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Instructor Professor Andrew Baker Serin W309 (Busch Campus) Phone: 732-445-5500 x2544 Email: ajbaker[at]physics.rutgers.edu
Course meetings
Office hours |
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Course description
This course describes the foundations of astronomy and modern knowledge of our Solar System as well as planets around other stars. While astronomers know a tremendous amount about the universe, science is not just about a static set of facts, but also about the dynamic process of discovery. We will therefore consider science as a way of understanding the world we live in.
There are no college-level prerequisites for this course, but typical high school algebra and science preparation are assumed. The companion course, PHY 110, covers stars, galaxies, and the universe as a whole. The two courses are complementary and independent; you can take one or both, and in either order. Note that PHY 109 and PHY 110 are intended for non-science majors. Students with college-level math and science credits should consider taking PHY 341/342 instead. Those courses cover much of the same material as PHY 109/110, but at a more advanced level.
Textbook
The primary textbook for this course is
The Cosmic Perspective: Fundamentals, by Bennett, Donohue, Schneider, & Voit (ISBN 0-321-56704-8), published by Addison-Wesley/Pearson. While this book is self-contained, I will supplement it from time to time with additional material in the slides for my lectures. You will be responsible for material that appears in our book, and any clearly designated additional material in my slides, which I will make available after class in Sakai.
Student response system
In addition to the textbook, you are required to purchase an i>clicker+ "student response system" (these require two AAA batteries and are available at the campus bookstore). Each i>clicker+ unit has its own unique number; once you have purchased yours, please log into Sakai and register it using the i>clicker tab in the lower left corner of the page for this course.
Schedule
The sequence of lectures and homework due dates is provisional; I will update them as needed during the course of the semester. I will also include in the schedule the dates of any public events that are relevant to the subject matter of this course (attendance at these events is strictly optional). Note that "T#" in the table below refers to the "Tools of Science" box in Chapter # of the textbook.
| CLASS | DATE | TOPIC | READING | DUE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sep 4 | Overview; Our Cosmic Address no clicker questions |
1.1, T11 | |
| 2 | Sep 6 | An Insider's View of Science | 3.2, 3.3, T1, T2, Appendix C | |
| 3 | Sep 11 | Understanding the Sky | 2.1 | HW1 |
| Sep 11 | Optional event: public lecture by Professor Alyson
Brooks 8:00pm, Physics Lecture Hall, Busch Campus sponsored by the Rutgers Astronomical Society |
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| Sep 12 | Optional event: public
observing night 8:30pm, Robert Schommer Observatory, Busch Campus sponsored by the Rutgers Astronomical Society |
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| 4 | Sep 13 | Learning from the Sun and Moon | 2.2 | |
| 5 | Sep 18 | Greek and Renaissance Astronomy | 2.3, 3.1 | HW2 |
| 6 | Sep 20 | Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion | 3.1 (Kepler) | |
| 7 | Sep 25 | Newton's Laws of Motion Guest instructor: Professor Chuck Keeton |
3.1 (Newton), 3.3, T6 | HW3 |
| 8 | Sep 27 | Gravity in Action | 3.3, T6 | |
| 9 | Oct 2 | Light and Heat | T5 | HW4 |
| 10 | Oct 4 | Light and Atoms | T7, T8, T9 | |
| 11 | Oct 9 | Energy, Density, and Pressure | T4 | HW5 |
| 12 | Oct 11 | REVIEW no clicker questions |
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| 13 | Oct 16 | MIDTERM EXAM (in class) no clicker questions |
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| 14 | Oct 18 | Scale and Content of the Solar System | 1.3, 4.1 | |
| 15 | Oct 23 | Age of the Solar System | 4.3 | HW6 |
| 16 | Oct 25 | Formation of the Solar System | 4.2 | |
| 17 | Oct 30 | Geology of the Earth and Moon | 5.1 | HW7 |
| 18 | Nov 1 | Terrestrial Planets: Geology | 5.2 | |
| 19 | Nov 6 | Terrestrial Planets: Atmospheres | 5.1, 5.2, 5.3 | HW8 |
| 20 | Nov 8 | Jovian Planets | 6.1 | |
| 21 | Nov 13 | Io, Europa, and Ganymede | 6.1, 15.1, T15 | HW9 |
| 22 | Nov 15 | Titan and Enceladus | 6.1, 15.1, T15 | |
| 23 | Nov 20 | Planetary Rings | 6.1 | HW10 |
| 24 | Nov 22 | Pluto and the Kuiper Belt | 6.2 | |
| 25 | Nov 27 | Comets and Asteroids Friday class schedule; clicker questions count double |
6.3 | |
| 26 | Dec 4 | Finding Exoplanets Guest instructor: Professor Chuck Keeton |
7.1 | HW11 |
| 27 | Dec 6 | Characterizing Exoplanets Guest instructor: Professor Chuck Keeton |
7.2, 7.3, 15.2 | |
| 28 | Dec 11 | REVIEW no clicker questions |
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| Dec 17 | FINAL EXAM 4:00-7:00pm, Scott Hall 123 |
Grading
Your course grade will be based on a weighted combination of four elements:
Multiple-choice clicker questions will be scattered throughout most lectures, and are intended to assess your understanding of the material we are discussing in that class. If a clear majority of the class does not get the right answer to a particular question the first time around, I'll give you a chance to re-vote after discussing it with your neighbors. Your score for an individual question will be determined as follows:
The midterm exam will comprise 30 multiple-choice questions covering the material from lectures 2-11. To give you a sense of what sorts of questions to expect, I will provide a sample midterm exam ahead of time, which we will review during the last regular class period before the exam. A makeup exam will be scheduled for students who have excused absences on the day of the midterm exam (see below).
The final exam will comprise 45 multiple-choice questions over the material covered in lectures 14-27. A few questions may rely on material from the first half of the course (e.g., it is probably best not to have forgotten how scientific progress occurs by the time you sit down to take the final exam!), but these will be limited in number. To give you a sense of what sorts of questions to expect, I will provide a sample final exam ahead of time, which we will review during the last regular class period of the semester. A makeup exam will be scheduled for students who have excused absences on the day of the final exam (see below).
Academic integrity
I take academic integrity concerns very seriously, and in the case of a possible violation I will initiate a disciplinary process without hesitation. Please familiarize yourself with the different levels of violations and sanctions, and note that more than one "non-separable" violation can lead to suspension or expulsion. A few relevant points of information for this course: