NATS 102 (The Physical Universe), Sections 9 and 10H, Spring 2003

T/TH 12:30-1:45 PM, Steward Observatory, Room N210

Prof. Ann Zabludoff (Instructor), Ms. Nadya Gorlova (Teaching Assistant)

Office Phone: 626-2509 (Zabludoff), 621-2494 (Gorlova)

Office Hours: M/W 3 to 4 pm at Steward Observatory, Room 302 (Gorlova) or by appointment in Room 312 (Zabludoff)

Email: azabludoff@as.arizona.edu, ngorlova@as.arizona.edu

Web Page: atropos.as.arizona.edu/aiz/teaching/nats102/

ANNOUNCEMENTS

All homework solutions are now posted. Please see Homeworks link at left to get solutions.

The grade website is now working properly. If you are still having problems accessing your grades, please contact the webmaster, Sumit Choraria, at sumit@CS.Arizona.EDU.
Please pick up your old graded papers from the box in front of the instructor's office. IF YOU HAVE A GRADING QUESTION, YOU MUST DISCUSS IT WITH THE PROFESSOR BEFORE THE FINAL. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PICK UP OLD PAPERS AND TO REVIEW THEM.

SPECIAL NOTE: The Writing Skills Improvement Program has designed a new special series of workshops on writing for students taking General Education courses. They are free and open to all students and will be held on Tuesdays from 5-6 PM in Modern Languages 413 beginning January 28. Click here for more info.

This course satisfies the Natural Sciences Tier 1 requirement. We will focus on astronomy, the observational and theoretical study of objects in our Universe. This course is a broad survey intended for non-science majors and covers some of the questions that stumped astronomers of the past and that puzzle astronomers today. These questions include: What makes the Sun shine? Why are there seasons? What is dark matter? Do Black Holes exist? What is the origin of the Moon? Are we alone in the Universe? and Did the Big Bang occur? The physical principles necessary to understand why these questions are important, how astronomers have learned what they know, and what issues remain uncertain will be discussed in lecture. The emphasis of the course is on understanding, not on memorization.

Background

No previous astronomy experience is necessary. You should be familiar with basic algebra, trigonometry, fractions, and scientific notation. The development of basic physical concepts as they relate to the detection and workings of astronomical objects will be a fundamental part of the course. A strong interest in the course material is the best prerequisite! You should have a small inexpensive calculator at your disposal (one that does powers, roots, and trigonometric functions). Please seek help when you encounter a concept that you do not understand. You are encouraged to get and to use a U of A computer account.

Evaluation

Your grade in this course will depend on your performance on the homework and laboratory exercises (40% in total), two in-class exams (20% each), and the final exam (40%). Note that the final counts as two in-class exams. At the end of the term, either 1/2 of your grade on the final or one of your in-class exam grades will be dropped, depending on which is lowest. Your worst homework grade will also be discarded.

All exams are closed-note and no calculators are allowed. The in-class and final exams will consist of multiple-choice and short written answer questions. Some of the questions will cover material presented during lecture that is not discussed in the course textbook -- so attend class! In addition, your grade in the course will be higher if you do the weekly reading assignments in the textbook. Use the material discussed in class and the lecture outlines as study guides for what is important in each chapter of the book.

Special Note: Students taking this class for Honors credit must fulfill extra requirements, including a creative project worth the equivalent of one in-class exam. The creative project is chosen by the student with the instructor's prior approval and can take many forms, such as art, poems, short stories, songs, photographic essays, video presentations, model building, original experiments or astronomical observations, or development of lesson plans for grade school. A written report is required for all projects. Proposals of 2-3 pages for the creative project are due in lecture on March 13. Your abstract will be evaluated and returned to you with comments and suggestions. The final project is due on April 17. The instructor will show some of the more interesting projects to the class at the end of the semester.

Interactive Learning

For several Thursdays during the term, the class will be split into three groups of approximately 50 students each. One group will remain in the lecture room with the instructor, two groups will accompany the TA and another graduate student to other, smaller classrooms. The groups will then conduct hands-on astronomy lab exercises or a classroom debate concerning one of the topics discussed in class. Short write-ups of the labs or debates will be due as part of the homework assignment for the next week. Students will have the opportunity to work directly with the instructor and TA at least once during the semester.

Policies

Do your own work. Modern science is collaborative, and people learn from talking to each other. Feel free to talk to the instructor, TA, or other students about homework/laboratory assignments. But the work you turn in must be your own -- don't just copy assignments. Copying is cheating and will be handled according to university policies. The instructor subscribes to the University's Code of Academic Integrity. The Code prohibits all forms of academic dishonesty, including cheating, plagiarism, and facilitating dishonesty by others. The repercussions for those found guilty of violating the Code will include loss of credit for the work and may include failure of the course or more extreme measures.

Attendance, participation, and conduct. Attendance and participation in class are important for your understanding of the course material and your grade. Students who are regularly absent will be administratively dropped from the course. You are strongly encouraged to participate in class by asking questions. Eating, drinking, and cell-phoning are not permitted in the lecture hall. Talking is also prohibited unless you want to ask a question during lecture.

Late Homework. No credit, WITH NO EXCEPTIONS, will be given for late homework. Because we want to be fair to those that turn in work on time, we will not accept late work. There is an absolute deadline for homeworks. If you are concerned about not being able to turn in your work in class on the due date, feel free to turn it in early! We will accept homework at any class meeting prior to the deadline.

Missed Tests. No makeup tests, WITH NO EXCEPTIONS, will be administered. The exams are already scheduled and posted on the class schedule. If you know that you will miss an test, you must make arrangements (for valid reasons) for an oral exam at a time and date prior to the written test. Missing an in-class exam is an automatic loss of 20% of your course grade. Missing the final is a loss of 40%.

There will be no makeup or extra credit assignments near the end of term. Do not expect to compensate for poor homeworks or exams at the end of the term with additional work.

Grading. You have one week from the time an assignment or exam is returned to challenge any perceived errors. Although rare, there are occasions when grading errors occur, and you should review your returned work.
The final course grades will be on a curve, but you can be assured that if you have > 90% of the total number of points available you will receive an A, 80 to 90% at least a B, 70 to 80% at least a C.

Web Site

The course website includes the most recent course syllabus, schedule, lecture outlines, special announcements, and other course materials.

Check the website frequently for updates.

Our textbook is The Universe Revealed by Impey and Hartmann. The book is available at the U of A Bookstore.