1. No category

Example questions
We use a subset of these questions in our workshops to let participants
browse different types of questions.
Visit http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu for our other workshop handouts
(look for Workshop Materials).
Visti http://www.colorado.edu/sei/fac-resources/course-archives.htm and
http://www.sei.ubc.ca/materials/Welcome.do for additional clicker
questions in the sciences from our course transformation efforts
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Dr. Stephanie Chasteen. Science Education Initiative, CU-Boulder. http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu
This presentation is copyrighted under the Creative
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Credit should be given to the author of the question
as designated on each slide
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Example question: Astronomy
You look to the eastern horizon as the Moon is rising
and discover that it is in the new moon phase. Later
that same day when the moon is setting, which of
the moon phases shown below would the Moon have
looked like?
Center for Astronomy Education, Ed Prather
Dr. Stephanie Chasteen. Science Education Initiative, CU-Boulder. http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu
4
What do you think is most
interesting about this picture?
discover
A)
B)
C)
D)
E)
lunar eclipse
solar eclipse
cloud
blocking the
Sun
sunspots
other
Astronomy Picture of the Day
2011 January 55
Dr. Stephanie Chasteen. Science Education Initiative, CU-Boulder. http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu
Example question: Astronomy
Jupiter
Let’s think about the density of non-uniform
objects. Which has the largest average
density?
Earth
Earth
http://www.solarspace.co.uk/jupiter.php
The Sun
(A)
http://justearth.net/
(B)
(D) I need more information
http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/sun.php
(C)
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(Cynthia Heiner)
Dr. Stephanie Chasteen. Science Education Initiative, CU-Boulder. http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu
Astronomy
If this is the phase of the Moon when it rises:
what is the phase of the Moon 12 hours later?
A
B
D
C
E
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(Prather)
Dr. Stephanie Chasteen. Science Education Initiative, CU-Boulder. http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu
8
Superpowers
Which superpower would you
rather have? The ability to…
A. Change
B. Change
C. Change
D. Change
the
the
the
the
mass of things
charge of things
magnetization of things
boiling point of things
This is an example of a “no one right answer” question.
What is the goal? How “deep” is this question?
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Question: Ian Beatty, UMass-Amherst
Image: Thibault fr on Wikimedia
Dr. Stephanie Chasteen. Science Education Initiative, CU-Boulder. http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu
Physics
Susan throws a ball straight up into the air. It goes up and then falls
back into her hand 2 seconds later.
Draw a graph showing the velocity of the ball from the moment it
leaves her hand until she catches it again.
velocity
time
0
2 sec
(UBC CWSEI)
Dr. Stephanie Chasteen. Science Education Initiative, CU-Boulder. http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu
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Physics
Which one
is the
closest
match to
your
graph?
velocity
velocity
A
B
0
0
velocity
velocity
C
D
0
(UBC CWSEI)
2 sec
time
2 sec
time
0
2 sec
2 sec
E) some other graph
Dr. Stephanie Chasteen. Science Education Initiative, CU-Boulder. http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu
tim
tim
Physics
John is walking to school. This graph shows his position as a function of
time. When is John moving with the greatest velocity?
position
time
A
B
C
D
E
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(UBC CWSEI)
Dr. Stephanie Chasteen. Science Education Initiative, CU-Boulder. http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu
Example question: Physics
The pie graph shows the energy of the
Skater, where could she be on the track?
KE
A
B
C
PE
Kathy Perkins, CU Boulder
DE
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Dr. Stephanie Chasteen. Science Education Initiative, CU-Boulder. http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu
Example question: Physics
You’re on a cart, initially at rest, throwing balls
at a partition that is rigidly mounted on the
front of the cart. If the balls bounce straight
back, as in the figure, then is the cart put in
motion?
Yes, left
B. Yes, right
C. No
D. Don’t know
A.
Eric Mazur, “Peer Instruction”
Dr. Stephanie Chasteen. Science Education Initiative, CU-Boulder. http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu
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Example question: Physics
About how close is a thunderstorm if you
hear the thunder 6 seconds after hearing
the lightening flash? (The speed of sound
is 344 m/s)
A. 0 km
B. 1 km
C. 2 km
D. 6 km
E. None of these
Steven Pollock, CU-Boulder
Dr. Stephanie Chasteen. Science Education Initiative, CU-Boulder. http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu
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Physics
A ball is rolling around
the inside of a circular
track. The ball leaves the
track at point P.
