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Astronomy 110 Schedule, Announcements, and Assignments for TTh class

Spring 2015-Dr.RossCohen

Syllabus

Approximate Topic and Exam Schedule for Section 6345

Approximate Topic and Exam Schedule for Section 6348


Due

Assignment

Thu. 2/5

There will be a quiz at the end of class!

 You will need a grademaster form 28190.
This lets you answer up to 15 questions

 

The quiz will cover units (fundamental units and special astronomical units), the size scale of objects in the Universe (in general terms; numbers not needed), scientific notation, the year, and the phases of the Moon and lunar months (note that we will finish the lunar months on Tuesday 2/3).  You will need a grademaster form 28190. 

There are not many review questions in the book on these topics, so keep in mind that the review questions are not at all a complete guide to what to study.  The "Key Words" and/or "Key Items" are also important. When considering what topics to cover, give the greatest weight to what we studied in class, as outlined in the power point handouts. 

8th, 9th, and 10th editions

Appendix A covers scientific notation.

Appendix D covers temperature scales.

On units, see " What did you think?"#6 and review question  #13 in Ch. 2.

On the year and the Moon, see chapter 1: What Did You Think? # 6.  Review Questions  4,  19, 20.

Thursday 2/12

There will be a quiz at the end of class!

See your syllabus for the correct Grademaster form!

The quiz will cover the rest of chapter 1.  The general topics are: the day, the celestial sphere and the important lines on it, constellations (what are they, not their names), seasons,  precession, and eclipses. 

Remember, what we cover in class is important.  Topics in the book that we do not mention in lecture are probably not being covered.  The review questions below are the relevant questions in the book, but the book does not have a complete set of questions.  The "Key Words" and/or "Key Items" are also important.

These questions are for study; they are not to be handed in.

8th,9th, and 10th editions, chapter 1:
What Did You Think? 2, 3, 4, 8. 
Review Questions: 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 24, 25, 27, 28, 31, 33, 38,
54 (9th and 10th) or 52 (8th), 48 (9th and 10th) or 54 (8th).

Homework has been assigned, due by February 24.  You can do the homework on our computers in room 34-108 (The computer room is open; see here for hours; more hours will be scheduled soon) or purchase your own copy of the software.  The publisher's instructions to purchase the software are as follows:

Students go to www.starrynighteducation.com and click the Higher Education tab then choose Starry Night College.  There they will see the option to order the $29.95 Student Edition Download.  Students enter the 4 digit code that the professor provided.  Download takes 20 minutes with most connections.

The correct referral code is df7c .  When I followed the instructions, I got to the following web site:  http://www.starrynighteducation.com/product_12.html

Thu. 2/19

There will be a quiz at the end of class!

See your syllabus for the correct Grademaster form!

The quiz will cover the beginning of Chapter 2: The 7 moving objects, Ptolemy and geocentric cosmology (including the reasons for assuming the Earth stood still), Copernicus and heliocentric cosmology, Tycho, Galileo's observations, and also the basic concepts of scientific theories.  The rest of Chapter 2, Kepler, Newton and inertia, gravity, and orbital motion (plus how people were led astray about orbits by the old, incorrect, ideas of motion) will NOT be covered on this quiz, but you can expect it on a later quiz or on the first test. 

The book has few review questions on chapter 2.  You should also be able to explain those "key words" and "key ideas" that we covered in class.  Remember that the book does not provide review material on everything we covered.  It is just a start.  If you want more, you can look at the exam review sheets from a previous semester which are also posted. 

8th, 9th, and 10th eds.: Chapter 2, What did you think? 1. Review Questions:   4, 6, 11.

Tuesday 2/24

Your first assignment with the "Starry Night" software is due here (or before).  Do these exercises on the computers in room 34-108.  Remember, no late homework is accepted!  If you need a new copy, look here

Thu. 2/26

There will be a quiz at the end of class!

 See your syllabus or above for the correct Grademaster form!

The quiz will cover the rest of Chapter 2, Kepler, Newton (ideas of motion (old and new) and gravity).  The quiz can also cover how scientific theories are tested (with possible reference to the discovery of Neptune). Questions from completed Starry Night homework are always an option. 

