Aug 28, 2014  

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

IF YOU MISSED CLASS TODAY

In class today we did the following:  

1. Dr H reviewed some course logistics and a couple points from Topic #1  . . . then gave a presentation on Topic #2 Quantifying Global Change.  

   Topic #2 On Quantifying Global Change: Scales, Rates & Time Series [PDF] 

2. As part of the presentation we watched a You Tube video from the 350.ORG website:  http://www.350.org/mission

 

3.  We also watched part of the classic POWERS OF 10 VIDEO.  
See the entire film here on YouTube:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fKBhvDjuy0

Also visit the COSMIC VIEW: The Universe in 40 Jumps by Kees Boeke and this neat interactive version of the same concept: Secret Worlds, the Universe Within

4.We then went through a class activity on Plotting Change over Time, Recognizing & Describing Different Types of Change as Depicted in Time Series Plots
 (on page 13-14 of CLASS NOTES).  We started by drawing in the "mean line" for each type of plot -and then entered descriptions of each plot, using the terminology explained in class. 

The the animated  graph below was shown to illustrate different kinds of  TIME SERIES PLOTS:

                          "DOWN THE UP ESCALATOR" 
Short term cooling spells within a longtern overall warming trend
                  http://www.skepticalscience.com/graphics.php?g=47

                      Example of time series with
 TREND,  "STEP CHANGES" and PERIODICITY (regular oscillations)
        http://www.skepticalscience.com/going-down-the-up-escalator-part-2.html

5.  Then a representative from GREEN CORPS talked to the class about a program that is getting going at UA for students interested in engaging in advocacy on CLIMATE CHANGE in the "Divest UA" movement.   (Note: This is not an official class activity and is purely voluntary)

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  P.S.  SCIENTIFIC NOTATION REVIEW:   Students were urged to "brush up" on the scientific notation rules on the bottom of  p 12 of CLASS NOTES.
            SGC-E-text Chapter 2  on Atoms also has a review and some practice questions.

Here are some more questions to brush up on your Scientific Notation (see bottom of p 14 in Class Notes and the chapter on Atoms in the SGC E-test for review)

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REVIEW

Scientific Notation: (Brief review of the rules for those who need a "brush up")

• Any large (or small) number can be expressed as the product of two terms.

• A number with a value between 1 and 10 (the prefactor) that gives the precision or accuracy of the original number.

• A power of 10 (i.e. an exponent, the exponent is the “power”

• To multiply numbers in scientific notation, multiply the prefactors and add the exponents (e.g. the powers of 10)

• To divide numbers in scientific notation, divide the prefactors and subtract the exponent of the number in

• the denominator from the exponent of the number in the numerator

Examples: 10 ⁴  = 10 x 10 x 10 x 10

2, 578,000 = 2.578 x 10 ⁶

0.000002578 = 2.578 x 10 ^–6

(2.5 x 10 ⁶ ) x (3 x 10 ^-4 ) = 7.5 x 10²

 PRACTICE QUESTIONS

 #1   (7.5 x 10 ⁵) / (2.5 x 10 ² ) = 3.0 x 10 <=== what is the exponent? 

#2  The wavelength of ultraviolet radiation is 10 ^-7 meters = _____________ m

#3  The population of the world is ~ 6,000,000,000 people = _____________people

#4 The ratio of the diameter of the Earth (use “whole globe” on the Powers of Ten chart) to the diameter of a carbon atom (use “outer electron shell of C atom” in chart) is: ____________

Click HERE for the answers