TuTh, 8:30-9:50, Room 1410 Biomedical Physical Sciences Bldg.
The Integrative Studies courses are intended to illustrate and explore the methods, results, and limitations of scientific inquiry. ISP 205 uses astronomy as the science example. It takes non-science majors through an outline of what we do (and don’t) know about the universe on size scales from planets on up, and of what sorts of thinking has led us to these concepts. 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: Professor Jack Baldwin, Room 3270 Biomedical Physical Sciences Bldg. (BPS),
Phone 355-9200, ext. 2411 (baldwin@pa.msu.edu)
Office hours: 11-12 Monday, 2:30-3:30 Thursday, or by appointment.
Teaching Assistant: Sam Hariri (haririsa@msu.edu). Office hour: 4–5 Tuesday in the Strosacker Learning Center (room 1248 of the BPS Building).
Web site: http://www.pa.msu.edu/courses/isp205/sec-1/ contains a copy of this syllabus plus some useful links, and will hold announcements, grade curves, etc in the future.
Text: “THE ESSENTIAL COSMIC PERSPECTIVE (4th EDITION)” by Bennett, Donahue, Schneider & Voit.
Clickers: You must have an “i>Clicker” brand clicker. You should immediately register your clicker ID number at www.iclicker.com/registration; when filling out the form at that website, enter your MSU net ID (the part of your MSU email address before “@msu.edu”) where you are asked for “Student ID”. Then always bring the clicker to class with you. You should use only your own clicker, and nobody else should use your clicker for you.
In-class questions: There will be questions to answer during the class sessions. Sometimes these will be multiple-choice questions which you will answer with your clicker, and sometimes they will be open-notebook, short-answer questions which you must answer on paper. The goals are to encourage you to pay attention and to take decent notes, as well as for me to find out if I am getting the information across to you. You should always have a blank sheet of paper in class with you, and starting with the third week, also a working clicker. It will not be possible to make up these questions if you miss the class in which they are asked, but I will drop the lowest 20% of your scores, plus sessions missed due to certified (note from doctor) medical emergencies, or for religious holidays for which you have given me advance notice.
Homework. Homework assignments will be announced in class from time to time. You will complete them using the web-based ANGEL system. I do not accept late homework assignments.
Midterms: 3 Midterms, each for the full class period, on Sept. 18, Oct. 16 and Nov 8.
Final exam: The final exam will be held at the assigned place and time for this course. The time is Monday, Dec. 10, 8-10 PM (WARNING: the time this exam is given in the COMMON FINAL EXAM SCHEDULE, which appears at the bottom of the MSU final-exams web page). The location will be revealed late in the semester. About 2/3 of the questions will be from the material covered after the third midterm, but the other 1/3 will cover the rest (first 3 parts) of the course.
Grading
system: Homework: 5%. In-class questions: 5%. Each midterm: 20%.
Final exam: 30%. The final course grade will then be based on a
to-be-determined curve. But the following grade scale is guaranteed:
0.0 - 0.0% to 47.5%, 1.0 - 47.5% to 55.0%, 1.5 - 55.0% to 62.0%, 2.0 - 62.0% to
68.0%, 2.5 - 68.0% to 76.0%, 3.0 - 76.0% to 83.0%, 3.5 - 83.0% to 90.0%, 4.0 -
90.0% and above.
The actual scale may be curved from these values, but it will not be raised. For example, you are guaranteed to get a 4.0 if your score is above 90%, no matter what.
Academic Integrity. Exams: closed-book, closed-notes, no cell-phones, calculators or other electronic devices permitted, no talking, eyes on your own work only. Bring photo-ID to all exams. Homework: it’s OK to get help from others, but it should be you sitting at your computer typing in the answers. In-class Questions: You are encouraged to talk with your neighbors about the answers, but nobody else is permitted to write out or click in an answer for you. Nor you for anybody else. Failure to meet these standards: Grade 0.0 for assignment/exam in question, or possibly for entire course depending on circumstances.
Revised Oct. 24, changes highlighted in yellow.
This schedule is subject to change.
Chapter numbers from the text are indicated in square brackets…. [8] means the material is covered in chapter 8 of the textbook, [2.4] means it is covered in section 2.4, 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 28, 30. The size of the Universe. [1] The laws of motion: Epicycles [2.4]; Ptolemy, Copernicus, Kepler [3.1 è 3.3]. The scientific method, “laws” in physics, [3.4].
Sept 4,6. The laws of motion: Newton [4]. Radiation and spectra [5].
Sept 11,13. Radiation and spectra [5]. Telescopes [5]
Sept 18. MIDTERM
2. The Solar System: Exploring the Planets.
Sept 20. The solar system [6.1].
Sept 25, 27. Earth as a planet, The Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars [7].
Oct 2,4. The giant planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune). Moons and rings [8].
Oct. 9,11. Comets, asteroids and Pluto [9]. The origin of the Solar System [6.2è6.4].
Oct 16. MIDTERM
3. How Stars Work, and Where the Chemical Elements Came From.
Oct 18. Planets around other stars [6.5]. Search for life elsewhere [18].
Oct 23,25. The Sun: an example of a star [10].
Oct 30. Analyzing starlight, the types of stars [11].
Nov 1. The evolution and death of stars [12,13].
Nov 6. Our Galaxy (the Milky Way) [14]
Nov 8. MIDTERM (THIS IS A THURSDAY)
4. The Universe: Where Did It Come From & Where Is It Going?
Nov 13,15. Other galaxies, evolution of galaxies [15].
Nov 20. Cosmology… the nature and evolution of the universe [16,17].
Nov. 22 THANKSGIVING
Nov. 27,29 More cosmology.
Dec 4,6. Finish up cosmology. Review.