habits and learn how to retain the things I read a lot better.
      Try!
      I intend to start improving my quiz scores because that is what is hurting my grade. I will start by looking over quiz packets and reviewing ahead of time.
      I intend to start going over the presentation notes more thoroughly. If I pay more attention then I might be able to come up with questions I can ask in class to better clarify confusing concepts.

Physics quiz question: partially inelastic lab cart collision

Physics 205A Quiz 4, fall semester 2018
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Two carts initially move towards each other on a horizontal track, and make a partially inelastic collision. Ignore friction and drag during this brief collision.


Based solely on the information given for this collision, the two lab carts:
(A) rebound with no deformation.
(B) rebound after unsticking, with some deformation.
(C) are stuck together with no deformation.
(D) are stuck together and are permanently deformed.

Correct answer (highlight to unhide): (B)

In a partially inelastic collision, some translational kinetic energy is lost to deformation, but the two colliding objects rebound such that they are not stick to each other afterwards.

(Response (A) is for an elastic collision; response (D) is for a completely inelastic collision.)

Sections 70854, 70855
Exam code: quiz04W3rK
(A) : 1 student
(B) : 50 students
(C) : 0 students
(D) : 0 students

Success level: 98%
Discrimination index (Aubrecht & Aubrecht, 1983): 0.07

Online reading assignment: stellar parameters (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 parallax, distance, apparent magnitude, absolute magnitude, Wien's law and the Stefan-Boltzmann law, and a TED-Ed talk on stellar properties.


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 the color and size of a star is related to its temperature and luminosity."

"How stars have different temperatures and that from their color alone tells you if they are cool or hot."

"I found it interesting how stars' brightness is measured, because I honestly never even considered it before."

"The way that they categorize the brightness of a star: the more lower the number or negative I guess you would say, the brighter it is. This is interesting to me because we are always taught that negative numbers are lower than one so a person would assume that because of the negative number it would be less bright. Such is not the case though which makes me wonder why when they revised it they did not revise that section of it?"

"That a negative magnitude means a brighter star; I thought that the highest would of been the brighter."

"How to actually determine the distance between bodies in space using parallax."

"I never thought that there was a reason on why stars looked brighter than others."

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

"I thought it was confusing how scientists are able to get the size and temperature of stars to figure out the absolute magnitude because they don't have any tools that could get close enough to measure."

"I am still puzzled on how we can tell the size of star by its color and brightness. How is it that we know the temperatures of these stars in accordance to the color? Have we had the technology to be able to gauge these stars without being that close to them? I guess I will just need a little more light on the subject."

"Pretty much the whole textbook reading confused me. not to sure how to figure out temperatures and brightness."

"Why is red considered the coolest star color, because when we think about 'red' we usually think 'hot.'"

Explain how apparent magnitude and the absolute magnitude are defined differently.

"Apparent magnitude is how bright a star appears from Earth, and absolute magnitude is how bright the star appears from a standard distance."

"Apparent magnitude is how bright a star appears from our location, and the absolute magnitude is when they are from the same distance."

"Apparent magnitude is the 'as is' brightness of a star, whereas absolute magnitude is the 'actual' brightness."

"Apparent magnitude refers to the brightness of a star as seen by an observer on Earth, without any compensation of instruments to change the view; it is what appears to the naked eye. Absolute magnitude is a whole lot more specific and clear; it calculates the ACTUAL brightness of a star, not just going by what we see. It is determined when a star's brightness is placed 10 parsecs away from all other stars."

Suppose the sun was moved to a distance of 10 parsecs away. As a result, its __________ magnitude would become dimmer.

absolute.	****** [6]
apparent.	******** [8]
(Both of the above choices.)	[0]
(Neither of the above choices.)	[0]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)	[0]

Rank the brightnesses of these stars (1 = brightest, 4 = dimmest; there are no ties), as seen from Earth.
(Only correct responses shown.)

1 (brightest): the sun, m = –27 [100%]
2: Canopus, m = –1 [86%]
3: Vega, m = 0 [86%]
4 (dimmest): Kapteyn's star, m = +9 [93%]

Rank the brightnesses of these stars (1 = brightest, 4 = dimmest; there are no ties), if relocated to 10 parsecs from Earth.
(Only correct responses shown.)

1 (brightest): Canopus, M = –3 [57%]
2: Vega, M = +0.5 [79%]
3: the sun, M = +5 [57%]
4 (dimmest): Kapteyn's star, M = +11 [86%]

Determine whether these stars get dimmer or brighter when relocated from their original positions to 10 parsecs from Earth.
(Only correct responses shown.)

