Light + Planets Review

  1. HOW TO STUDY FOR TEST
    1. Study techniques
      • Test both memory and applications.
      • Study outlines (sky, planets) from web and class notes
      • Read book, pay close attention to only those parts discussed in class
      • Review answers to homework problems and quizzes. Understand why each answer is correct, so can apply in different circumstance.
      • Review objectives on syllabus. Think of questions for each objective. Try to answer those questions. Explain each objective to a friend.
    2. Content
    3. What chapters and parts of chapters
      chapters 2-8, 11, only those parts discussed in class.

  2. LIGHT
    1. atoms
    2. temperature and motion
    3. waves and photons: spectrum: frequency, wavelength, period, energy, coolest to hottest
    4. conservation of energy
    5. electrons and photons - emission and absorption
      • what happens to an electron when it emits and absorbs a photon, jumping between orbits
    6. thermal radiation
    7. coninuous, emission and absorption spectra
    8. diffraction grating - use, plotting
    9. spectrum graphs
    10. Doppler effect: blue and red shifts
    11. telescopes: how works, size, function. L=FxA

  3. PLANETS
    1. greenhouse effect
    2. global warming
      • feedback loops
    3. plate tectonics
    4. seismology:
      • which waves do what
      • shadow zone
      • cause of earthquakes, volcanoes
    5. internal structure of planets
    6. currents inside planets
    7. surfaces of planets
    8. moons of planets
      • jupiter's moons
    9. differences between Terrestrial and Jovian planets
      • composition of Jovian planets
    10. star formation
    11. solar nebula theory- how planets form
      • angular momentum
      • contraction
      • condensation
      • accretion
        • asteroids and comets
      • formation of inner and outer planets:
        why larger planets are formed in outer part of solar nebula
    12. origin of atmosphere
    13. tests: extra solar planets
      • implications for solar nebula theory
      • why don't all stars have planets
    14. formation of Moon
      Not discussed in class
    15. tides
      • tides on Earth, slowing down of Earth's spin, simulation
      • rotation of Moon
      • are other planets slowing down
      • tides on Jupiter's moons
    16. How determine masses of astronomical objects, Kepler's third law
      next unit

  4. STAGES of DEVELOPING THEORIES
    • list of stages
      see sky outline

  5. SKY MAP
    • how to name stars.
      see list of bright stars, star maps linked from sky outline

Bob Stein's home page, email: steinr@pilot.msu.edu