The LLM prompt I used: Explain how gravity works

The most helpful prompting strategy I’ve learned is using a persona prompt. In class, we have talked about how the way you ask a question changes the model’s answer, and I saw that myself when I asked Copilot to explain gravity. My first prompt just said, “Explain how gravity works,” and the answer was broad. It mentioned Newton and Einstein but did not go into much detail. When I used a persona prompt and asked Copilot to explain it as an astrophysicist, the response became much clearer and more detailed, including examples and explanations that actually made sense. This prompt is helpful for students, writers, or anyone who needs a clear, in depth explanation. By contrast, when I tried an audience prompt explaining gravity in football terms, the answer was less helpful because it simplified things too much.

Using a persona prompt with Copilot showed me how important prompt literacy is, which connects to what I learned from the UT Aspire article. The article talks about how asking clear, thoughtful questions helps students think more deeply and get better answers. I saw this in action when I asked Copilot to explain gravity as an astrophysicist—the answer was detailed and easy to understand. But a broad prompt or one focused on an audience gave weaker results. This shows that knowing how to ask questions carefully can guide thinking and produce the best results, just like UT Aspire explains.