The sun: gets dimmer [64%]
Canopus: gets brighter [71%]
Vega: gets dimmer [50%]
Kapteyn's star: gets dimmer [79%]

Rank the temperatures of these main sequence stars (1 = hottest, 4 = coolest; there are no ties).
(Only correct responses shown.)

Hottest: blue main sequence star [86%]
Second hottest: white main sequence star [71%]
Third hottest: yellow main sequence star [86%]
Coolest: red main sequence star [93%]

Rank the temperatures of these supergiant and dwarf stars (1 = hottest, 4 = coolest; there are no ties).
(Only correct responses shown.)

Hottest: blue supergiant [79%]
Second hottest: white dwarf [14%]
Third hottest: yellow supergiant [43%]
Coolest: red dwarf [86%]

Two stars (equally far away) have the same temperature, but one star is dimmer, and the other star is brighter. The __________ star will be larger in size.

dimmer.	*** [3]
brighter.	********** [10]
(These stars would be the same size.)	* [1]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)	[0]

Two stars (equally far away) have the same brightness, but one star is cooler, and the other star is hotter. The __________ star will be larger in size.

cooler.	*** [3]
hotter.	******** [8]
(These stars would be the same size.)	** [2]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)	* [1]

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

"With a blue star being the hottest, have we found any with planets around it that are in that 'Goldilocks zone?'" (Not yet. Although even if we did discover a territorial exoplanet orbiting a massive blue main-sequence star, it would not have very much time for life to arise before the star explodes as a type II supernova, as massive stars have very short lifetimes.)

"How can we tell the different colors when looking at the stars from Earth?"

"This was very confusing!"

"I enjoyed this section. I thought it was interesting and I felt like I understood it."

"This class is fun but hard :))))))"

Physics quiz archive: energy conservation, momentum conservation

Physics 205A Quiz 4, fall semester 2018
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
Sections 70854, 70855, version 1
Exam code: quiz04W3rK



Sections 70854, 70855 results

0- 6 :	* [low = 3]
7-12 :	********
13-18 :	**************
19-24 :	****************** [mean = 19.6 +/- 6.4]
25-30 :	********** [high = 30]

Online reading assignment: rotational dynamics

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 previewing a presentation on rotational dynamics.


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.

"The differences between rotational and translational kinetic energies."

"Rotational inertia depends on the mass and size of an object."

"That rotational parameters and translational parameters are related to each other by the radius of the object that rolls without slipping. I also understood that the higher the rotational speed, the higher the rotational kinetic energy."

"I understand the basic concept of angular speed and how it relates to translational speed. I get that the angular speed can be the same between two rolling objects, but if the radii are different, the objects will travel at different speeds."

"Rotational inertia is a property of an object which can be rotated. There is a relationship between the mass and the rotational inertia of an object. Rotational kinetic energy is the energy of rotational motion."

"Angular velocity describes the motion of a rigid object rotating about a fixed axis. A change in velocity means angular acceleration is occurring. The net external torque is proportional to angular acceleration."

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.

"Rolling without slipping. Rotational kinetic energy term in the transfer/balance equation."

"Angular speed and rotational inertia--I would like to see examples of these problems worked out."

"There were so many equations how do I apply them?"

"Although I read it over and over again, I found it hard understanding what rotational inertia means."

"I found the majority of this section to be very confusing. I still don't really understand how to calculate anything, how angular speed and rotational kinetic energy relate, and pretty much anything related to rotational inertia."

"Applying the transfer/balance equation to situations is kinda difficult to grasp. How can you figure out which energy system experienced a greater change?"

"I think I'm getting what's going on!"

"I understood pretty much everything in this chapter."

What is the SI (Système International) unit for rotational kinetic energy?

"J (joules)."

"Joules (kg·m²/s²)."

"(1/2)·I·ω²."

"I have no idea :( "

"I just didn't get to this (yet)."

Describe an object that only has rotational kinetic energy, and no translational kinetic energy.

"A hamster wheel that spins in place."

"A top that spins."

"A stationary table saw that spins in order to cut wood."

"A wheel of a car getting brake-tested or balanced on a stationary platform."

"Windmill."

"Ice skater spinning."

"A Ferris wheel."

"A ball connected to a string being spun in a circle."

Describe an object that has both translational kinetic energy and rotational kinetic energy.

"A wheel rolling down a hill."

"Tire rolling across the ground."

"A hamster ball."

"A Solowheel has both translational kinetic energy and rotational kinetic energy."

"A hula hoop rolling across the floor without slipping."

"Skateboards."

From starting at the top of the ramp to the bottom of the ramp, indicate the changes in each of the energy forms of the tire.
(Only correct responses shown.)

