Physics 133 - Astronomy

Block 7, 2003-2004

Syllabus Schedule Solutions Resources

This schedule is subject to change!
Most recent update on Saturday April 7 at 5 PM

Reading Legend:
X: [Chapter name] = Chapter number: Chapter name
Assignment Legend:
RX= Review and Discussion X
PX = Problem X
SX = Supplementary Problem X
PX-SX = Problem X with associated                   supplementary problem X
PL[name] = Physlet name
T[name] = Tutorial name
L[name] = Follow link
A[subject] = Article on subject

 

Day

Reading For

Assignments Pertinent to Reading

Lab

Special Events

Week 1
3/22 - 3/26
 
Monday      (1) Prologue: Charting the Heavens R2-S1, R4, R6-S2, P2-S3, P4, P5,
PL Solar vs. Sidereal Day
  Short organizational class at 9AM.  Reconvene at 1PM for class.
Tuesday      (2) 1: The Copernican Revolution R2, R14, P5, P6, P9
L Animation: Heliocentric Solar System
Parallax with trees  
Wednesday (3) 2: Light and Matter R4, R9, P2, P4, P6-S4, P9, PL Basic Wave Properties, PL The Bohr Atom, T The Doppler Effect Mass of Jupiter computer lab Essay 1 due
Thursday    (4) 3: Telescopes R4, R6-S5, R14, P3, P4, P5-S6
T Reflecting Telescopes
  Note 1
Friday        (5) Selections from 4: The Solar System- 4.1, 4.3, 4.4
Selections from 5: Earth and Its Moon- 5.1, 5.2, More Precisely 5-1, 5.6, 5.8
C4: R9, P6, P7, C5: R1, P1-S7, S8, A on solar system formation, A on detection of new extrasolar planet   Quiz 1 covering Chps P, 1, 2, 3 at 1:30PM
Week 2
3/29 - 4/2
 
Monday      (6) Selections from 6: The Terrestrial Planets- pgs 158-179

Selections from 7: The Jovian Planets- pgs 188-198, 207

C6: R11, P7 C7: R3, P2, S9, S10, S11
A overview of recent Mars missions
A evidence for water on Mars I
A evidence for water on Mars II
A life of scientist exploring Mars

Mpeg movie showing Jupiter comet impact
Scaling Solar System lab  
Tuesday      (7) 9: The Sun R3-S12, R5, R11, P3, P4, P7, P9, Video "May 12 1997 Solar Flare Event"   Quiz 2 covering Chps 4, 5, 6,7 at 1 PM
Wednesday (8) 10: Measuring the Stars- Main Sequence R5-S13, R8-S14, R10, P2, P4, S15, PL Blackbody and stellar temperature Stellar Classification lab at 1:30  
Thursday     (9) 11: The Interstellar Medium: Star Formation R7-S16, R9, R11, P6, P7-S17, S18   Talk entitled: How special are we?  The tale of Copernican humiliation.  Dr. George Seielstad.  7:30 PM. Packard Hall.  Extra credit!
Friday         (10) No additional reading Review problems   Review Session at 10AM. Midterm Exam at 1PM.
Week 3
4/5 - 4/9
 
Monday      (11) 12: Stellar Evolution P1, P2, P5, P8, S19, S20, S21, S22, S23, Animation HR Diagram tracks stellar evolution, Animation Recurrent Nova, Animation Evolution of a 1 solar mass star Learn to use telescopes No class in morning. Class will be at cabin.  Leave for Cabin at 1PM from the plaza north of Barnes and east of Tutt.
Tuesday      (12) 13: Neutron Stars and Black Holes R7, R9, P2, P4, P7-S24, S25, S26, S27 Observational lab at night  
Wednesday (13) 14: The Milky Way Galaxy R11, R12, P6-S28, P10, S29, S30, PL The Mass of a Galaxy   Back from Cabin at 2PM.
Thursday     (14) 15: Normal and Active Galaxies R7, R10, R11, P6-S31, P8, S32, S33    
Friday         (15) 16: Hubble's Law and Dark Matter R1, R2, R5, P2, P4, P7, P10, S34

Contest!- Anyone who turns in a correct solution to problem P5 from this chapter by Tuesday 4/13 wins an exciting prize (and gets great practice doing problems)!

  Quiz 3- take home.  Due Monday at the beginning of class.
Week 4
4/12 - 4/14
 
Monday      (16) 17: Cosmology- The Big Bang
18: Life in the Universe
C17: R1, R5, R6, R9, R14, P6, P9, P10, S35, S36
C18: R11, R14, S37
   
Tuesday      (17) No additional reading Review problems   Review sessions
Wednesday (18) No additional reading     Final Exam