physics & astronomy syllabus: sci 238 – introductory ... · physics & astronomy syllabus:...

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PHYSICS&ASTRONOMYSYLLABUS:SCI238–INTRODUCTORYASTRONOMYWinter2016Tue&Thur4:00-5:20DC1351

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CONTACTINFORMATION:

• Instructor:o MikeHudsono Email:mjhudson@uwaterloo.ca(putSCI238insubjectline)o Officehours:Wed3:30-4:30inPHYS252oremailforappointment

• TAs:o BrittonJeterbjeter@uwaterloo.ca o HarisahMehmoodpathlocator@ymail.com o ChiamakaOkolic2okoli@uwaterloo.ca o FaerlinPulidocapulid@uwaterloo.ca

COURSEDESCRIPTION:

AsurveycourseinastronomyintendedforMathematics,EngineeringandSciencestudents.Thesolarsystem,theSunandplanets,stars,theMilkyWay,galaxiesandcosmology.

[Note:StudentswithastrongbackgroundinPhysicsandMathematicsshouldconsiderPHYS175insteadofSCI238.Offered:W,S]

Antireq:PHYS175,SCI237

PREREQUISITES:

• SomebackgroundinbasicPhysics(e.g.HighSchoolorPHYS1xxlevelcourseatUWaterloo).o StudentswithweakbackgroundinPhysicsshouldconsiderSCI237.

LEARNINGOBJECTIVES:

• ConceptualandquantitativeunderstandingofthemajorcomponentsoftheUniverse,theirevolutionandinteractions.

• ApplicationofbasicprinciplesofPhysicstotheabove.• UnderstandinghowweknowwhatweknowabouttheUniverse.

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RESOURCES:

• Textbook:o CosmicPerspectiveFundamentals(2ndEdition)byJ.Bennett,etal.

§ ThisisashorterversionofCosmicPerspective(alsobyBennett,etal.)§ ThefirsteditionofCosmicPerspectiveFundamentalsshouldcontainmostbut

possiblynotallofthematerial.Editionsofthe(full)CosmicPerspectivecontainmorematerialthan“Fundamentals”.Thesemayalsohavedifferentchapterandproblemnumbering.Ifyouuseanyoftheseothereditions,youareresponsibleforanymissingmaterial.

o Onecopyofthe2ndeditionofFundamentalswillbeheldonone-hourreserveintheDavisLibrary,callnumberUWD1530.

o WewillNOTbeusingtheonlineMasteringAstronomyforcredit.• Clickers:

o Thisclasswilluseclickersforin-classquestions• Calculators:

o Only“Bluegoggle”,”Pinktie”or“Yellowhardhat”calculatorswillbepermittedformidtermandfinalexams.

TOPICS:

1. IntroductiontotheUniverse(2lectures)2. Naked-eyeastronomy:Motionsoftheearth,moonandplanets;thehistoricaldevelopmentof

astronomy(3lectures)3. TheSolarSystem(3lectures)4. Extra-solarplanets(1lecture)5. Stars:theSun,observationalproperties,thestructureofastar,stellarevolution(3lectures)6. Deathofstars:supernovaeandblackholes(2lectures)7. OurGalaxy,theMilkyWay:structure,theinterstellarmedium,starformation,darkmatterhalo

(2lectures)8. BeyondourGalaxy:galaxies,quasars,etc.(2lectures)9. Cosmology:theoriesoftheUniverse(theBigBang)(3lectures)10. Extraterrestriallife(1lecture,iftimepermits)

ASSESSMENT:

• ReadingAssignmentsandQuizzes:o Therewillbeweeklyreadingassignmentsfromthecoursetextbook.Theseassignments

anddeadlineswillpostedontheSCI238LEARNpageaswegoalong,andassessedbymultiple-choicequizzesconductedwithinLEARN.Notethatmanyofthemultiple-choicequestionswillbe“recycled”inthemidtermandfinalexams.Bytheendofthecourse,thesereadingassignmentswillhavecoveredmostofthetextbook.

• “Clicker”questions:o Inmostlectures,therewillbeclickerquestions,basedonthereadingassignmentsor

conceptspresentedinclass.• Films:

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o Therewillbesomefilmsshowninthiscourse.MaterialpresentedinfilmsispartofthecourseandthereWILLbequestionsaskedinin-classquizzesandontheexamsonthismaterial.