Gravitational potential energy: decreases [81%]
Translational kinetic energy: increases [85%]
Rotational kinetic energy: increases [77%]

From starting at the top of the ramp to the bottom of the ramp, the energy form that experienced the greatest amount of change (increase or decrease) was the tire's:

gravitational potential energy.	*********** [11]
translational kinetic energy.	********* [9]
rotational kinetic energy.	******* [7]
(There is a tie.)	*********** [11]
(Unsure/lost/guessing/help!)	********* [9]

For the subsequent part of this stunt, from just as it leaves the second ramp to reaching the top of its trajectory, indicate the changes in each of the energy forms of the tire.
(Only correct responses shown.)

Gravitational potential energy: increases [87%]
Translational kinetic energy: decreases [61%]
Rotational kinetic energy: no change [40%]

For the subsequent part of this stunt, from just as it leaves the second ramp to reaching the top of its trajectory, the energy form that experienced the greatest amount of change (increase or decrease) was the tire's:

gravitational potential energy.	********************* [21]
translational kinetic energy.	******* [7]
rotational kinetic energy.	***** [5]
(There is a tie.)	***** [5]
(Unsure/lost/guessing/help!)	********* [9]

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

"I have a question not necessarily on this reading assignment, but rather from the collisions section. Going over the practice quiz one of the options when comparing various different collisions there was an option to pick: 'translational kinetic energy and/or momentum cannot be determined.' I was wondering if there is ever a situation during a collision that conservation for either quantity can't truly be determined?" (Only if the presence (or absence) of external forces during the (brief) collision are unknown. If there are external forces present during the collision, then both quantities can't be conserved. If there are no external forces during the collision, then momentum is conserved, but translational kinetic energy may or may not be conserved depending on the rebound/damage incurred by the colliding objects.)

"For the tire rolling down the ramp, I concluded that gravitational potential energy must have experienced the greatest change since its decrease contributed to the increases in both translational kinetic energy and rotational kinetic energy?" (Yes.)

"Can you explain what happens to the rotational kinetic energy of the tire after it leaves the ramp?" (Since we ignore drag, the rotation of the tire is unaffected as it sails through the air, so its rotational kinetic energy remains constant.)

"I am doing my best to pass the quiz tomorrow. I am battling the pace of the class and also the 'flipped' structure (no need to reiterate my or your perspective on this). I really am trying to not hate physics."

"Enjoying the class so far."

"Would you rather be able to see 10 minutes into your own future or 10 minutes into the future of anyone but yourself?" (I'm not sure if it was better to have seen myself reading this question 10 minutes into the future, or to have seen you sending me this question 10 minutes into the future.)

Online reading assignment question: keep, quit, start

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

"2018-07 Phys 205A keep"
Waifer X
flic.kr/p/NuLADn

Wordle.net tag cloud for "keep" resolutions.


"2018-07 Phys 205A quit"
Waifer X
flic.kr/p/NuLAAM

Wordle.net tag cloud for "quit" resolutions.


"2018-07 Phys 205A start"
Waifer X
flic.kr/p/2aScGkM

Wordle.net tag cloud for "start" resolutions.

Students were asked to answer a "keep-quit-start" online reflection (hosted by SurveyMonkey.com) on their studying strategies/pitfalls (Mubayiwa, 2009).

Enter a word or brief phrase that describes what you intend to keep doing to study for this class. Explain your answer to the above question (what you intend to keep doing to study for this class).

Enter a word or brief phrase that describes what you intend to quit doing to study for this class. Explain your answer to the above question (what you intend to quit doing to study for this class).

Enter a word or brief phrase that describes what you intend to start doing to study for this class. Explain your answer to the above question (what you intend to start doing to study for this class).

[Word tags have been edited to consolidate related common subjects; student explanations are verbatim.]

Keep word tags:

askquestions
      I will continue to respectfully ask questions during lectures and even more questions during office hours if I am ever confused. Thanks for being available for your students! Other classes are getting harder now, so it will be difficult for me to even attempt going to your office hours.

everything
      I really like doing the worksheet problems that are online and I think that they really help me. I also think that I need to continue to go to tutoring and keep up with the homework and everything.
      By completing the homework and example problems as well as notes I will continue my understanding of this class.

gotoclass
      Being there for the lectures and having a teacher available for questions is irreplaceable.
      I plan to keep going to class because it really helps me understand the material better. I plan on keeping up with assignments also because those I feel will make the difference at the end of the semester.
      Keep coming to class everyday to stay current.
      In class we get participation points and get questions answered that we were unsure of.
      There are some explanations in the class which are very helpful. so being in the class is very important. Completing all of the assignments will help in understanding the concept.
      I find the lecture and the worksheet are good ways to help me understand the materials taught in class.
      I believe that in order to succeed in any class it is necessary to show up to your classes and to be engaged and focus in on the lecture. Participate and ask questions when there is confusion and interact with people around you to further understand the material.

