ASTR 110
Introduction to Astronomy
Exam 2 Results
Exam Given: October 12, 2009 : Scores Posted: October 19, 2009
Check your weighted class scores (from which your final grade is computed, see syllabus).
Check your lab points. (first 4 labs)
Review Exam1 distribution.
NOTE ON READING YOUR SCORES: I have added a student by the name "Perfect Joe". Joe has perfect attendance, perfect exams, and perfect labs. He only has single points for attendance (I gave all of you double points on certain days), and he did not do extra credit (which is added to your exam scores). To compare your performance to a perfect score so far, compare yourself to Perfect Joe. He is the top entry of each table. (CONGRATULATIONS to "Razor" and "Luckiest" for bettering Perfect Joe with your overall weighted scores! Your perfect attendance has paid off great dividends!)
Below is the distribution of Exam2 scores, from which you can see how you performed relative to the class. The plot is the number of students with a score in a 5 point bin. For example, if you got an 73 on the exam, you are one of the students contributing to the bin 70.00-74.99
Letter grades are not provided on your exam because your letter grade in this class will be determined by the overall distribution of weighted points at the end of the semester. However, you can see where you fall within the Exam2 distribution. Recall that your lowest midterm exam score of the four will be dropped in the computation of your total points in the class. In my grading system, those students just above the class average usually end up with a grade in the low "B" range. For this exam, the average is 73 and the standard deviation (spread in the average) is 14. According to the curve I usually apply, for this exam score distribution, I would roughly give letter grades as 60-74 is a "C", 75-89 is a "B", and 90 and above is an "A", etc. But as I said, those letter grades mean very little at this time. You grade in this course will depend upon the distribution of the total weighted score at the end of the semester.NOTE ABOUT NOT HAVING TO TAKE THE FINAL EXAM. After two (2) exams, there are four (4) students who have earned a 90% or above on both Exam1 and Exam2. Congratulations! These four students remain eligible for the opt out of the FINAL EXAM so far.