• Assignments:o Therewillbeseveralproblemsetstodooverthecourseoftheterm.Moreinfoon

assignmentstandards.• ObservingProject:

o Optional(seegradingschemesbelow).• ObservingtheNightSky:

o IwillarrangeforobservingsessionsusingthetelescopesontheroofofthePhysicsbuilding.Atpresent,itisintendedthatthesesessionswillbeoptional.Notethattherearealsopublicobservingnights.

Gradingscheme

Scheme1 Scheme2

Clicker/inclass 5 5 Mostlectures

Onlinequizzes 5 5 Approx.weekly

Assignments 15 15 Approx.8overtheterm

ObservingProject - 15 Dueatendofterm

Midterm 25 20 TueFeb23Tentative:tobeconfirmed

Final 50 40 DateTBA

Total 100 100

• Latesubmission:Penaltyforassignmentsupto1daylate:25%ofthemaximumpossiblegrade.Nocreditforassignmentslaterthanaday.

• Missedassignments,midtermsorexams:BringVerificationofIllnessForms(VIF)within48hoursoftheendofillnesstoScienceUndergraduateOffice(SUO)forverificationandfiling.TheSUOwillthennotifymeautomatically.

• Assignmentswillbereturnedinclass.AssignmentsnotpickedupinclasswillbeleftforcollectionoutsidePHY252fortwoweeks.Ifyoudonotwishyouruncollectedassignment(s)leftforcollection,pleasecontactmeinadvance.

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ACADEMICINTEGRITY:

• AcademicIntegrity:Inordertomaintainacultureofacademicintegrity,membersoftheUniversityofWaterloocommunityareexpectedtopromotehonesty,trust,fairness,respectandresponsibility.TheOfficeofAcademicIntegrityprovidesrelevantinformationforstudents,facultyandstaff.Studentsareexpectedtoknowwhatconstitutesacademicintegrity,toavoidcommittingacademicoffences,andtotakeresponsibilityfortheiractions.CompletionoftheOrientationtoAcademicIntegrityTutorialisencouragedandfamiliaritywithPolicy#71,(StudentDiscipline)isexpected.Studentswhoareunsurewhetheranactionconstitutesanoffence,orneedhelpinlearninghowtoavoidoffences(e.g.,plagiarism,cheating)orunderstand‘rules’forgroupwork/collaborationshouldseekguidancefromtheircourseinstructor,academicadvisor,ortheAssociateDeanofScienceforUndergraduateStudies.ForinformationontypicalPolicy71penalties,studentsshouldcheckGuidelinesfortheAssessmentofPenalties.

• Grievance:Students,whobelievethatadecisionaffectingsomeaspectoftheiruniversitylifehasbeenunfairorunreasonable,mayhavegroundsforinitiatingagrievance.StudentsshouldreadPolicy#70,StudentPetitionsandGrievances,Section4.Whenindoubt,studentsmustcontactthedepartmental/schooladministrativeassistantwhowillprovidefurtherassistance.

• Appeals:AdecisionorpenaltyimposedunderPolicy33(EthicalBehavior),grievancesunderPolicy#70(StudentPetitionsandGrievances)orPolicy#71(StudentDiscipline)maybeappealed,ifthereisaground.Petitionsmaynotbeappealed.StudentswhobelievetheyhaveagroundforanappealshouldrefertoPolicy#72(StudentAppeals).

COURSERULES/CONSIDERATIONS:

• ExamPeriodTravel:o TheexamperiodisApril8throughApril23.TheexactSCI238examdatewillbe

announcedinmid-February.o Notethatstudenttravelplansarenotconsideredacceptablegroundsforgrantingan

alternativeexaminationtime.• StudentswithDisabilities:

o AccessAbilityServices,locatedinNeedlesHall,Room1132,collaborateswithallacademicdepartmentstoarrangeappropriateaccommodationsforstudentswithdisabilitieswithoutcompromisingtheacademicintegrityofthecurriculum.Ifstudentsrequireacademicaccommodationstolessentheimpactoftheirdisability,theyshouldregisterwithAccessAbilityServicesatthebeginningofeachacademicterm.

• ChangestoCourseOutlineso Revisedcourseoutlineswillbeposted/provided,ifcoursedetailschange(e.g.,topics

covered,emphasisoncertaintopics,etc.)o Courseelementsthatwillnotchangearethe:

§ Gradingschemes§ Courseelementsrelatedtoevaluation