homework
      Doing the reading and homework problems at home is really helpful because the book covers a lot of things that we don't have time for in class, but are pretty crucial to understanding the material.

keepup
      It turned out okay for the first midterm by studying according to the schedule on the blog!
      I feel in this class I study fairly well for the material. If I actually put in a few hours each day before a test or quiz I can get pretty decent scores.
      I plan to stay studying the material I learn in class and also keeping up to date with all the readings and homework.
      I will keep getting the reading assignments done on time and spending a good amount of time with each chapter.
      I have noticed that drawing out past examples and in-class problems with classmates as if teaching the material has helped most. This prepares me for the answer planning on tests on quizzes.
      Set reminders in my phone for every assignment the day before it its
      Even though I did not get the scores I hoped to get in the midterm, I intend to keep trying, because I've already made up my mind of moving forward in life and that requires me not to quit.
      There have been very few occasions where I have not done the reading and homework online assignments, and because of this I've been able to keep up to date with the info covered in class and give me a slight points cushion.       Doing the Reading Assignments and continuing to come to lab.

practiceproblems
      Practicing the problems so that I will be prepared to do them on quizzes and midterms.

preview
      It took me awhile to figure out how useful the presentation previews were to succeeding in class. Over the last few weeks leading up to the exam I really stopped resisting them and found how awesome they were in helping me study.

reading
      I intend to continue reading all of the reading assignments and taking diligent notes on all chapters.

review
      I need to look over everything we cover more before tests. I only focused on the homework exam questions.
      I been recently review lecture and writing down notes on my own and actually doing all the extra questions added.

studygroup
      In order to succeed I work in a physics group a couple nights a week with a couple other people from this class. This helps because we all can compare notes and motivate each other to see what we think will be asked of us.

studying
      My first quiz score was horrible because I hadn't taken the time to study the material enough. I thought to myself oh crap, this is the first quiz and I'm already struggling. I knew that it wasn't going to get any easier either, so I made a commitment to really focus and spend a lot of time to dissecting the book and online notes that P-dog provides. To be honest the book confuses me more than it helps, just because it throws a lot at you all at once. I only use it to reference material and further explanation on topics covered in online blogs that I don't fully comprehend (yet!). From that first quiz on I've been on top of my studying game, visiting the physics tutors in tutoring center about 2-3 times a week, and also devoting a lot of my time in the library. For the first midterm study guide I went back and rewrote and solved every single previous quiz/midterm problem that was provided in previous weeks (when I say every single one I mean it!) And although I was one point away from an "A" on the first midterm, It's exciting to see the hard work pay off. Before the start of this class I was really not excited on taking this course, but now I am loving it and enjoy the fact that every topic/problem we encounter relates to our everyday lives. I would've been ecstatic on getting a "B," but I'm gunning for that 'A' now, and I'm gonna earn it!
      I intend to keep solving all of the example problems given on the study guide and really going in detailed explanations for each one of them.
      I need to constantly review over the material because I don't feel confident in the concepts.
      I found that with the different concepts and ideas, it got easier to do the problems and easier to recognize the problems with repetition.
      I will keep studying hard and staying up with the homework and topics we are on
      I feel like if I keep studying for quizzes and exams, it will help me learn the material better. If I keep doing all the assignments, it will keep my grade up in the course.
      Keeping up with the reading materials along with the examples and practice questions is key. Going over your blogs after reading the chapters helps clear up some confusions and then that prepares me for the lecture in class. The Student Success Center is a great place to get help and, for me, talking to others helps solidify it in my head.
      I will take more time reading the book, the presentations, and doing the home work problems. I will also try to study before the tests with another person. I also need to start proof reading my responses on quizzes and tests.
      Studying was a necessary part of doing well on the exam

takenotes
      I need to keep taking the notes that I have been both on the slides posted online and what we do in class (examples, worksheets, etc).
      Keeping good notes helps me stay on top of material and stay organized. By taking notes on the textbook, and from the reading and homework assignments I can better recognize what I don't understand based of my comfortability with the material I'm writing down. Areas without many notes and extra annotations tend to be sections where I'm not fully grasping the material.

tutor
      I need to keep practicing with students and the tutors at the student success center.

understanding
      I need to keep understanding the material and how it works that way I can use what I know to solve problems. Also this will allow me to not only solve problems but explain how it works too.

