Global Warming Science

<div class="xblock xblock-public_view xblock-public_view-vertical" data-block-type="vertical" data-runtime-version="1" data-usage-id="block-v1:MITx+12.340x+1T2020+type@vertical+block@ba192752445f4aa7bc1d7a6aa19755b8" data-graded="False" data-runtime-class="LmsRuntime" data-course-id="course-v1:MITx+12.340x+1T2020" data-has-score="False" data-init="VerticalStudentView" data-request-token="1fb4a9bcdbe411efb03e029b57e3cc89"> <h2 class="hd hd-2 unit-title">FAQs</h2> <div class="vert-mod"> <div class="vert vert-0" data-id="block-v1:MITx+12.340x+1T2020+type@html+block@d7eb356f53de43ac8384d1d98524f01b"> <div class="xblock xblock-public_view xblock-public_view-html xmodule_display xmodule_HtmlBlock" data-block-type="html" data-runtime-version="1" data-usage-id="block-v1:MITx+12.340x+1T2020+type@html+block@d7eb356f53de43ac8384d1d98524f01b" data-graded="False" data-runtime-class="LmsRuntime" data-course-id="course-v1:MITx+12.340x+1T2020" data-has-score="False" data-init="XBlockToXModuleShim" data-request-token="1fb4a9bcdbe411efb03e029b57e3cc89"> <script type="json/xblock-args" class="xblock-json-init-args"> {"xmodule-type": "HTMLModule"} </script> <h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;">Course Specifics</h3> Are PDF versions of the slides shown in the video lectures available to students? -For many (but not all) of the sections they are! In each section where they are available you will find them near the bottom of the section's first tab. What are the math requirements for this course? <span style="font-size: 14.666666666666666px; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-<span style="font-size: 14.666666666666666px; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size: 14.666666666666666px; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Students are expected to have some preparation in college-level calculus and physics. Follow up: Do you have an example of the kind of math problems that are assigned in this course? - Yes, without context, here is an example question taken directly from the course materials: The hydrostatic relation is given by, [mathjax]∂p/∂z =−ρg [/mathjax] where p is the pressure and z is height. The ideal gas law may be written, [mathjax]p=ρRT[/mathjax] where ρ is the density, T is the temperature, and R is the gas constant for air. For an atmosphere in which temperature does not vary in height, and surface pressure p0, what is the correct form of the distribution of pressure with height, p(z)? What time are the course assignment due? <span style="font-size: 14.666666666666666px; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-<span style="font-size: 14.666666666666666px; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size: 14.666666666666666px; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Problem sets are due at 21:00 UTC on the day indicated in the syllabus. The final will be due at 12:00 UTC on the day indicated in the syllabus. A clock displaying the current Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) can be found in the syllabus. How do I “pass” or get credit for this course? <span style="font-size: 14.666666666666666px; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-<span style="font-size: 14.666666666666666px; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size: 14.666666666666666px; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A grade of <span style="font-size: 14.666666666666666px; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">60% or higher<span style="font-size: 14.666666666666666px; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> for the entire course constitutes a passing grade. You can check your current grade status under the “Progress” tab above. I'm unavailable during the Final Exam period, can I take the exam at a different time? -Because of the structure and design of the course, we are unable to make exceptions and offer the Final Exam outside the allotted window of time indicated in the syllabus. Can I take this course if I’m not an MIT student? <span style="font-size: 14.666666666666666px; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-<span style="font-size: 14.666666666666666px; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size: 14.666666666666666px; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yes! While the course is organized by MIT, the majority of course participants are not MIT students. <h3>Problem Sets</h3> Can I use exponents when answering numerical input questions in the problem set? - Yes! If for instance, you wanted to input the answer 3000, you can write 3*10^3 in the input box. Are the problems below the lecture videos graded? - Often below the lecture videos you will find practice problems that will test your understanding of the concepts taught in the video. These do not contribute to your final grade, but we encourage you to use them to hone your climate understanding and prepare for the problem sets in each unit! In the "Progress" these show up as questions worth 0/0. Help! I’m having trouble with the problem sets, what do I do? - First things first: make sure to take good notes while watching the lectures and practice with each of the example problems below lecture videos. Read each question carefully. The forums are always a good resource for asking questions of fellow students and staff about the general approach to solve problems (please see “Collaboration Guidelines” in the syllabus for more info); if you come across math or some other topic you’re not familiar with, we’d be happy to point you in the right direction for good resources. Can I get partial credit for a given question? -The edX platform design--with most questions being multiple choice or numerical input, which have specific correct answers--does not enable partial credit for problem set questions. The "Progress" tab shows a grade for a specific question as 0/0, what is going on? Were my problem set solutions graded? -Problems that show "0/0" in the