Homework Assignments:
May 9
- Study for the final exam.
- CAREFULLY fill out your scantron form before you come to the final
exam. There could be a severe penalty if you don't have your RedID filled
in correctly (or dark enough). Do not use a bent or crumpled ParSCORE
scantron form - if the machine can't read it, you earn no points on the
final exam.
- See Class News for details about the final exam.
May 7
Read Ch 17
May 5
Read Ch 15 and 16
Apr 30
- Carefully fill out your scantron form before you come to the exam.
- Study for Exam #4 on Friday.
- Written Homework #5 due
Wednesday May 7th:
. Ch 12 #34
. Ch 13 #28
. Ch 14 #27
. Ch 15 #37
. Ch 16 #27
. Ch 17 #27
- Extra credit: Ch 14 Q #46 - show all work in full detail; explain
every step.
- Over the weekend: Read Chapter 16 & 17
Apr 28
Read Chapter 15
Apr 25
Review Chapters 5 and 10-13 for exam #4 on Friday.
Apr 23
- Read Ch 14
- Examine & explore NASA's SpaceWeather.com website
- Observe the sky: Try to find the constellation Orion, visible at sunset
far in the west. Notice how much it has moved since January. Look at
Sirius and note that it is the brightest star in the sky - except for the
sun!
Apr 21
Examine/explore NASA's SpaceWeather.com website
Read Ch 13.
Apr 18
- Written Homework #4: Due Wednesday Apr 16
Chapter 10 Q# 45, 46 ; Chapter 11 #48
Note: Typo in Ch 11 #48: the Temperature is 9400 K, not the
diameter!
- Read Chapter 12.
- Examine/explore NASA's SpaceWeather.com website
(There is a link on the main class web page).
Apr 15
Finish reading Ch 11
Review Ch 5
April 14
Review Ch 10 "Our Sun"
Begin reading Ch 11 "Surveying the Stars"
April 7
- Study for Exam #3.
- Examine/explore/read the following websites:
NASA/JPL's NEO FAQs
NASA's Mars Program
March 28 - April 4 (Spring Break)
Carefully review Ch 5.2 "Thermal Radiation" p 117-119
Read Ch 10 "Our Sun"
Study for Exam #3 on Friday April 11th.
March 26
Finish Chapter 9 "Asteroids, Comets, and Dwarf Planets"
Review extrasolar planets in Ch 6.
March 24
Begin reading Chapter 9 "Asteroids, Comets, and Dwarf Planets"
Review extrasolar planets in Ch 6.
Mar 21
Read Chapter 8 "Jovian Planet Systems".
March 19
Carefully explore and examine the material on the Mars Exploration
Rover website. There will be questions on the next exam taken
specifically from this website.
March 14
Study for Exam #2 on Monday
Fill out your scantron form before class. Double check the form for
accuracy.
March 12
Fill out and bring your ParSCORE Enrollment form to class on Friday.
This is exam #002, Test Form A. Save time on the exam - fill out your
scantron ahead of time. Don't lose points - fill out your scantron form
accurately. Be particularly careful when filling out your Red ID. Don't
add an extra digit - leave the last column blank.
Do not used a crumped or bent scantron form. This is the same
scantron form as last time: the large Enrollment form.
Study for Exam #2 on Monday
Try to observe the Moon and Mars next to each other tonight.
March 10
Explore the NASA MESSENGER mission to Mercury website.
Try to observe the Moon and Mars next to each other on the 14th.
March 6
Explore the NASA website: www.nasa.gov
March 3
Read Chapter 7 (finish Ch 7)
Written Homework #3: Due Wednesday Mar 12
Ch 5: Multi-choice # 32, 33, 35, 36
Ch 5 #39, 41, 43, 50b, 51, 52 [SHOW ALL WORK]
Ch 6: Multi-choice # 36, 37
Ch 6: # 53 and compare with the semi-major axis of Mercury [SHOW ALL
WORK]
How fast is 73 km/s in miles per hour? [SHOW ALL WORK]
Ch 7: Multi-choice #37 {40, 41, 42}
Reminder: For problems that require calculations, you must show all work - giving just the answer will get no
credit. The grading depends on the method as much as the final
answer.