Quit word tags:

nothing
      I don't think I need to quit anything to succeed in this class.

overthinking
      I need to quit thinking so hard, because it's making me forget a lot of terms and or overdo a problem with unneeded work.

procrastinating
      I intend to quit waiting until after 9:00/10:00 at night to do the homework. I'm making an effort to complete it in the math lab where I know I can receive help from my peers.
      I've always been one who procrastinates, and so that bit me in regards to results from quiz one. I've gotten a lot better at it since then especially for this course, such that I try and complete hw assignments/readings a few days before they are do as opposed to a few hours before midnight come Sunday/Tuesday nights. I also have taken drastic positive steps in my study habits for this course, as for me, and I'm sure others, there is a learning curve, as this is not a 'typical' math course.
      Reading the lab more than a day ahead of time.
      I usually don't do the homework till the day before and I think I could do it the day that I had class.
      When I leave my homework till the very end I don't end up spending enough time on it and absorbing as much information as I could.
      I intend to stop procrastinating on homework assignments and get ahead in the class.
      I can't keep up the pace of the class because I am too busy studying for the next quiz or test and I don't have enough time to do the new work. Which slows me down in the long run.
      I do have a bad habit of either leaving the homework and labs to the last minute or just not doing them. If I were to stop doing this it would definitely bring my grade up but also make this class less stressful.
      I tend to procrastinate, so I sometimes have to skim through the reading instead of slowly going through it. I know that we still get credit on the homework if we select the bubble that says that we ran out of time and didn't get to the homework yet, but that doesn't help me be prepared for the class.
      Sometimes when I can't concentrate on what I'm doing I get off-task and start doing something else or just put it off for later.
      If I don't do the homework In time I tend to forget about the problems then I wil not be prepare for the test.
      If I quit missing homework assignments my grade will improve greatly.
      I need to stop procrastinating when it comes to doing the homework. I need to give myself more time to go over all the practice problems and make sure they are correct.
     I need to be accountable for better time management and work on battling insecurity and building self confidence.
      I tend to procrastinate with most of the homework, and the studying. I still get it down but I think I lack some quality with that method.
      I will quit doing assignments the night before they are due. It would do me well to do them with plenty of time.
      I keep forgetting to do the prelabs and that's just not going to cut it anymore. I will set a million billion reminders in my phone.
      I've been using Khan Academy in order to understand most of the subjects we've gone over so far, but sometimes khan Academy goes so into depth with certain things that it takes up a lot of my time and can't seem to get to the homework in a way that is useful. I rush through the homework to get it in on time and skim through the blogs because the book is way too complicated to read. Well at least it is for me.
      I usually have other work for classes and I forget to do the reading assignments before midnight.

skimming
      I need to quit procrastinating on doing my assignments and studying because then I feel rushed and may not use my time wisely or precisely like I should be.
      I just need to stick to a schedule where it works for me, where I am able to turn everything in.
      Instead of waiting until the last minute to do hw, reading assigments or prepare for tests and quizzes, plan it ahead of time. This will ease stress off you, and allow you more time to prepare for given tasks.
      Stop waiting to study and get a full understanding of all the different types of problems until right before the test.
      I will try my best to do the readings in time and give myself more time to digest the concepts.
      I feel like I have a pretty good grasp on the material and that I'm up to date with what's expected. However, taking more time on assignments and spreading out my work load over time would be more beneficial so I don't overwork.
      Not studying when I should be studying does not help.
      Moderate time to study and review.

skimming
      I need to better go over the homework problems. At time i will skim them over rather than solving them completely.
      I need to stop taking the homework so lightly, and actually put some effort into it
      While I reading an example I completely understand it, but sometimes when I want to do it again I have some problems. so I should quit reading the examples and start doing all of them myself.
      By spending more time on the reading assignments and homework, I can have a better understanding of the material.
      Sometimes if I'm lost or I think I have the problem covered I will skip to the answer to look over how to do or or check that I'm right and I won't write out the problem. This makes it harder for the process to stick.

textbook
      I feel like I am getting punched in the face every time I try reading the textbook. It is confusing, intimidating, and expensive. I am struggling to pay for rent, food, and clothing. Wish I could get my money back.
      I need to stop rereading the textbook so much as a strategy to study. I should focus more on actually solving problems and redoing those.

worrying
      I'm going to quit worrying about the "what-ifs" because it just stresses me out. I'm also going to stop second-guessing myself because it has impacted some of my assignments like the midterm.