The book has few review questions on chapter 2.  You should also be able to explain those "key words" and "key ideas" that we covered in class.  Remember that the book does not provide review material on everything we covered.  It is just a start.  If you want more, you can look at the exam review sheets from a previous semester which are also posted. 

8th, 9th, and 10th eds.: Chapter 2, What did you think? All.

Questions:   1, 2, 3, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 30 [31 9th, 30 8th], 32 [33 9th, 32 8th] (20, 21, 22, & 30 are numeric problems; there won't be any numeric problems on the quiz, but these are related to material on the quiz). 

Thu. 3/5

Test on chapters 1-3. 

  Here is the review sheet. 

You will need the large Apperson DataLink Form #28040


 

Tue. 3/10

Your second assignment with the Starry Night" software is due here.  Do these exercises on the computers in room 34-108.  Remember, late homework is not accepted!  So, turn it in early.  if you need a new copy, here it is.

Tu. 3/17

Your third assignment with the Starry Night" software is due here.  Do these exercises on the computers in room 34-108.  Remember, late homework is not accepted!  So, turn it in early.  if you need a new copy, here it is.  This is an assignment for extra credit.

Thu. 3/20

There will be a quiz at the end of class!

The

Thu. 3/19


In the 8th edition, this quiz covers 5-1 through 5-5,  9-1 through 9-3, and 9-5 through 9-11, but  you do not need to know the differences between the kinds of meteorites.

In the 9th edition, this quiz covers 5-1 through 5-10, 9-1 through 9-3 and 9-5 through 9-11, but  you do not need to know the differences between the kinds of meteorites.

We will be covering the final parts of both of these chapters, but not for this quiz.

As usual, the "Key Words" and/or "Key Ideas" are important.  Also, see the following review problems from the book.

8th edition: Ch. 5, What Did You Think? 1 - 3.

                              Review Questions: 1,2,5  (these are by no means complete).

                    Ch. 9, What Did You Think? 1 - 5.

                               Review questions: 1,2,4,7,8,11,13,15,17,19,20.

9th edition: Ch. 5, What Did You Think? 1 - 4.

                              Review Questions: 1,3,8,9,11,13,16 (these are by no means complete).

                    Ch. 9, What Did You Think? 1 - 5.

                               Review questions: 1,2,4,7,8,11,13,15,17,19,20.

There will be a quiz at the end of class!

The quiz will cover material on the structure, contents, and formation of the solar system, from Chapter 5 & 9 in the 8th and 9th editions.  This quiz will also cover the meaning of temperature, pressure, and density.  Note: the theory of the formation of the solar system will be covered on Tuesday of the week of the quiz.  The material on the formation and surface of the Moon and on asteroid collisions will NOT be covered on this quiz, but will be included on a later quiz or test. Planets around other stars will not be on the quiz either.  In the 8th edition, this quiz covers 5-1 through 5-5,  9-1 through 9-3, and 9-5 through 9-11, but  you do not need to know the differences between the kinds of meteorites. In the 9th and 10th editions, this quiz covers 5-1 through 5-10, 9-1 through 9-3 and 9-5 through 9-11, but  you do not need to know the differences between the kinds of meteorites. We will be covering the final parts of both of these chapters, but not for this quiz.

As usual, the "Key Words" and/or "Key Ideas" are important. 

Also, see the following review problems from the book

.8th edition: Ch. 5, What Did You Think? 1 - 3.
                           Review Questions: 1,2,5  (these are not complete).
                
Ch. 9, What Did You Think? 1 - 5.                              
                           Review questions: 1,2,4,7,8,11,13,15,17,19,20.

9th and 10th editions: Ch. 5, What Did You Think? 1 - 4.
                                         Review Questions: 1,3,8,9,11,13,16 (these are not complete).
                               Ch. 9, What Did You Think? 1 - 5.
                                         Review questions: 1,2,4,7,8,11,13,15,17,19,20.

Tue. 4/7The fourth assignments with the "Starry Night" software is due here.  If you need a copy of it, here it is.

Thu. 4/9  There will be a quiz at the end of class.

