Animated Ray Paths in MS Powerpoint

Jeffrey A. Nunn

Department of Geology and Geophysics, Louisiana State University

This activity has been reviewed by 2 review processes (view details)

This activity was selected for the On the Cutting Edge Reviewed Teaching Collection

This activity has received positive reviews in a peer review process involving five review categories. The five categories included in the process are
- Scientific Accuracy
- Alignment of Learning Goals, Activities, and Assessments
- Pedagogic Effectiveness
- Robustness (usability and dependability of all components)
- Completeness of the ActivitySheet web page
For more information about the peer review process itself, please see https://serc.carleton.edu/teachearth/activity_review.html.
This activity has benefited from input from faculty educators beyond the author through a review and suggestion process. This review took place as a part of a faculty professional development workshop where groups of faculty reviewed each others' activities and offered feedback and ideas for improvements. To learn more about the process On the Cutting Edge uses for activity review, see http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/review.html.

Initial Publication Date: May 30, 2008 | Reviewed: October 31, 2012 (see revision history: 2 events)

Summary

A series of MS PowerPoint slides that illustrate ray paths for reflection and refraction. They can be used in lecture and/or laboratory assignments or posted on a web page for students to review on their own time. Animation allows students to see that different waves travel at different velocities. It also illustrates the relationship between distance and time for arrivals.

Seismic reflection, Seismic refraction, Exploration Methods | College Upper (15-16)

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Context

Audience

Undergraduate course in exploration and/or environmental geophysics Designed for a geophysics course

Skills and concepts that students must have mastered

Acoustic impedance, reflection, and refraction

How the activity is situated in the course

This is part of the first lecture on seismic principles.

Goals

Content/concepts goals for this activity

Interpret distance versus time plots for reflection and refraction using animated raypaths.

Higher order thinking skills goals for this activity

The animation allows students to synthesize the critical relationship between velocity/interface angle and ray path as well as the concept that integrating distance/velocity gives time which is the basis of all seismic analysis.

Other skills goals for this activity

None

Description of the activity/assignment

Students are shown a series of animations in powerpoint. Each powerpoint slide illustrates a basic concept in reflection and refraction (e.g., Snell's law, Crossover distance, Crossover time, dipping layers, multiple interfaces. As the slides are animated, students see the distance versus time relationships. These slides can be given to students so that they can review the concepts as many times as is necessary. Addresses student misconceptions