Start word tags:

askquestions
      I will be studying more on the chapters not just before quizzes and tests.
      If there is anything I don't perfectly understand, I should seek out for help.
      Start asking P-dog any questions I might have The tutors at the success center are human they don't know everything but that's why I have P-dog--I can come in during office hours where I could ask these questions.
      There are times where I am confused about problems in class, I need to ask P-dog for help in these situations.
      If I can't think of ANY questions to ask about a topic or how it relates to others then I'm not thinking about the material as seriously as I could be.       Having things explained will make them easier.

earlier
      Unfortunately, I have another exam on the same day as the second midterm. I need to start preparing for BOTH of them earlier, This is just a suggestion, but do you think you could shift the midterm review day earlier? Your physics students, we, would appreciate it!! Or another solution could be that, like how did for the first midterm, you compile a large list of physics problem most relevant to the second midterm and post it early as well?
      I intend on starting to look ahead and get better understandings of the material before I start the week.
      I have to start doing the homework and review the day before it's due.
      I'm going to start studying more days before the quizzes and exams instead of just studying over the weekend. I think I'll be better prepared.
      I intend to start spending more time studying for the quizzes because I tend to make small avoidable mistakes.
      I will start to read the blogs more thoroughly and possibly asking more questions or trying to solve the questions on the book and bringing material to ask about in class in order to improve/make my studying more efficient.
      I need to start dedicating more of my time into this course and put more effort into the class. Since we over half way through the semester, I feel like now is a good time to start taking the class more seriously and focus on being more successful.

Excel
      I need to work on my skills with Excel and with creating graphs in Excel.

focusing
      I know that I don't spend as much time as I should for this class. The class requires a lot of attention and focus. Therefore, I will try to do better by being more focused and managing my time better.

homework
      I didn't realize until after this midterm that my biggest deficiency was in missing homework (what a dumb mistake!). After looking for the postings, I just noticed the homework is posted on the previous day's links so I will do better about getting those done and hopefully pull an "A" by the end of the semester

keepup
      I will try to delegate my time more wisely. It would also be proactive if we didn't get assigned new work before the quiz or test because then I don't have enough time to learn the new stuff.
      If I study once everyday I won’t have to try to cram everything in closer towards the test

KhanAcademy
      I really need to be listening/watching someone do physics for me to understand it. Reading it on my own is just not making me absorb the information as well.

notskimming
      I only read the textbook when I feel I need to, but I need to start reading it more regularly in order to fully understand everything.
      I sometimes just skim the book for the answers I need instead of actively reading it.

patience
      What I wanted to start and have started in the past several weeks is try and limit my anxiety and impatient nature when it comes to studying new concepts in this course. The first couple of weeks I was really confused at all the new concepts that were thrown at us, as it was a bit overwhelming and frustrating because I was not understanding the material. I realized that it might not make any sense whatsoever and I might be completely lost with notes and examples...but that's ok! I found that it is much better to just put it away for tomorrow and come back to it, instead of getting all worked up. Its been reassuring that I can always come for help to either P-dog or tutoring center when I don't understand something. I've found that material that previously didn't make sense to me was much clearer after spending some time with it and getting help. This class was difficult for me in the beginning, but now I really enjoy it! practiceproblems
      I should really start working each of the homework questions out before coming to class.
      By reading the examples I learn how to do it, but I need to start doing all of them myself to understand it better.
      Practicing the problems more so I will have complete knowledge of all the problems and how to do them.

notskimming
      As stated before I'm not doing as much as I should when it comes to homework in this class. I do a lot of the practice problems but it would be a lot better for me if I really did all the reading assigned for homework.

studying
      To retain information.
      Sometimes I personally won’t be able to fully understand the concepts or ideas from the textbook reading so I won’t understand the assignment. So maybe start using more methods at home to learn he material before class.

takenotes
      I have taken notes on the reading a few times before, but when I don't have a lot of time I tend to skip this or just write down some of the equations or definitions. I want to start my homework a little earlier than I normally do so that I have time to take as many notes as I want to.
      Rather than just answering problems on the worksheets and online homework, I need to start practicing writing out the explanations.

textbook
      I read the book but i think if I reread the book instead of just reading it when asked for it would help with conceptual inconsistencies I have.

tutoring
      I have an old professor that works at CalPoly that helps me a lot and I think I'm going to start going to him for help more often.
      When I went to the Student Service Center to study for the midterm it helped me a lot in understanding the material and solving it better.

worksheetpictures
      Oftentimes we work out problems or concepts on the worksheets in class and after we turn them in I can’t access the notes and answers to the problems. I intend to start taking pictures of the worksheets so I can refer back to them.

Astronomy current events question: extragalactic "hypervelocity" stars?

Astronomy 210L, fall semester 2018
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students are assigned to read online articles on current astronomy events, and take a short current events quiz during the first 10 minutes of lab. (This motivates students to show up promptly to lab, as the time cut-off for the quiz is strictly enforced!)

