SYLLABUS

VISIONS OF THE UNIVERSE

ISP 205, SECTION 1, FALL 2002

Tuesday, Thursday 8:30-9:50AM, Room 1410 BioMedical & Physical Sciences Bldg.

 

This is an introduction to astronomy for non-science majors. The goal of the course is to give you an outline of what we do (and don’t) know about the universe on size scales from planets on up, and also to teach you a bit about how science works. Major topics will include the scientific method, the laws of physics (and what happens when you break them), the solar system, how stars work, galaxies, and cosmology (the overall structure and evolution of the universe). Simple algebraic equations will be used.

 

Instructor: Jack Baldwin, Room 3270 BioMedical & Physical Sciences Bldg. (BMP),

Phone 355-9200, ext. 2411          (baldwin@pa.msu.edu)

 

Office hours:  2-3 Monday, 10-11 Tuesday, 11-12 Thursday, or by appointment.

 

Text: “VOYAGES THROUGH THE UNIVERSE (2ND EDITION)” by Fraknoi, Morrison & Wolff.

 

Web site: http://www.pa.msu.edu/courses/isp205/sec-1/ contains a copy of this syllabus and will hold announcements, grade curves, etc in the future.

 

Homework. Yes. Assignments and due dates to be announced. Simple math will be involved, and then similar problems will appear on the exams. You will do these over the web, using the CAPA system. See the course website for instructions.

 

Midterms:  3 Midterms, each for the full class period. Tentatively scheduled for Sept. 17, Oct. 10 and Nov. 5.

 

Final exam: This will be held at the assigned place and time for this course. Tentatively, the time is Tuesday, Dec 10, 8-10PM, but it is up to you to double check later in the semester, at the official MSU web site (WARNING: be sure to use the COMMON FINAL EXAM SCHEDULE, which appears at the bottom of the web page). About half of the questions will be from the material covered after the third midterm, but the other half will cover the rest (first 3 parts) of the course.

 

Extra Credit. From time to time there will be a 1-point extra credit question asked just before the end of class. These will be open-notebook, short answer questions. The goal is to encourage you to attend classes and to take decent notes. These extra points will be added onto your score on the next exam.

 

Grading system: Homework: 10%. Each midterm: 20%. Final exam: 30%. The final course grade will then be based on a to-be-determined curve. But students who average less than 50% correct answers should expect to fail the course.

 

 


APPROXIMATE COURSE SCHEDULE

VISIONS OF THE UNIVERSE

ISP 205, SECTION 1, FALL 2001

 

Chapter numbers from the text are indicated in square brackets….  [8,9] means the material is covered in chapters 8 and 9, etc. The midterms and final will be on the material actually covered in the lectures, but the lectures usually will be on material found in the book.

 

1.  Background: The Laws of Physics.

Aug 27,29. The size of the Universe. The scientific method, “laws” in physics, the four forces [Prologue].

Sept 3,5. Laws of motion: Ptolemy, Copernicus, Kepler, Newton [1,2].

Sept 10,12. Radiation and spectra [4]. Telescopes [5].

Sept 17. MIDTERM  

2. The Solar System: Exploring the Planets.

Sept 19. The solar system [6 briefly]. Earth as a planet [7]. The seasons, tides, phases of moon [3].

Sept 24,26. The Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars [8,9].

Oct 1,3. The giant planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune) [10]. Rings, moons and Pluto [11]

Oct. 8 Comets and asteroids [12]. The origin of the Solar System [13].  

Oct 10. MIDTERM

3. How Stars Work, and Where the Chemical Elements Came From.

Oct. 15,17. The Sun: an example of a star [15.1,15.2,15.3], The surface of the sun [14].

Oct 22,24. Analyzing starlight [16.2,16.3].Types of stars [17.2,17.4], The evolution and death of stars [21,22].

Oct 29, 31. The birth of stars & the search for planets [20]. Search for life elsewhere [Epilogue].

Nov 5. MIDTERM

4. The Universe: Where Did It Come From & Where Is It Going?

Nov 7. Our Galaxy (the Milky Way) [18.2,18.3,24].

Nov 12,14. Other galaxies [25]. Quasars and active galaxies [26].

Nov 19,21.        General Relativity [23].

Nov 26.             Cosmology… the nature and evolution of the universe [27,28].

Nov 28. THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY

Dec 3,5. Finish up cosmology. Review.  

Dec 10: FINAL EXAM