Which path does the ball
follow?
B
C
D
A
E
P
Eric Mazur, “Peer Instruction”
Dr. Stephanie Chasteen. Science Education Initiative, CU-Boulder. http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu
16
Physics / Perception
Suppose you pass white light through a prism and all of
the colours of the spectrum are projected on a screen.
If you then put a red filter over your eye and look at
the spectrum, what colours do you see?
you see mostly red light; the blue and green
disappears
B) you see mostly blue light; the other colours
disappear
C) all of the colours turn red
A)
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(Duncan)
Dr. Stephanie Chasteen. Science Education Initiative, CU-Boulder. http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu
Example Question: Physics
Boiling occurs when the vapor pressure of a
liquid equals the atmospheric pressure.
In the high altitude city of Denver, is the
boiling point of water
A. <100 C
B. 100 C
C. >100 C
Origin unknown
Dr. Stephanie Chasteen. Science Education Initiative, CU-Boulder. http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu
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Example Question: Physics
The sky appears to be blue during the day
because
A. Air absorbs blue light less than other
frequencies (i.e., acts like a blue filter).
B. Air molecules emit blue light after being struck
by sunlight.
C. The sky reflects blue light from the oceans.
D. The temperature high in the Earth’s upper
atmosphere is 1000 K.
E. None of the above.
Bill Gerace, UMass Amherst
Dr. Stephanie Chasteen. Science Education Initiative, CU-Boulder. http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu
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Example Question: Physics
A block m sits on a rough surface, with a spring attached and
extended. As the block moves up the incline a small distance,
how many forces are exerted on the block?
A. One force
B. Two forces
C. Three forces
D. Four forces
E. Five forces
F. Six forces
G. Seven forces
H. More than seven forces
I. Impossible to determine
J. None of the above
Bill Gerace, UMass Amherst
Dr. Stephanie Chasteen. Science Education Initiative, CU-Boulder. http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu
20
Example Question: Physics
In which of the following situations is the object accelerating?
Choose ALL that apply; enter “0” for “none”.
A. A car slowing down at a stop sign
B. A ball being swung in a circle at constant speed
C. A vibrating string
D. The Moon orbiting the Earth
E. A skydiver falling at terminal speed
F. An astronaut in an orbiting space station
G. A ball rolling down a hill
H. A person driving down a straight section of highway at
I. Constant speed with her foot on the accelerator
J. A molecule in the floor of this room
Bill Leonard, UMass Amherst
Dr. Stephanie Chasteen. Science Education Initiative, CU-Boulder. http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu
21
Example Question: Physics
Which of the following are ambiguous? Choose ALL that apply.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
J.
Origin
Function
Equilibrium
f(x)
x
M
sin-1(x)
Relationship
Power
None of these
Bill Leonard, UMass Amherst
Dr. Stephanie Chasteen. Science Education Initiative, CU-Boulder. http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu
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Example Question: Physics
Bill Gerace, UMass Amherst
Dr. Stephanie Chasteen. Science Education Initiative, CU-Boulder. http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu
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Example Question: Physics
Bill Gerace, UMass Amherst
Dr. Stephanie Chasteen. Science Education Initiative, CU-Boulder. http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu
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Example Question: Physics
A child is standing at the rim of a disk holding a
rock. The disk rotates freely without friction. At
the instant shown, the child throws the rock
radially outward. Which of the indicated paths
most nearly represents the trajectory of the rock
as seen from above?
6. None of the above
7. Cannot be determined
Bill Gerace, UMass Amherst
Dr. Stephanie Chasteen. Science Education Initiative, CU-Boulder. http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu
25
Example Question: Physics
The diagrams below show two uniformly charged
spheres. The charge on the right sphere is 3
times as large as the charge on the left sphere.
Which force diagram best represents the
magnitudes and directions of the electric forces
on the two spheres?
A.
D.
B.
E.
C.
Bill Gerace, UMass Amherst
Dr. Stephanie Chasteen. Science Education Initiative, CU-Boulder. http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu
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Example Question: Physics
[Context: Students have been shown how to connect two forks to a
quarter, and balance the assembly counterintuitively on the edge
of a cup. After experimenting with this for a bit:] Make a drawing
of the top view of the arrangement of 2 forks, 1 quarter, and 1
cup. [after drawing:] Which drawing below most closely
resembles yours?
