Instructor: Dr.
Ringwald E-mail: ringwald[at]csufresno.edu and replace [at] with @
|
Phone: 278-8426 |
Office hours: MTWF 1-2, T 12-1
Office: McLane Hall, Room 11, in the new Building J (or "J-wing").
This is across the outdoor "hall" from McLane 149 and 151.
You don't need an appointment to come in during office hours. This
is time set aside for you, when I will be in.
Class objectives:
(1) To serve that most essential purpose of a good education: to
deprovincialize you, by showing what lies beyond the horizon, in space and
in time.
"The purpose of education is to free the student from the tyrrany of the
present." - Cicero
(2) To encourage a sense of awe, wonder, and curiosity about the Universe,
to foster an appreciation for the beauty of physical law. If you have
no other adventures in your life, then this will be it!
(3) To promote student understanding of scientific method, emphasizing how
we know what we know, and what we don't know.
(4) To practice critical thinking and reasoning skills, and to provide
experience with quantitative reasoning and graphics, all useful both in
and outside of science.
(5) To give students practice in crucial life skills, including making
full use of opportunities, thinking for themselves while at the same time
following directions, paying attention to detail, and many more.
Lecture meeting times and location:
Schedule 37262 (Section 03): MWF 12-12:50 p.m., McLane 162.
Students
must also register separately for labs: see
below. Astronomy labs start on the third week of class, on
September 9, 10, or 11.
Holidays: September 2 (Labor Day), November 27-29 (Thanksgiving)
Required Course Texts:
(1) In Quest of the Universe (3rd
edition), by Karl F. Kuhn and Theo Koupelis (2001), which I'll refer to as
Kuhn.
(2) The Science Class You Wish You Had, by David E. Brody and Arnold R.
Brody, which I'll refer to as Brody.
(3) The Stars, A New Way to See Them, by H. A. Rey
(4) The blue PSci 21 Lab Manual, by S. White and F. A. Ringwald
(5) PSci 21 Class Notes, by F. A. Ringwald
(6) The Elements of Style, by W. Strunk Jr. and E. B. White
All should be available at the campus Bookstore, in the University Student
Union building.
Required Course Equipment:
(1) a looseleaf binder, for your
Class Notes;
(2) a clear plastic ruler;
(3) a flashlight
(preferably with a red filter for night vision);
(4) a scientific
calculator (that has scientific notation, and can calculate logarithmic
and exponential functions);
(5) a star wheel (also called a
planisphere), available at the campus Bookstore for about $3 as a paper
"Edmund Scientific Star and Planet Locator." Better plastic star wheels
are available at the Downing Planetarium store (open 7-9 p.m. Fridays, and
2-4 p.m. Saturdays), or from Sky
Publishing.
Course web page:
http://zimmer.csufresno.edu/~fringwal/psci21.html. Better bookmark
this one!
The textbook's web page is at:
http://www.jbpub.com/StarLinks/home.htm . It includes links,
questions, updates, and animations.
Course grades will be awarded for the following final
percentages:
85.0-100% = A; 70.0-84.9% = B; 55.0-69.9% = C; 40.0-54.9% = D; 0-39.9%
= F.
These percentages will be computed with the following weights:
1% 5% 2% 2% 5% |
[1] The Math exercise, due Friday, September 6. [2] The Number Line of the Cosmic Calendar, due Friday, September 20. [3] Constellation Study Sheet, due Friday, October 25. [4] The Moon Phases and Eclipses exercise, due Friday, November 1. [5] The Paper Titles and 100-to-250-word Summaries (see the Writing Guide), two copies of which are due Monday, November 25. 15%
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| the lower of which will be dropped, tentatively scheduled for Friday, September 27 and Friday, November 8. 15%
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| 20%
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| two copies of which are due Wednesday, December 11, the last day of instruction for this class. 35%
|
| which will be comprehensive (covering all material in the entire course), on December 18 from 1:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. in the regular classroom (McLane 162). |
TENTATIVE Course Schedule (updated 2002 July 11).
