Optional Assignments


Assignment
 Date Assigned
 Date Due
 points
topic(s) and/or comments
Therm Circ/3-cell Model asst.
 Thu., Apr. 19
 on or before
Tue., May 1
 0.25 pts
or up to
8 pts added to your Final Exam score
 read this background material
Atmospheric stability
 Thu., Apr 12
 Thu., Apr. 19
probably
 0.4
 read this background material then use this example as a guide
Controls of temperature asst.
 Tue., Apr. 10
 Thu., Apr. 19
 0.4
 read this online material about factors that control the annual mean and range of temperature
Forces and winds asst.
 Tue., Apr. 10
 Tue., Apr. 17
 0.5
 forces that cause surface and upper level winds in the northern & southern hemispheres
See the Tue., Apr 10 notes if you plan to get an early start on this assignment  answers
Humidity problems asst.
 Tue., Mar. 20
 Thu., Mar. 29
 0.45
 a variety of humidity problems  answers
In-class asst.
 Tue., Mar. 20
 Tue., Mar. 20
 0.25
 Humidity variables
In-class asst.
 Tue., Mar. 13
 Tue., Mar. 13
 0.15
 you'll find the two questions that constitute the assignment (and also the answers)
embedded in the Tue., Mar. 13 lecture notes
Upper-level charts assignment
 Tue., Feb. 20
 Thu., Mar. 1
 0.4*
 Read Pt. 1, Pt. 2, and Pt. 3 of the supplementary material on upper-level charts
*see the assignment sheet for more details concerning credit earned on this assignment
Surface weather map analysis
 Tue., Feb. 20
 Tue., Feb.27
 0.4 pts
 use this example analysis as a guide
see also the Tue., Feb. 20 class notes
You'll note on the assignment sheet that you have the option
of earning 1S1P pts instead of extra credit on this assignment
In-class assignment
 Thu., Feb. 08
 Thu., Feb. 08
 0.25
 ideal gas law, troposphere & stratosphere, station model notation  answers
In-class assignment
 Thu., Jan. 25
 Thu., Jan. 25
 0.25
 Composition & evolution of the atmosphere, air pollutants  answers

You can download and print the assignment in Microsoft WORD format by clicking on the appropriate link above.  Copies of the assignment will sometimes be distributed in class.

If you make an honest attempt at answering all the questions, you should be able to earn full credit on each assignment even if you don't answer all the questions correctly.  An honest effort includes having the assignment done before coming to class and turning the assignment in at the beginning of class.  It is OK to work together with other students in the class, but everyone should contribute.  You shouldn't just copy another student's work.

There will be a sufficient number of optional assignments for you to be able to earn at least 3 points extra credit by the end of the semester.  The extra credit points are added to the average grade computed prior to the final exam.

Note:   Don't be concerned if you get work back without a grade.  Usually only papers with less than full credit will have a grade marked on them.  Papers without a marked grade have earned full credit.  An individual assignment is generally only worth a few 1/10ths of a point of extra credit (see table above).  A paper with a grade of 4/5 really means you earned 0.4 out of 0.5 points extra credit.  1/10ths of a point extra credit may not seem like much.  But the accumulated total at the end of the semester can have a significant effect on your grade. 

Also note: The fact that you do not have any answers marked wrong does not necessarily mean you answered all the questions correctly.  Frequently the grading load requires that we only grade some of the questions on the optional assignments.  You should carefully compare your answers with the answers once they appear online.