A.
C.
B.
D. None of these
Bill Leonard, UMass Amherst
Dr. Stephanie Chasteen. Science Education Initiative, CU-Boulder. http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu
27
Example Question: Physics
If you want to do as little work as possible while
carrying a heavy box, should you be careful
not to let it move up and down at all as you
walk?
Yes
B. No
C. It depends
A.
Ian Beatty, UMass Amherst
Dr. Stephanie Chasteen. Science Education Initiative, CU-Boulder. http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu
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Example Question: Physics

Two identical steel balls are released from rest
from the same height and travel along tracks
as shown and labeled below. Which ball
reaches the end of its track first?
A
The ball on track A.
B. The ball on track B.
C. Neither; it's a tie.
D. Not enough information.
A.
B
Bill Gerace, UMass Amherst, and http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/scenario/demos.htm
Dr. Stephanie Chasteen. Science Education Initiative, CU-Boulder. http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu
29
Example Question: Physics
To minimize the work you do getting a heavy bag of
groceries from the first floor to the second floor of a
building, should you
carry the bag up the stairs?
B. carry the bag up in an elevator?
C. put the bag on the floor of an elevator, ride up with
it, and then pick up the bag again?
D. carry the bag up a ramp?
E. put the bag in a cart and push it up a ramp?
A.
Bill Gerace, UMass Amherst
Dr. Stephanie Chasteen. Science Education Initiative, CU-Boulder. http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu
30
Example Question: Physics
1.
2.
3.
Consider…
Mechanics
Depth
Goals
Bill Leonard, UMass Amherst
Dr. Stephanie Chasteen. Science Education Initiative, CU-Boulder. http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu
31
Example Question: Physics
Which of the following are you least comfortable using to
solve problems?
Kinematics
B. Newton’s Laws
C. Work-Energy Theorem
D. Momentum-Impulse Theorem
E. Angular Momentum-Angular Impulse Theorem
A.
Ian Beatty, UMass Amherst
Dr. Stephanie Chasteen. Science Education Initiative, CU-Boulder. http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu
32
Example Question: Physics
A simple pendulum is released from rest with the string at an
angle A. It swings back and forth with frequency f. The angle θ
that the string makes with the vertical as a function of time
can be described by the equation θ(t)=Acos(2∏ft).Which of
the following equations might describe a real pendulum whose
oscillations gradually die out as time passes? (“B” is some
constant.)
A. θ(t)=Acos(2∏ft)
B. θ(t)=Acos(2∏f√t)
C. θ(t)=Acos2(2∏ft)
D. θ(t)=Ae-Btcos(2∏ft)
E. θ(t)=Acos(2∏fe-Btt)
F. θ(t)=Acos(2∏ft)–Bt
G. None of the above
Ian Beatty, UMass Amherst
Dr. Stephanie Chasteen. Science Education Initiative, CU-Boulder. http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu
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Physics
An ice cube is floating in a glass of water
that is filled entirely to the brim. As the ice
cube melts, the water level will
A)
B)
C)
D)
stay the same, remain at the brim.
rise, causing the water to spill.
fall to a level below the brim.
cannot say without knowing the density of ice.
(UBC CWSEI)
Dr. Stephanie Chasteen. Science Education Initiative, CU-Boulder. http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu
34
Physics
If you lower a 1.5 kg mass on a string into a
5 kg beaker filled with water, what happens to
the reading on the scale?
A)
B)
C)
D)
increases to 6.5 kg
increases to a value < 6.5 kg
increases to a value > 6.5 kg
stay the same
(UBC CWSEI)
Dr. Stephanie Chasteen. Science Education Initiative, CU-Boulder. http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu
35
Physics: Demo prediction
A cup filled with water has a hole in the side through
which the liquid is flowing out. If the cup is dropped
for a height, what will happen to the water flowing
from the cup?
A. It will keep on coming out, flowing the same
as before
B. It will keep coming out, but it will flow a bit
slower than before
C. It will keep coming out, but start to flow
upwards
D. It will keep coming out, flowing horizontally
with the falling cup
E. It will stop flowing
(Cynthia Heiner)
Dr. Stephanie Chasteen. Science Education Initiative, CU-Boulder. http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu
36