Scott Sheppard, "New Extremely Distant Solar System Object Found During Hunt for Planet X" (October 2, 2018)
esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Gaia/Gaia_spots_stars_flying_between_galaxies

The European Space Agency's Gaia spacecraft discovered a set of "hypervelocity stars" that may have:
(A) escaped from black holes.
(B) ages much younger than the sun.
(C) come from outside the Milky Way.
(D) nearly collided with sun in the past.
(E) triggered solar system planet formation.

Correct answer: (C)

Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186
(A) : 5 students
(B) : 1 student
(C) : 11 students
(D) : 3 students
(E) : 3 students

Astronomy current events question: XMM-Newton space telescope x-ray observations of black hole infall

Astronomy 210L, fall semester 2018
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students are assigned to read online articles on current astronomy events, and take a short current events quiz during the first 10 minutes of lab. (This motivates students to show up promptly to lab, as the time cut-off for the quiz is strictly enforced!)

Morgan Hollis, "Matter Falling into a Black Hole at 30 Percent of the Speed of Light" (September 20, 2018)
ras.ac.uk/news-and-press/research-highlights/matter-falling-black-hole-30-percent-speed-light

The European Space Agency's XMM-Newton space telescope detected x-rays emitted from:
(A) binary pulsars.
(B) Jupiter's aurorae.
(C) a nearby type II supernova.
(D) matter-antimatter annihilation.
(E) material falling into a black hole.

Correct answer: (E)

Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186
(A) : 3 students
(B) : 4 students
(C) : 2 students
(D) : 0 students
(E) : 14 students

Astronomy current events question: "Planet X" clues from "extreme" dwarf planet 2015 TG387's orbit

Astronomy 210L, fall semester 2018
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students are assigned to read online articles on current astronomy events, and take a short current events quiz during the first 10 minutes of lab. (This motivates students to show up promptly to lab, as the time cut-off for the quiz is strictly enforced!)

Scott Sheppard, "New Extremely Distant Solar System Object Found During Hunt for Planet X" (October 2, 2018)
carnegiescience.edu/news/new-extremely-distant-solar-system-object-found-during-hunt-planet-x

The __________ of the "extreme" dwarf planet 2015 TG387 may indicate the presence of a still undiscovered "Planet X" at the edge of the solar system.
(A) orbit.
(B) moons.
(C) albedo.
(D) composition.
(E) radioactivity.

Correct answer: (A)

Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186
(A) : 15 students
(B) : 3 students
(C) : 0 students
(D) : 2 students
(E) : 3 students

Online reading assignment: stellar parameters (SLO 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 parallax, distance, apparent magnitude, absolute magnitude, Wien's law and the Stefan-Boltzmann law, and a TED-Ed talk on stellar properties.


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.

"Intrinsic brightness, because I never knew that there was a way to find the true brightness of a star. Another interesting fact is that you eyes respond to the visual wavelength energy falling on your retina--eyes have always been interesting to me. So the fact that brightness is related to the flux of energy entering your eyes intrigues me. Energy and how you see things also involves how you see stars."

"That we can see stars that are much farther away than the sun clearly in the night sky."

"I know that the distance of a star can be determined with the use of a parallax."

"The brightness scale wasn’t so interesting until I saw what level the sun was on. If –1 is considered 'very bright' and the sun is a −27... that is just mind blowing. Just the thought of how much energy goes into emiting that much heat and light is hard to fathom."

"That the sun is not the brightness star in the sky. Mind blown."

"How the distance of stars is measured. I think it is really cool to see that kind of math used in real-world applications and on such a large scale."

"I really liked learning the connection between temperatures and colors for stars, it seemed easy to remember."

"Wien's law, because it actually explains how differing wavelengths make hotter objects appear bluer and why cooler objects appear more red."

"The different spectral classes were interesting. I didn't know there were different classifications for various temperatures of stars."

"I thought it was interesting about the colors relating to the temperature and the hottest being blue because most would think red is the hottest."

"I found Wien's law and the Stefan-Boltzmann law to be fairly interesting because it generally makes sense. I think its interesting how the opposite colors from what we would typically think of correlate with the hotter and cooler temperatures."

"I thought it was interesting how we can tell how big the stars are by their color."

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

"stellar parallax. half the total shift of a star? Also, absolute visual magnitude."

"I found the parsecs and parallax completely confusing. I don't really get what parallax is at all and I just need further explanations on parsec. I found these more challenging because it's not clicking."

"Confused on the absolute magnitude and how you measure the brightness of a star very far away. What's the deal with the plus and minus in front of the numbers."

"Extremely confused on absolute magnitude and how it relates to parsecs and brightness."

