Good Wrong Answers Needed for Units of Measure

[Maddad]

I'm writing a test for use in astronomy. My first focus is going to be on units of measure. I've got two software packages that I'm trying out. The first one is easier to use and learn, but it's not as versatile; I can only do multiple guess questions. It does though allow me to use multimedia presentation such as pictures, sound, and film. The second one which I have not yet tried also allows essay, fill in the blank, multiple correct responses, stuff like that.<br /><br /><ul>I am discovering that it is very difficult to write a good test question. Part of the difficulty is choosing three answers that look like they might work; I don't want them so obviously wrong that people don't have to know the material to get the right answer. I've already got these following questions and good answers:<br /> <li>How many minutes of arc are in one degree?<br /> <li>How many seconds of arc are in one degree?<br /> <li>What does a parsec measure?<br /> <li>How many light years are in a parsec?<br /> <li>How many kilometers are there in a light year?<br /> <li>What is the difference between a short ton and a long ton?<br /> <li>How do you write 25,000 in scientific notation?<br /> <li>How do you write 3 x 10^8 in standard notation?<br /> <li>Which of the following powers-of-ten notations represents 10^6?<br /> <li>If the star Sirius were located 8.6 light years from Earth, then how long would it take light to travel from Sirius to Earth?<br /> <li>If the diameter of the Earth is 1.3 x 107 meters then what is its diameter in kilometers?<br /> <li>If the diameter of the Sun is 1.4 x 109 meters and the diameter of the Earth is 1.3 x 107 meters, then which is bigger?<br /> <li>If the diameter of the Sun is 1.4 x 109 meters and the diameter of the Earth is 1.3 x 107 meters, then about how many Earths could you line up side by side inside the Sun?<br /> <li>If the diameter of the Earth is 1.3 x 107 meters and a nearby star were 13 light y</li></li></li></li></li></li></li></li></li></li></li></li></li></li></ul>

 

[larper]

<font color="yellow">What does it mean to say that the Moon subtends an angle of one-half of a degree? </font><br />Q: The Moon is known to subtend an angle of 0.5 degrees. This means:<br />a) The Moon moves 0.5 degrees around the Earth in one sidereal day.<br />b) The inclination of the Moon's orbit is 0.5 degrees from the ecliptic.<br />c) The apparant positions of the Moon as observed from 2 points on the Earth's surface 180 degrees apart differ by 0.5 degrees. <br /><br /><font color="yellow">What is an exponent? </font><br />Q: What is an exponent?<br />a) The constant term in a polynomial.<br />b) The value, when substituted for x in a polynomial, results in a value of 0.<br />c) The resolving power of a telescope's primary lens or mirror.<br /><br /><font color="yellow">Define an astronomical unit. </font><br />Q: 1 Astronomical Unit is equivalent to:<br />a) The distance light travels in 1 year through a vacuum<br />b) The mass of the Sun<br />c) The average distance between the Earth's center of mass and the Moon's center of mass.<br /><br />What is the advantage of using the astronomical unit to measure distances? <br /><br />Give an example of a good use for astronomical units. <br /><br /><font color="yellow">Define a light year. </font><br />Q: A light year is equivalent to:<br />a) The time it would take a photon to travel around the sun at the Earth's average orbital radius.<br />b) The time it takes a photon to travel from the Earth to the sun and back.<br />c) The distance from the Galactic center to the Sun.<br /><br />What is the advantage of using the light year to measure distances? <br /><br />Give an example of a good use for the light year. <br /><br />What is the advantage of using the parsec to measure distances? <br /><br />Give an example of a good use for the parsec. <br /><br />What is the relationship between the parsec, the kiloparsec, and the megaparsec? <br /><br /><font color="yellow">Which units measure speed? </font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong><font color="#ff0000">Vote </font><font color="#3366ff">Libertarian</font></strong></p> </div>

 

[Maddad]

Holy smokes larper! Those were some outstanding wrong answers! I'm impressed. Ok, here's what's still open:<br /><br />What is the advantage of using the astronomical unit to measure distances? <br /><br />Give an example of a good use for astronomical units. <br /><br />What is the advantage of using the light year to measure distances? <br /><br />Give an example of a good use for the light year. <br /><br />What is the advantage of using the parsec to measure distances? <br /><br />Give an example of a good use for the parsec. <br /><br />What is the relationship between the parsec, the kiloparsec, and the megaparsec? <br /><br />Which units measure time? <br /><br />Which units measure mass? <br /><br />Which units measure weight? <br /><br />What is the difference between mass and weight? <br /><br />Which units use the English system? <br /><br />Which units use the Metric system? <br /><br />Why is the Metric system better than the English system for astronomy? <br /><br />Why is the English system better than the Metric system for astronomy?

 

[igorsboss]

<font color="yellow">Give an example of a good use for astronomical units.</font><br />a) Measuring the distance to the Andromeda galaxy.<br />b) Measuring the mass of Jupiter.<br />c) Measuring the focal length of an astronomical telescope.<br />d) Determining which house Mars is in.<br /><br /><font color="yellow">What is the advantage of using the light year to measure distances? </font><br />a) They take far less time to measure than the light century does.<br />b) They convert easily to subtended angles, via the parsec.<br />c) Light years aren't subject to the laws described by special relativity.<br />d) Light years can be bent by gravity.<br /><br /><font color="yellow">Give an example of a good use for the light year. </font><br />a) Describing how much time it would take a spaceship to make a round trip to Jupiter and back.<br />b) Measuring how fast a space ship can go.<br />c) Describing how much time it would take a spaceship to make a round trip to our nearest stellar neighbor.<br /><br /><font color="yellow">What is the advantage of using the parsec to measure distances? </font><br />a) If you know how many seconds of arc an object subtends, then you can find its distance using parsecs.<br />b) Parsecs measure subtended angles, not distance.<br />c) Proper motion can be easily converted to distance using parsecs.<br />d) Parsecs take longer to elapse than light years do.<br /><br /><font color="yellow">Give an example of a good use for the parsec. </font><br />a) Measuring the distance between Earth and Mars.<br />b) Counting how many stars there are in a sector of the Milky Way Galaxy.<br />c) Timing how many seconds it takes for a star to subtend one degree of arc.<br />d) Parsecs can be used instead of Megaseconds for very long timespans.<br /><br /><font color="yellow">What is the relationship between the parsec, the kiloparsec, and the megaparsec? </font><br />a) A kiloparsec is a parsec, cubed, and a megaparse

 

[Maddad]

I'm impressed with the creativity of both these answers.