Always do the readings before class:
Week | M | W | F | Read by Monday of next week |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 8/26: Introduction & class syllabus | 8/28: Powers of Ten, Scientific Notation, Metric System (Kuhn Prologue) | 8/30: Units Conversions, The Light-Year, Look-Back Time (Kuhn Prologue) | Kuhn Prologue (pages 2-13); Class Notes pages 1-57; and this entire syllabus. |
2 | 9/02: Holiday | 9/04: Proportions; A Brief Tour of Space and Time and your "Ultimate Address" (Kuhn Prologue) | 9/06: The Cosmic Calendar (Kuhn Prologue); Homework 1 due (The math exercise: see Class Notes pages iii-iv) | Kuhn 1; Rey, pages 9-35, 66-72, 108-121, & 127-135; Class Notes pages 58-89. |
3 | 9/09: The Cosmic Calendar, part 2 | 9/11: Amateurs in astronomy; Classical astronomy and seasons (Kuhn 1, Rey); Video, "A Private Universe" | 9/13: Classical astronomy (continued); Scientific Method (Kuhn P-1, 1-3, 1-4) | Kuhn 2 & 3; Brody Introduction and Chapters 1, 2, & 3; Class Notes pages 90-98. |
4 | 9/16: Scientific Method (Brody Introduction; Kuhn P-1, 1-3, 1-4); | 9/18: Motion, from Copernicus to Galileo (Kuhn 2; Brody 1 & 2) | 9/20: Motion, from Galileo to Newton (Kuhn 3; Brody 3); Homework 2 due (Cosmic Calendar number line: see Class Notes pages v-vi) | Re-read the Class Notes pages 1-98; Lab I; Rey's book; Brody Chapters 1-3; Kuhn, Prologue and Chapters 1-3. |
5 | 9/23: More on motion and physics (Kuhn 3) | 9/25: Review | 9/27: Mid-Term Exam 1, covering the Class Notes pages 1-98; Lab I; Rey's book; Brody Chapters 1-3; Kuhn, Prologue and Chapters 1-3. | Kuhn 4; Brody 4 & 5; Class Notes pages 99-105. |
6 | 9/30: Atoms, Light, and Spectra (Kuhn 4; Brody 4 & 5) | 10/02: The e/m spectrum (Kuhn 4) | 10/04: Video, ``Infrared: More Than Meets the Eye''; Blackbody radiation (Kuhn 4); The Doppler effect (Kuhn 4-7) | Kuhn 5; Class Notes pages 106-114. |
7 | 10/07: Telescopes (refractors vs. reflectors)(Kuhn 5) | 10/09: Telescopes (aperture, resolution, & magnification)(Kuhn 5) | 10/11: CCDs, eyes, and cameras (Kuhn 5) | Kuhn 7; the Orion catalogs, pages 6, 37 [right], 57 [right], & 75; Class Notes, 115-117. |
8 | 10/14: Small telescopes (Kuhn 5 & the Orion catalog) | 10/16: The Solar System (Kuhn 7) | 10/18: The Solar System (continuted); Extra-solar planets (Kuhn 7-7) | Kuhn 6; Brody 15; Rey, pages 136-138; Class Notes pages 118-142. |
9 | 10/21: Planet Earth (Kuhn 6-5 and Brody 15) | 10/23: Moon phases & eclipses (Kuhn 6-2, 6-3, 6-4, and Rey, pages 136-138) | 10/25: The Earth's Moon (Kuhn 6); Homework 3 due (The Constellation Study Sheet: see Class Notes, page vii) | Kuhn 8 & 9; Class Notes pages 143-153. |
10 | 10/28: Mars (Kuhn 8) | 10/30: Mercury, Venus, atmospheres (Kuhn 8) | 11/01: The Outer Solar System (Kuhn 9); Homework 4 due (The Moon Phases and Eclipses exercise: see Class Notes, pages x-xiii) | Kuhn 10; Class Notes page 154; also re-read Kuhn Chapters 4 to 9, Brody Chapters 4-5, the Orion catalog (pages 6, 37 [right], 57 [right], and 75), and pages 99 to 153 of the Class Notes. |
11 | 11/04: Small Bodies (Kuhn 10) | 11/06: Review | 11/08: Mid-term Exam 2, covering Kuhn Chapters 4 to 10, Brody Chapters 4-5, the Orion catalog (pages 6, 37 [right], 57 [right], and 75), and pages 99 to 154 of the Class Notes. | Kuhn 11 & 12; Brody 6; Class Notes pages 155-162. |
12 | 11/11: The Sun (Kuhn 11) | 11/13: The Sun and nuclear physics (Brody 6); Stars (Kuhn 12) | 11/15: Stars (Kuhn 12) | Kuhn 13, 14, 3-10, 3-11, & 15; Class Notes pages 163-176. |
13 | 11/18: Interstellar Matter and Star Formation (Kuhn 13) | 11/20: White Dwarfs and Neutron Stars (Kuhn 14) | 11/22: Black Holes and Relativity (Kuhn 3-10, 3-11, 15) | Brody 7 & 8; Class Notes pages 170-176. |
14 | 11/25: Black Holes and Relativity (Brody 7 & 8); paper titles and summaries due (see the Writing Guide, on pages 8-11 of the Class Notes) | 11/27: Holiday | 11/29: Holiday | Kuhn 16, 17, & 18; Brody 9, 10, & 11; Class Notes pages 177-183. |