The quiz will cover the four fundamental forces (as we went over them in class) and the elementary particles (not including numerical values). There are few textbook review questions on the forces, but you can look at the old exam review questions which are posted.  The textbook summarizes the forces in sections 4-5 and 18-6. The quiz will also cover emission of light from black bodies in sections 4-1 and 4-2 plus Toolbox 4 - 1.  What is a black body? What is luminosity? How does luminosity differ from power per area?  How do the luminosity AND color of black bodies (stars) depend on temperature and size? 

As usual, the "Key Words" and/or "Key Ideas" are important.  Also, see the following review problems from the book.

8th edition: Ch. 4, What did you Think? 1 and 2

                   Review Questions: 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, "What if..." 24.

                   Ch. 18, What did you Think? 4

                    Review Questions: 10

9th and 10th edition: Ch. 4, What did you Think? 1 and 2

                                  Review Questions: 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, "What if..." 24.

                                  Ch. 18, What did you Think? 4

                                   Review Questions: 10

Thu. 4/16 There will be a test Thursday! 

The test will cover from the last test through most of the material on the Sun (plus maybe a review question or two on wavelength, color, and energy).   Here is the review sheet.    Note that for this test you will be responsible for knowing the basic nuclear reaction that takes place in the Sun, but not the details of the multi-step process.  That will be on the next test.

Thu. 4/30

There will be a quiz at the end of class

The quiz will cover material from chapter 11 on the properties of stars, the H-R diagram and types of stars, and masses of stars.  The quiz will also include a qualitative (ideas, not numbers) understanding about the relationship between the mass of a star and its main sequence lifetime (covered in class, but not covered in the book until later).  We are not covering numerical calculations of magnitudes or the details of how to get an orbit from spectroscopic binaries on this quiz, but you should know the difference between the two types of magnitudes and how spectroscopic binaries differ from visual binaries.  We will not have questions on the numerical ranges of stellar properties on the quiz, but some could be on the test that covers this material.

As usual, the "Key Words" and/or "Key Ideas" are important.  Also, see the following review problems from the book.

8th and 9th eds: Ch. 11, What did you think? 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. 
Review Questions:1,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,12,14,16,17,19,20,22,23,25,26,27,28,35,36,37.

10th ed: Ch. 11, What did you think? 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. 
Review Questions:1,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,12,13,14,16,17,19,20,22,23,25,26,27,28,35,36,37,47,49,50.

Tue. 5/5 The sixth starry night exercise is due here.  If you need a copy, here it is.
Thu. 5/7

There will be a test this Thursday! 

You need the same Grademaster form as for the other two tests, the large Apperson form #28040.

Test on the details of the processes in the interior of the Sun, properties of stars and the H-R diagram, how long stars will live, and stellar evolution through the white dwarf stage.  The review sheet is here.
Tue. 5/19

The seventh starry night exercise is due here.  If you need a copy, here it is.

Tue. 5/26

The computer room will be open as follows:

Tuesday :    12:00 - 3:30 P.M.
Wednesday: 9:00 - 11:15 A.M. and 1:00 - 3:00 P.M.
Thursday:     10:30 A.M. - 2:00 P.M.

At this time I have no planned office hours.  However, you can call my office or email me to see if I am there Tuesday afternoon.

Thu. 5/28

The extra credit Starry Night is due here.  You can get a copy here.

It must be turned in to me in class prior to the final or at the start of the final.  It may also be put under my office door BEFORE the final.  Anything I find in  my mailbox or under my door after the start of the final will not be accepted.  The computer room will probably not be open during finals week.  If it will be, times will be posted above.

The final for the 12:30 class will be 11:35 A.M. to 1:35 P.M. 

The final for the 2:00 class will be 1:45 to 3:45 P.M.

You need the same Grademaster form as for the other three tests, the large Apperson form #28040. 

Make sure it is not wrinkled so it will be readable by the machine!

Note: this is NOT the usual class time.  Makeup finals are not usually given without proof that it was impossible to attend the final at the regular time.

The final will be cumulative and twice as long as the other tests.  About half the test will be on the new material since the last test, and about half will be on material from the entire semester.  The earlier material will not generally be as detailed as the material on the individual tests.

The review sheet is here.

Last Updated: 05/24/2015
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