P-dog's blog: boring but important

20090921

Astronomy current events question: LCROSS booster destination

Astronomy 210L, Fall Semester 2009
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!)

Astronomy.com editors, "The Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite Reveals Target Crater for Lunar South Pole Impacts," September 11, 2009
http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=a&id=8615

The NASA Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) has separated from its upper-stage rocket booster. Where is this rocket booster now headed? Circle your answer below.
(A) Back towards Earth, over a remote part of the Pacific Ocean.
(B) In low Earth orbit, to dock with the International Space Station.
(C) To be a target for an U.S. Air Force anti-asteroid missile test.
(D) Impacting the moon to kick up debris that will be analyzed.
(E) Returning to eventually ferry LCROSS-2 to the moon.

Correct answer: (D).

Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186, 70200
(A) : 4 students
(B) : 1 student
(C) : 1 student
(D) : 22 students
(E) : 2 students

20090917

Astronomy current events question: distant galaxy with black hole

Astronomy.com editors, "University of Hawaii astronomer finds giant galaxy hosting the most distant supermassive black hole," September 4, 2009
http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=a&id=8603

How was a University of Hawaii astronomer able to obtain images of a giant galaxy containing the most distant black hole ever found? Circle your answer below.
(A) Computer simulations of a collision between satellite galaxies and the Milky Way.
(B) Faint radio signals received by the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico.
(C) Cave paintings of the same galaxy, much younger, dating back to the Pleistocene era.
(D) Re-examining archived images from the Hubble Space Telescope.
(E) A new red-sensitive camera on the Subaru telescope on Mauna Kea.

Correct answer: (E).

Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186, 70200
(A) : 4 students
(B) : 1 student
(C) : 1 student
(D) : 1 student
(E) : 58 students

20090916

Astronomy current events question: Apollo 12 remnants

Victoria Jaggard, "NEW MOON PHOTO: Apollo 12 Site Seen With Craft, Prints," September 4, 2009
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/09/090904-apollo-12-landing-picture.html

How was NASA recently able to obtain images on the surface of the Moon of the remnants of the Apollo 12 mission? Circle your answer below.
(A) A high-resolution camera aboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
(B) A test run of the newly refurbished Hubble Space Telescope.
(C) Photos provided by the new Russian Lunar Rover.
(D) Previously undeveloped negatives that were lost in the National Library Archives.
(E) The rebooted Apollo 12 lunar lander camera, recharged with solar power.

Correct answer: (E).

Student responses
Sections 70178, 70200
(A) : 28 students
(B) : 5 students
(C) : 2 students
(D) : 0 students
(E) : 6 students

20090915

Astronomy current events question: Milky Way collision

Astronomy.com editors, "Galactic bombardment unlikely to destroy Milky Way," September 1, 2009
http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=a&id=8595

According to computer simulations run by astronomers at Ohio State University, what would be the result of a satellite galaxy colliding with our Milky Way? Circle your answer below.
(A) The Milky Way would destabilize, splitting into many smaller galaxies.
(B) More dark matter would be produced, thus protecting the Milky Way.
(C) The satellite galaxy would steal stars and gas from the Milky Way.
(D) The satellite galaxy would fall into the Milky Way's central supermassive black hole.
(E) The outer edge of the Milky Way would flare outwards.

Correct answer: (E).

Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186, 70200
(A) : 4 students
(B) : 7 students
(C) : 6 students
(D) : 8 students
(E) : 40 students

20090914

Astronomy current events question: disappearing sunspots

Tony Phillips, "Are Sunspots Disappearing?" September 3, 2009
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/03sep_sunspots.htm?list212050

What have researchers at the National Solar Observatory theorized about the cause of Sun's disappearing sunspots? Circle your answer below.
(A) Weakening magnetic fields.
(B) Decreasing fusion in the core.
(C) Earth's magnetic poles are about to flip.
(D) Main sequence lifetime ending.
(E) An impending giant solar flare.

Correct answer: (A).

Student responses
Sections 70178, 70200
(A) : 15 students
(B) : 5 students
(C) : 2 students
(D) : 0 students
(E) : 2 students

20090913

Erasing slate: this is sweet

"Hello this is SWEET" by Anonymous
September 1, 2009
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Latest scribbling on the lift-and-erase slate in the hallway, outside the office door.

