READING AND HOMEWORK ASSIGMENTS
Still Under Construction - Assignments will be Added as They Become Available - Please Check Back
HW Assignments are due at 12 noon on Monday of the week indicated (except as noted). Submissions must be made electronically through sakai (go to the assignments page).
Readings should be completed before class on Monday, in order to partake fully in seminar discussion and activities.
| Week of | Reading Assignment | HW Assignment |
| Sept 7 |
Physics chapter from "The Development of the Sciences" (Under "Resources" on sakai) "The World as I See It" (p. 8, "Ideas & Opinions") |
Assignment 1 (Due Tuesday) |
| Sept 14 |
Astronomy chapter from "The Development of the Sciences" (Under "Resources" on sakai) "Physics and Reality" (pp. 290-303, "Ideas & Opinions") "The Mechanics of Newton..." (pp. 253-261, "Ideas & Opinions") |
Assignment 2 | Sept 21 |
Chapters 1-5 from "Relativity" "Dialogues Concerning Two Chief World Systems" (pp. 173-175 in left panel) Michelson-Morley Experiment: Original scientific paper Wikipedia |
Assignment 3 | Sept 28 |
Chapters 6-12 from "Relativity" "Profiles: Scientist and Mob Idol" from "The New Yorker" Dec 1933 (Under "Resources" on sakai) |
Assignment 4 | Oct 5 |
Chapters 13-17 from "Relativity" "E=MC^2" (pp. 337-341, "Ideas & Opinions") Article from the NY Times "U.S. Says Iran Could Expedite Nuclear Bomb" |
Assignment 5 Outline for paper on an aspect of Einstein's life due |
Oct 12 |
Review Chapters 6-17 from "Relativity" "Atomic Peace or War?" (pp. 118-131, "Ideas & Opinions") |
Assignment 6 | Oct 19 |
Chapters 18-23 from "Relativity" Review "Physics and Reality" and "The Mechanics of Newton..." (assigned 14 Sept, see above) |
First draft of midterm paper due | Oct 26 |
Chapters 24-29 from "Relativity" "Exchange of Letters...Russian Academy" (pp. 134-146, "Ideas & Opinions") |
Assignment 7 (Due Wednesday) Final draft of midterm paper |
Nov 2 |
Wikipedia "Galaxy" |
... | Nov 9 |
Chapters 30-32 and Appendix 4 from "Relativity" "Einstein: How I Created the Theory of Relativity" (Under "Resources" on sakai) |
Assignment 8 | Nov 16 |
Pages 1-11 of "An Introduction to Galaxies and Cosmology" (Under "Resources" on sakai) "Determination of the Deflection of Light...Total Eclipse of May 29, 1919" (Under "Resources" on sakai) NY Times news report on solar eclipse expedition |
Assignment 9 Outline and reading list for final paper due |
Nov 23 | Finish "An Introduction to Galaxies and Cosmology" (Under "Resources" on sakai) |
Assignment 10 | Nov 30 |
(1)
"Hubbles Diagram and Cosmic Expansion" (2) "The Cosmic Symphony" (3) "Primordial Deuterium and the Big Bang" |
Assignment 11 First draft of final paper due |
Dec 7 |
... |
Assignment 12 | Dec 21 |
... |
Final version of Final paper due (absolute deadline) |
Please send any comments to Jack Hughes, jph "at" physics.rutgers.edu.
Revised November 18, 2009