Homework is due at the start of class;
do not hand in homework once the lecture begins. Wait until the
lecture is over. If you interrupt the lecture, your homework will not be
accepted.
Feb 29
Begin reading Chapter 7.
Try to answer questions 30-44 in Chapter 5.
Feb 27
Read Ch 6.3-6.5 (finish Ch 6)
Feb 25
Read Ch 6.1-6.2
Feb 20
- Study for Exam #1 on Friday.
- Try to observe the total lunar eclipse tonight.
Feb 18
- Study for Exam #1 on Friday.
- Fill out your ParSCORE Enrollment scantron form before the exam.
Carefully enter your information - errors will cause a delay in
grading the exams and will cost you 1 point per error.
Feb 15
- Study for Exam #1 on Friday.
- You need a pink ParSCORE
Enrollment form (the big 6"x11" version), pencils
and eraser.
- Fill out your ParSCORE scantron form before the exam. See "Class News and
Information" for instructions. Be sure to put your Red ID on both
sides. (Don't enter your phone number - I don't want it!)
Carefully enter your information - errors will cause a delay in
grading the exams and will cost you 1 point per error.
- Reminder: Written HW #2 due on Monday. All written homework must be
typed and multiple pages stapled together.
Feb 13
- Read Chapter 5.2 (finish Chapter 5).
Feb 11
Read Ch 4.4 (finish Ch 4) and read Ch 5.1
Observe the waxing Moon go from crescent to full over the next 2
weeks.
Written Homework #2 - Extra Credit (due Monday Feb
18):
- 3. What time does the waxing crescent moon set?
- 4. Observe the Sky: Sketch the Moon in the sky, and include
Orion, Sirius, and Mars on either Feb 13, 14, 15, or 16. Give the date and
time. Make sure the shape and orientation of the Moon is correct. (You
don't need to be an artist - just an approximate sketch is fine.)
Feb 8
- Written Homework #2 (due Monday Feb 18):
1. Explain the meaning of "Occam's Razor".
2. What time does the first quarter moon set? You don't need to observe
the sky - just figure it out. But if you want to, check your answer by
actually looking at the Moon phases.
Textbook Questions:
Chapter 3 Questions # 26, 41
Chapter 4 Questions # 28, 35, 39
Feb 6
- Read Ch 4.2 and 4.3
- Feb 7 is the new moon. Notice the waxing phases of the Moon over the
next 2 weeks. Pay attention to the shape and the position of the Moon in
the sky with respect to the Sun, the time, the horizon, and stars like
Rigel and Betelgeuse.
Feb 4
- Think! Think about why we have seasons, and phases of the moon. You
cannot learn these from reading a book - you need to think about what
is going on.
- Review Chapters 2 and 3.
- Read Chapter 4.1
Feb 1
- Read Chapter 3.2, 3.3, 3.4 (finish Ch 3)
- Written HW #1 due on Monday.
- If you are having trouble with the observational part of the homework,
see the "Class News and Information" web page for some hints. In general,
frequently check the News and Info page. Also, don't forget to make use of
the Astronomy Help Room.
Jan 30
Read Ch 2.4 and 3.1
Attend the planetarium show if possible
Written Homework #1 (due Monday Feb 4;
homework must be typed):
Textbook Questions:
- Ch 1, Q: #11
- Ch 2, Q: #1, 4, 9, 27, 31, 33
Observe the Sky Questions:
Look carefully at the stars Sirius, Betelgeuse, and Rigel, and the planet
Mars.
1. What colors are these bodies? Report the time and date of your
observation and the whether each object is near the zenith, near the
meridian, near the horizon, or somewhere in between.
2. Which appears brighter, Mars or Betelgeuse?
3. Which twinkles more, Mars or Betelgeuse?
Note: Do NOT copy from the textbook or anywhere else!