15 | 12/02: The Milky Way (Kuhn 16); Galaxies and Hubble's Law (Kuhn 17) | 12/04: Cosmology (Kuhn 18; Brody 9, 10, & 11) | 12/06: Life in the Universe (Kuhn 19) | Kuhn 19; Brody Epilogue; Class Notes pages 184-191; start re-reading the Class Notes, Kuhn, Rey, & Brody. |
16 | 12/09: Life in the Universe (Kuhn 19) | 12/11: The Most Influential Scientific Findings of All Time (Brody Epilogue); Paper due (see the Writing Guide, on pages 8-11 of the Class Notes) | 12/13: Optional review | Re-read the Class Notes (pages 1-191), Kuhn (Prologue and Chapters 1 to 19), Brody (Chapters 1 to 11 and 15), all assigned parts of Rey's book and the Orion catalog, and all labs, especially The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram (Lab IX). |
Schedule # | Day | Time | Place |
---|---|---|---|
37273 | Monday | 5:30-7:20 p.m. | McLane 258 |
37284 | Monday | 5:30-7:20 p.m. | McLane 264 |
37295 | Monday | 7:30-9:20 p.m. | McLane 258 |
37306 | Monday | 7:30-9:20 p.m. | McLane 264 |
37310 | Tuesday | 5:30-7:20 p.m. | McLane 258 |
37321 | Tuesday | 5:30-7:20 p.m. | McLane 264 |
37332 | Tuesday | 7:30-9:20 p.m. | McLane 258 |
37343 | Tuesday | 7:30-9:20 p.m. | McLane 264 |
37354 | Wednesday | 5:30-7:20 p.m. | McLane 258 |
Lab Safety: These astronomy lab sessions take place after dark. If safety becomes a concern, the Campus Police provide an escort program. Radio-equipped, uniformed, trained escort officers will accompany persons to their destinations on campus during hours of darkness. Call 278-2132, or pick up an emergency phone to request an escort officer. Be sure to check their badges, before going anywhere with them. The Campus Police also provide car battery assistance and other services. They can be reached in an emergency by calling 911.
Lab requirements: A flashlight is required for map reading at observing sessions. Flashlights with red filters are recommended, for night vision. A scientific calculator and a clear plastic ruler are required as well.
Field trips: Up to three times this semester, we will be observing the sky at a dark site a half-hour drive from campus called the CSUFresno San Joaquin Experimental Range. There are directions to the Range on the last page of the blue PSci 21 Lab Manuals, as well as the Class Notes for Dr. Ringwald's lecture section. For all Range labs during fall semester, we start at 7:00 p.m. Plan to stay for two hours. It is therefore essential for you to plan your schedule accordingly, at the beginning of the semester.
These dates are subject to change due to poor weather. After 4:00 p.m. on the days of the labs, before going out to the Range, check the weather report on Dr. Ringwald's voicemail (278-8426) or PSci 21 web page (http://zimmer.csufresno.edu/~fringwal/psci21.html) in case there have been any such last-minute changes.
We do not cancel labs for bad weather. If the weather is bad, we will meet in the lab classrooms (McLane 258 and 264) at the regular times (5:30 and 7:30 p.m.).
Lab Attendance: Attendance to all labs is mandatory.
You must attend the labs in the lab section in which you are registered:
exceptions will be made only by written consent in advance of the
instructor of the lab section in which you are registered, and even then,
only for compelling reasons (e.g. job interview or illness documented by a
physician's note). If you must miss a lab for a compelling reason, the
part of the lab grade that lab would have counted will be voided, and the
rest of the lab grade will be counted as 100%. If you miss a lab without
a compelling reason, or without written consent in advance from the
instructor, or if you attend a lab other than the one in which you were
registered without prior written consent of the instructor of the lab
section in which you are registered, you will receive a zero for the lab.
Any student with three or more unexcused absences from lab will receive
an F in the entire PSci 21 course, which includes the lecture
section. Astronomy labs start on the third week of classes, on
September 9, 10, or 11.
TENTATIVE Lab Schedule (updated 2002 May 18). Always read
the lab description (in the blue Lab Manual) before lab and be ready for a
quiz.