"I am really confused on how apparent magnitude works."

"I can't seem to understand the difference in magnitudes. I don’t get what the 10 pcs difference is and how that gives you apparent or absolute magnitude. Just further clarification on what a pcs is would help a lot."

"It was difficult for me to understand how one star can seem larger if the other star is slightly colder or hotter?"

"Luminosity, size, and temperature of a star are concepts that are a bit difficult for me to understand."

"I didn't really find anything confusing."

"Nothing seemed confusing this week."

Explain how apparent magnitude and the absolute magnitude are defined differently.

"the scale of apparent magnitude only tells you how bright stars appear to you on Earth. Absolute magnitude is the apparent visual magnitude the star would have if it were 10 parsecs away."

"Apparent magnitude is how bright a star is from earths view vs absolute which is how bright the star actually is."

"Apparent magnitude is how bright a star is without regards to distance, and absolute magnitude is how bright a star is taking distance into consideration."

"Apparent is what we see and absolute is what it is."

Suppose the sun was moved to a distance of 10 parsecs away. As a result, its __________ magnitude would become dimmer.

absolute.	******** [8]
apparent.	****************** [18]
(Both of the above choices.)	[0]
(Neither of the above choices.)	[0]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)	** [2]

Rank the brightnesses of these stars (1 = brightest, 4 = dimmest; there are no ties), as seen from Earth.
(Only correct responses shown.)

1 (brightest): the sun, m = –27 [82%]
2: Canopus, m = –1 [71%]
3: Vega, m = 0 [71%]
4 (dimmest): Kapteyn's star, m = +9 [75%]

Rank the brightnesses of these stars (1 = brightest, 4 = dimmest; there are no ties), if relocated to 10 parsecs from Earth.
(Only correct responses shown.)

1 (brightest): Canopus, M = –3 [68%]
2: Vega, M = +0.5 [64%]
3: the sun, M = +5 [61%]
4 (dimmest): Kapteyn's star, M = +11 [68%]

Determine whether these stars get dimmer or brighter when relocated from their original positions to 10 parsecs from Earth.
(Only correct responses shown.)

The sun: gets dimmer [79%]
Canopus: gets brighter [68%]
Vega: gets dimmer [39%]
Kapteyn's star: gets dimmer [39%]

Rank the temperatures of these main sequence stars (1 = hottest, 4 = coolest; there are no ties).
(Only correct responses shown.)

Hottest: blue main sequence star [75%]
Second hottest: white main sequence star [64%]
Third hottest: yellow main sequence star [82%]
Coolest: red main sequence star [75%]

Rank the temperatures of these supergiant and dwarf stars (1 = hottest, 4 = coolest; there are no ties).
(Only correct responses shown.)

Hottest: blue supergiant [75%]
Second hottest: white dwarf [46%]
Third hottest: yellow supergiant [64%]
Coolest: red dwarf [78%]

Two stars (equally far away) have the same temperature, but one star is dimmer, and the other star is brighter. The __________ star will be larger in size.

dimmer.	***** [5]
brighter.	******************* [19]
(These stars would be the same size.)	** [2]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)	** [2]

Two stars (equally far away) have the same brightness, but one star is cooler, and the other star is hotter. The __________ star will be larger in size.

cooler.	************** [14]
hotter.	********* [9]
(These stars would be the same size.)	* [1]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)	**** [4]

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

"I don't understand this chapter at all..."

"Can we review the above questions in class, please?" (Yes, we will have to.)

"HELP! Lost."

"Why is it that negative magnitude is brighter?" (The original Greek scale has +1 for the brightest stars, and +6 for the dimmest stars. If the smaller number for brighter stars bothers you, think of ranking schemes (as did the Greeks), where the brightest stars were "first place" or "top tier" stars, and the dimmest stars are in "sixth place." And the scale did need to get revised, as there a few stars that blow the top off the original +1 to +6 scale. Brighter than the "first place" +1 stars are "zero place" stars, and brighter than those stars are "-1 place" stars. So negative values are the hella bright stars.)

"What is a way we can wrap our mind around the distance and sizes of stars?" (We'll introduce a way of conceptually "moving" stars around from their actual locations to the "fair comparison" distance of 10 parsecs, as related to their apparent and absolute magnitudes.)

"Are there more extra-credit opportunities?" (A few more might be coming your way, both in-class and online.)

"Is the material in this half of the class easier or harder than what we learned before the first midterm? (The type of material covered in the rest of this semester will be different. Whether that's easier or harder depends on your learning style for more traditional science stuff (law, equations) instead of the spatial reasoning stuff (starwheels, lunar phases) that we've been doing so far.)