Progress tab are not graded for the purposes of this course. They represent the practice problems that are interspersed in each section following some lecture videos. Only questions in the Problem Sets themselves are graded. If a question is marked as graded in the problem set (either correct with green check mark, or incorrect with a red "x" mark) then it should be appropriately graded in "Progress" as well. <h3>Forum</h3> How do I get the attention of a staff member (instructors or course TAs) with a question? <span style="font-size: 14.666666666666666px; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-<span style="font-size: 14.666666666666666px; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size: 14.666666666666666px; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Add the tag [Staff] to the beginning of your forum post title. Someone asked a science question the forum and I think I can help… should I answer it? <span style="font-size: 14.666666666666666px; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-<span style="font-size: 14.666666666666666px; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size: 14.666666666666666px; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yes, of course! While staff monitor the discussion forum on a regular basis, we strongly encourage students to participate in helping other students understand the content of the course. The course is designed to be interactive! <span style="font-size: 14.666666666666666px; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How do I use mathematical equations in the discussion forum? -You can input mathematical equations using <a href="https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/LaTeX/Mathematics" target="[object Object]">LaTeX formatting</a> surrounded by dollar signs ($). Here are a few of the examples you can try: <ul style="line-height: 1.4em; font-family: 'Open Sans', Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif, sans-serif;"> <ul style="line-height: 1.4em; font-family: 'Open Sans', Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif, sans-serif;"> <ul style="line-height: 1.4em;"></ul> </ul> </ul> <ul style="line-height: 1.4em; font-family: 'Open Sans', Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif, sans-serif;"> <ul style="line-height: 1.4em;"> <li style="line-height: 1.4em;">$18 \times 2*sin(x)$</li> <li style="line-height: 1.4em;">$\frac{15t}{2x}$</li> <li style="line-height: 1.4em;">$\sqrt{y}$</li> <li style="line-height: 1.4em;">$\frac{S_0}{4}*(1-alpha)$</li> </ul> </ul> A discussion post has [Staff] in it’s title, should students respond to it? <span style="font-size: 14.666666666666666px; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-<span style="font-size: 14.666666666666666px; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size: 14.666666666666666px; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Questions about the mechanical workings of the course, typos, grades, etc. may be difficult or inappropriate for other students to respond to. But for science questions or material you can assist with, please help your fellow classmates! Use good judgement. Am I allowed to discuss politics, or policies to address climate change in the forum? <span style="font-size: 14.666666666666666px; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-<span style="font-size: 14.666666666666666px; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size: 14.666666666666666px; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This course deals strictly with the science of global warming, and will not cover issues regarding policy responses to climate change. As such, to avoid political debates, any discussion post regarding policy issues will be removed. <h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;">The Science</h3> This will be updated as frequently asked questions about the science arise in the forum. <h3>Other</h3> I have a question that isn’t answered here, what do I do? <span style="font-size: 14.666666666666666px; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-<span style="font-size: 14.666666666666666px; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size: 14.666666666666666px; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You can contact a staff member with a forum post using the tag, [Staff], in your title. <span style="font-size: 14.666666666666666px; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is the Credits page? - The credits page (e.g. <a href="https://courses.edx.org/courses/course-v1:MITx+12.340x_2+1T2016/courseware/3fbcd64d1da141ecb167ec898042f5fb/e30c016a338946139b7f88dee208507a/" target="[object Object]">credits section 1</a>) lists the original source of different figures. We can't use other people's work as part of an educational course without properly crediting them; this is where all of that information is recorded. <span style="font-size: 14.666666666666666px; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I'm having trouble navigating the edX platform, how do I learn more? - edX provides a free brief (10-30 minute) demo course that can help you as a learner navigate the site. We encourage you to <a href="https://www.edx.org/course/demox-edx-demox-1#!" target="[object Object]">check it out</a>! I’m having technical trouble with the edX site, what do I do? <span style="font-size: 14.666666666666666px; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-<span style="font-size: 14.666666666666666px; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size: 14.666666666666666px; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Please utilize the “Help” tab on the left hand side of your browser to contact edX support directly. You can also reach the edX support team (and see edX FAQs) here: <span style="font-size: 14.666666666666666px; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://support.edx.org/hc/en-us" style="text-decoration: none;">https://support.edx.org/hc/en-us</a> </div> </div> </div> </div>