Possible to predict curve?

[shaggybill]

Admittedly, with this being my first semester at a school that curves its science classes, I know nothing about curves. If out of 1200 students the class average is in the mid 60's, is it possible to predict where a A will fall?

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[cliffhuxtableDO]

it depends on the grading method.

 

[chemnerd89]

90-92

 

[Chemdude]

Yes,

Take the function f(x)=

and normalize. Normalize so that the average occurs at the maximum and the top %10 recieve A's. It should be 88%+

 

[DrYoda]

It seems when curving profs like to aim for an average of 70%. But it really comes down to the prof and how he feels like curving, so you can't really predict.

 

[Premed Worrier]

Admittedly, with this being my first semester at a school that curves its science classes, I know nothing about curves. If out of 1200 students the class average is in the mid 60's, is it possible to predict where a A will fall?

Damn, I thought my classes of over a hundred were big...1200?

 

[StPlayrXtreme]

It depends on the standard deviation...so really no way to tell unless they tell you the SD. And even then it's up for the professor to set the letter grade at the mean.

Some professors "aim" for a certain mean grade...others just take care of it in the end.

 

[MilkmanAl]

Yes,

Take the function f(x)=

and normalize. Normalize so that the average occurs at the maximum and the top %10 recieve A's. It should be 88%+

Hey, now all you have to do is teach just about everyone on this forum how to normalize functions, and you've answered the question.

 

[shaggybill]

Thanks for the replies.

Damn, I thought my classes of over a hundred were big...1200?

1200 is the number of students at my school taking chem 1 this semester. We are all split up between 3-4 professors, but we are all put together when it comes to grading.

 

[shaggybill]

Hey, now all you have to do is teach just about everyone on this forum how to normalize functions, and you've answered the question.

lol. Thanks for posting that. I was starting to feel stupid there for a minute.

 

[chemnerd89]

Hey, now all you have to do is teach just about everyone on this forum how to normalize functions, and you've answered the question.

I normalize wave functions with the best of them.

 

[mmmcdowe]

85-90 will be the bottom or an A-, depending on the grading system. Then again, I once had a class where an A+ was a 90, so it just depends.

 

[MilkmanAl]

lol. Thanks for posting that. I was starting to feel stupid there for a minute.

I figured that might be a common thought. Not everyone has had upper-level math courses.

 

[AdmiralChz]

85-90 will be the bottom or an A-, depending on the grading system. Then again, I once had a class where an A+ was a 90, so it just depends.

Yeah, depends on how tightly packed in everyone is (see: standard deviation). If 60% of the class is between 50-70, then don't be surprised if an 80 (or even lower) would be an A. If it's more spread out (i.e. 40-80) then an A will be higher.

And I thought my 500 person Chem class was big...

 

[Chemdude]

I figured that might be a common thought. Not everyone has had upper-level math courses.

ahhhh, how refreshing...Probabilty and Statistics, the two most important/applicable topics of mathematics....how can me live without them.

 

[silverlining1]

I'll chime in with "it depends". I had classes where the mean was curved to a B- and classes where it was curved to a B+. So... we don't have an answer for you.

 

[Bacchus]

Hey, now all you have to do is teach just about everyone on this forum how to normalize functions, and you've answered the question.

You obviously don't need to know how to normalize functions to get into medical school. I never took stats.

 

[MilkmanAl]

I didn't learn how to normalize functions until calc 3. I never had any stats beyond the one I got AP credit for, though.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

Mid 60s for a gen chem class....id say it should probably be rougly a 10-12 pt scale.

 

[gridiron227]

My quick and dirty method:

Assuming the prof curves to a B (not always the case, of course, depending on how satisfied he is with the average), one standard deviation above the mean will probably be pretty close to the B+/A- cutoff. Judge based on that where the rest of the scale will fall... or just ask your TA to give you some better grading guidelines.

 

[135892]

You should just ask the TA... I'm sure they'll have at least some idea of how the prof likes to grade the class