The class will meet on M, W and Th, 10:30-11:35 am in 310 Behrakis.
In addition to the office hours given above, I am generally available
when I am in my office. You can just drop by, or you may contact me after class, telephone or send email to arrange a definite time.
final exam
The final exam is scheduled for Wednesday, 16 December from 8:00 - 10:00 am. The room will be announced later.
The final exam will cover the work of the entire semester.
Announcements
New announcements will appear in this space from time to time. Please check this page at least once or twice a week.
(11/20) As announced on class, the third hour exam will be on Thursday, 3 December, covering
chapters 8 - 9. Like the previous exams, it will be a mix of multiple choice questions and
numerical problems. The numerical problems will be 25-30 percent of the exam.
(11/12) An outline of the syllabus for the rest of the term is posted on the
assignment page.
More details and practice quizzes will appear soon. The third hour exam will be on
either Wednesday, December 2 or Thursday, December 3.
(11/6) A formula sheet is on the web site. There will be copies available
in class the day of the exam, but do print out a copy now if you can. [This link was inadvertently not
made available on the web site until Sunday evening. Sorry for the inconvenience.
(10/28) As announced on class, the second hour exam will be on Monday, 9 November, covering
chapters 5 - 7. Like the first exam, it will be a mix of multiple choice questions and
numerical problems. The numerical problems will be 25-30 percent of the exam.
(10/6) The
assignment page has been updated, but detailed assignments will be posted later.
(10/6) You should remember the conversion factors
1 kg = 2.2 lb and 1 in = 2.54 cm (exactly)
(10/4) As announced on class, the first hour exam will be on Thursday, 8 October. You may
use simple calculators (no stored material), and the formula sheet here
(there will be copies available in class the day of the exam).
(9/26) The
assignment
and practice quiz for chapter 3 have been posted. Note that the time
allotted to chapter 2 has been limited to week 3, though we will not finish chapter 2 until next Monday.
We will then go on to chapter 3, which we will continue into week 5, before the exam.
(9/25) The first hour exam will be on Thursday, October 8. It will cover the first three chapters as well as
the discussions of the solar system in class (see also ch. 17).
This course is an introduction to science, and how it is used to understand the world around us,
as well as the universe beyond our planet, and the microscopic world of atoms and molecules that
we cannot see directly. The emphasis in the course will be on the ideas and experimental facts
that underlie scientific knowledge, but we will also deal with fairly simple quantitative
(numerical) problems.
Textbook
The textbook for the course is
The Physical Universe, by Konrad B. Krauskopf and Arthur
Beiser, 13th edition, McGraw-Hill (2009)
All the reading assignments below are from this book. In this course
we will cover approximately the first twelve chapters of the book,
with some scattered assignments from the rest of the book.
(Note.
You might want to compare prices on Amazon or elsewhere online with those at the NU bookstore before
you buy.)
Reading Assignments, Homework and Notes
You should try to read the assignments before class -- it will be much easier to follow the discussion in class
if you have read the book ahead of time. The first assignment is
You should also read the beginning of ch. 17 (pp.639-643) with special attention to the
figure (17-1) on p.643; also read the discussion of the phases of the Moon and
eclipses on pp. 672-676. There is more detail about the solar system in chapter 17 --
this is a good time to read it if you are interested, but we will not go into such
detail in this course -- just pay attention to what is covered ion the lectures.
Note that further assignments will be found on the
assignment page.
On the assignment page will also be a list of important concepts
from each chapter which you should review and understand.
Exams
There will be three one-hour exams during the term, and
a two-hour final exam at the end of the course. The tentative date for first
test is October 8. Other dates will be announced as we go along.
Grading
I will compute your course average in three ways:
Method A -- Each exam will count 21 percent of the grade, and
the final exam 40 percent.
Method B -- Each exam will count 25 percent of the grade, and
the final exam 25 percent.
Method C -- The best two of your three exams will each count
25 percent of the grade, and the final exam 50 percent.
Your final average will be the higher of the three numbers computed.
I will decide precisely how this numerical average is translated into a letter
grade will be fixed at the end of the term, but two points are
fixed -- an average of 60 will be a C- or perhaps a C, and an average
of 90 will be an A. Students with an average below 60, will be reviewed with special attention to
attendance, consistency, and a detailed look at the final exam.
Final Remark
This is a course where you should enjoy the science, and work hard to
understand what it is all about. If you can focus on that, the grade will take care of itself. Do your best.