Do not try to look up this answer! This will result in automatically
failing this homework and possibly failing the course. For the
observational part of the homework, do not look up the answer on a book
or on-line - you must look atthe sky and report what you see. This
part of the homework should only take about 5 minutes once you know where
the stars and Jupiter are.
For the problems that require calculations, you must show all work -
giving just the answer will get no credit. The grade will be based on
the method, not just just the answer. You do not have to type out any
calculations, but be very neat.
Jan 28
- Read Ch 2.2, 2.3
- Attend planetarium show if possible. Be sure to reserve a spot a
head of time and sign in. See Class News and Info web page for
detail.
- Find the stars Rigel and Betelgeuse in Orion, and Sirius in Canis Major.
Also find Mars (between the horns of Taurus). For those who want a
challenge, try to find Saturn in Leo.
Jan 25
- Read textbook Ch 1.3 (finish Ch 1) and Ch 2.1
- Sometime during the next few days, use the star charts in the
appendix of the book to find the constellation Orion.
Orion is easily visible at around 9 pm, overhead and somewhat
towards the south. Notice the colors of the stars.
- Try to find the star Sirius (in the constellation Canis Major - the big
dog). It should be easy to find because Sirius is the brightest star
visible from Earth (besides the Sun!). Near Sirius is the constellation
Orion with many bright stars. Try to locate the stars Betelgeuse and Rigel
in Orion. Note: Much better star charts can be found on-line. Follow
the links on our class website.
Jan 23
- Read the textbook Ch 1.1 - 1.2
- Examine all of the textbook to know what's in there and what we'll be
covering this semester. Be sure to look at the appendicies.
- Look at the sky througout the semester! Notice the position of the Moon,
planets, and stars. Several homework assignments will require you to
observe the sky.
- Tonight is one night past a full Moon. Notice where is it in the sky at
the time you're looking. It is high in the sky or near the horizon?
- Read, explore, and bookmark the class WWWeb site:
http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/classes/ASTR101/astr101.html
Homework must be typed, though numerical problems can be
hand-written. Multiple pages must be stapled together.
Homework is due at the start of class.
If you come in late, do not interrupt class to hand in your homework - put
it on the table quietly.
You can turn in your homework after class, but do not interrupt the
lecture or you lose points on your homework.
Grading Policy:
Written homework assignments are graded on a credit/half-credit scale.
On rare occasions, a homework will earn only 1/4 credit. This is still
better than not turning in the homework.
Remember that the homework counts as 20% of your course grade, as much as
the exams and the final! Be sure to put in enough effort to earn that
20%. Poor homework grades are the number one reason for poor grades in
the course.
Homework that is one class last will be accepted for partial credit.
Show all work when doing calculations. Just writing down
the answer is insufficient and unacceptable.
Showing your work allows me to give partial credit if the
numerical values are incorrect and it is the only way to see how you are doing
the problem (i.e. the method). All material submitted for a grade must be
written in proper English, at a level appropriate for a college course. Write
complete and full sentences for all questions that are not purely mathematical
in nature.
Reminder: Committing plagiarism is a VERY serious offense.
``... an appropriate penalty, even severance from the University and in some
cases revocation of an advanced degree,...'' (from SDSU's General
Catalog). Plagiarism and cheating are at the top of the list of reasons
for expulsion, suspension and probation of students.
Fraud and stealing is not taken lightly. Don't throw away all the effort, time,
and money you spent going to college (this or any other one) by plagiarizing
someone else's work. It is just not worth the risk. You almost certainly will
get caught - just as it is so easy to steal material off the WWWeb, it is sooo
easy to get caught. It requires just a few keystrokes to check your project and
homework for plagiarism. And there is no time limit - semesters later, or even
years later, the crime is just as serious (in fact, usually more so - you can
lose your degree, job, career!).
Take a look at the
SDSU Academic Dishonesty Incident Form (in .pdf format).
Plagiarism is theft. If you copy more than 4 words in a row from
any source (including the textbook) and do not reference that source, you
may be committing plagiarism.
Simple Rule: If in doubt, quote the source.