20090910

Astronomy current events question: Jupiter impact aftermath

Kelly Beatty, "Jupiter's Impact: Gone in 30 Days," August 27, 2009
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/53952917.html

What has happened to the new dark spot on Jupiter caused by a recent impact?
(A) Large enough to affect Jupiter's weather patterns.
(B) Changed from dark brown to red.
(C) Split into two small dark spots.
(D) Nearly disappeared.
(E) Moved to Jupiter's north pole.

Correct answer: (D).

Student responses
Sections 70178, 71086
(A) : 5 students
(B) : 3 students
(C) : 1 student
(D) : 34 students
(E) : 1 student

20090909

Astronomy current events question: hot exoplanet WASP-18b

Kelly Beatty, "Why Does Exoplanet WASP-18b Exist?" August 26, 2009
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/55066637.html

According to United Kingdom researchers, what is so surprising about the recently discovered exoplanet WASP-18b?
(A) Orbits its star too closely to survive very long.
(B) Has traces of organic compounds associated with life on Earth.
(C) May have recently collided with exoplanet WASP-18a.
(D) Too large to be considered a planet.
(E) Will soon cause its star to undergo a nova explosion.

Correct answer: (A).

Student responses
Sections 70178, 71086
(A) : 34 students
(B) : 3 students
(C) : 6 students
(D) : 1 student
(E) : 0 students

20090829

Astronomy current events question: recent impact on Jupiter

The Editors of Sky & Telescope, "The Impact on Jupiter!" July 20, 2009
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/51237952.html

How was the recent impact on Jupiter first discovered by an Australian astronomer?
(A) A cloud of dust surrounding Jupiter.
(B) A new dark spot on Jupiter.
(C) A shift in Jupiter's orbital position.
(D) A bright flash from the collision event.
(E) Radioactivity emitted from Jupiter.

Correct answer: (B).

Student responses
Sections 70178, 71086, 70200
(A) : 5 students
(B) : 53 students
(C) : 5 students
(D) : 0 students
(E) : 2 students

20090822

FCI pre-test comparison: Cuesta College (SLO/NC campuses) versus UC-Davis

Students at both North County (Paso Robles) and San Luis Obispo campuses of Cuesta College (San Luis Obispo, CA) and the University of California at Davis were administered the Force Concept Inventory (Doug Hestenes, et al.) during the first week of instruction. Physics 205A and Physics 7B are both algebra-based introductory general physics courses covering Newtonian mechanics.

The FCI results of NC and SLO campus students can be compared to each other.

     Cuesta College    Cuesta College    
     Physics 205A      Physics 205A
     Fall Semester     Fall Semester
     2009 NC           2009 SLO
N    17 students*      57 students*
low   4                 2
mean 10.0 +/- 4.8       9.7 +/- 4.4
high 23                27

*Excludes students with negative informed consent forms (*.pdf)

Despite a slightly higher mean score for NC campus students over SLO campus students, a "Student" t-test of the null hypothesis results in p = 0.20, thus there is no significant difference between NC and SLO campuses of Cuesta College.

With both NC and SLO campuses of Cuesta College students pooled together, they can be compared to students at UC-Davis.

     Cuesta College    UC-Davis
     Physics 205A      Physics 7B
     Spring Semester   Summer Session II
     2009              2002
N    74 students*      76 students
low   2                 2
mean 10.1 +/- 4.7       9.0 +/- 4.3
high 27                27

*Excludes students with negative informed consent forms (*.pdf)

Despite a slightly higher mean score for Cuesta College students over UC-Davis students, a "Student" t-test of the null hypothesis results in p = 0.14, thus there is no significant difference between Cuesta College and UC-Davis FCI pre-test scores.

Later this semester (Fall 2009), a comparison will be made between Cuesta College and UC-Davis FCI post-tests, along with their pre- to post-test gains.

D. Hestenes, M. Wells, and G. Swackhamer, Arizona State University, "Force Concept Inventory," Phys. Teach. 30, 141-158 (1992).
Development of the FCI, a 30-question survey of basic Newtonian mechanics concepts.

Previous FCI results:

Cuesta College versus UC-Davis, Spring semester 2009 pre-tests and post-tests.
Cuesta College versus UC-Davis, Fall semester 2008 pre-tests and post-tests.
Cuesta College versus UC-Davis, Spring semester 2008 pre-tests and post-tests.
Cuesta College versus UC-Davis, Fall semester 2007 pre-tests and post-tests.