Week | Dates | Moon | Lab |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 8/26-28 | LQ 31 | No Lab |
2 | 9/2-4 | New 7 | No Lab: Labor Day Holiday |
3 | 9/9-11 | FQ 13 | Star Names, Maps, and Constellations (Lab I). Meet in the lab classrooms (McLane 258 & 264). Bring flashlights! |
4 | 9/16-18 | Full 21 | Introduction to Telescopes (Lab IV): Meet in the lab classrooms. Use the Moon as a target, or the water tower from indoors, in poor weather. |
5 | 9/23-25 | LQ 29 | The Mystery Constellations (Lab II): Meet in the lab classrooms. |
6 | 9/30-10/1-2 | LQ 29 | Meet at the Range at 7:00 p.m. In case of poor weather: Meet in the regular classrooms, and do: Spectroscopy (Lab V). |
7 | 10/7-9 | New 6 | Spectroscopy (Lab V): Meet in the lab classrooms. (or Range, if cancelled last week) |
8 | 10/14-16 | FQ 13 | The Basics of Optics and Telescopes (Lab VI): Meet in the lab classrooms. |
9 | 10/21-23 | Full 21 | Life in the Universe (Lab XI) and planetarium show, "Search for New Worlds": Meet in the lab classrooms. |
10 | 10/28-30 | LQ 29 | Meet at the Range at 7:00 p.m. In case of poor weather: Meet in the regular classrooms, and do: Micrometeorites (Lab VIII). |
11 | 11/4-6 | New 4 | Micrometeorites (Lab VIII): Meet in the lab classrooms. (or Range, if cancelled last week) |
12 | 11/11-13 | FQ 11 | The Revolution of the Moons of Jupiter (Lab VII): Meet in the lab
classrooms. |
13 | 11/18-20 | Full 20 | The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram (Lab IX): Meet in the lab classrooms. |
14 | 11/25-27 | LQ 27 | No Lab: Thanksgiving holiday |
15 | 12/2-4 | New 4 | Meet at the Range at 7:00 p.m. In case of poor weather: Meet in the regular classrooms, and do: Galaxy Classification (Lab X) |
16 | 12/9-11 | FQ 11 | Lab Final Quiz and planetarium show: Meet in the lab classrooms. |
Please note:
Don't miss class. Listening to lectures and participating in discussions are much more effective than reading someone else's class notes. Active participation is even better: it will help you retain what you are learning.
Sorry, but I cannot give make-ups for mid-term exams, nor can I give mid-term or final exams in advance. These classes are far too large for it to be humanly possible for me (because I cannot be in two places at once). Even with smaller classes, I can never be sure that a makeup or advance exam was really fair, since it must be different from the regular exam. If you must miss a mid-term exam for a compelling reason (e.g., job interview or illness documented by a physician's note), the part of the course grade that mid-term exam would have counted will be voided, and the rest of the grade will be counted as 100%. If you must miss the final exam for a very compelling reason (e.g., illness documented by a physician's note), you will receive a grade of I (incomplete) for PSci 21 for the semester. It will then be your responsibility to contact the university administration in a timely fashion, and make the necessary arrangements to remove the I grade. See the California State University, Fresno General Catalog for regulations concerning the I grade.
If for any reason a student leaves the classroom while an exam is being given, the student may not re-enter the classroom as long as that exam is still taking place. The student's leaving the exam will be taken to signify that the student has finished that exam. This includes trips to the bathroom, so plan ahead.
All students are required to remove hats and sunglasses during all exams, because they have in the past been used to aid cheating. Students may not use calculators, pagers, cell phones, or any other devices that can communicate outside the classroom during exams. This constitutes cheating, and any students caught cheating, in this or any other way, will receive an F in the entire course.
However, if you do collaborate, it must be genuine collaboration: not one person doing all the work, and the others blindly copying. That's cheating! Therefore, while you may work together, write up the results separately, in your own words. A dead giveaway is when I get two papers that are exactly the same. Do people think I don't notice it?
Modifying someone else's paper slightly, or changing the words around, or stringing someone else's paragraphs together, even if they're cited, is no better: none of these dubious practices make it your paper. For information on the University's policy regarding cheating and plagiarism, refer to the Schedule of Courses (Legal Notices on Cheating and Plagiarism) or the University Catalog (Policies and Regulations).
To prevent plagiarism, two copies of both the paper titles and summaries and the papers themselves are due, on the appropriate dates (due November 25 for the titles and summaries, and December 11 for the papers). I must have two copies, or the paper (or summary) won't be counted. I will keep one of the copies of these papers and summaries on file, for life. If I find a plagiarized paper, the student will receive an F for the entire course. I may also send the plagiarized paper to the Dean and other university authorities (e.g. coaches) and recommend the student be expelled from the Universityor the degree be revoked, if I don't find it until 25 years from now. Do NOT plagiarize!
Go to Dr.
Ringwald's home page
Last updated 2002 December 29. Web page by Dr. Ringwald
(ringwald[at]csufresno.edu and replace [at] with @)
Department of Physics,
California State University, Fresno