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John E. Gizis
Office: Sharp Lab 236
Class Hours: MWF 1:25-2:15 in Gore 102; Labs in Sharp 012
Office Hours: Wednesday 10:30-11:30, Thursday 1:00-2:00, or by appointment
302-831-2668
gizis@udel.edu
- Prerequisites
- There are no prerequisites for this course. Some basic mathematics
including algebra is needed.
- Course Description
- Objects of the universe from the earth to galaxies. How the universal laws that govern them; e.g., gravity and electromagnetic radiation, permit us to learn their nature from quantitative observations.
- This is a lecture class. Some classroom activities are required. There is a weekly lab which meets in sections of 20 students
- Honors Section
- The honors section (080) will have special project assignments and some differences in the homeworks and labs.
- Other Astronomy Classes
- Students should note that after completing this course, they may not
take PHYS144 Concepts of the Universe for credit.
This is because this introductory
survey course overlaps the material in this class. Other physics and
astronomy classes are not a problem.
- Course Requirements and Policies
- There will be weekly homeworks which will include questions from the textbook. Questions involving math illustrate the application of quantitative reasoning to problem solving.
- There are two midterms and a final exam. The final is not cumulative, although naturally some concepts from the first half of the course are required to do well on the second half.
- Students are encouraged to discuss the homeworks with each other and anyone else. However, students may not copy the answers from anyone. Students may wish to review the University of Delaware's Code of Conduct.
- Grading for All Sections: (010, 011, 012, 080)
- Labs: 25%
- Homework: 15%
- Midterm #1: 20%
- Midterm #2: 20%
- Final: 20%
- Homework Evaluation
- The homeworks will often involve calculations. Students must show all work in order to receive credit for the problem. A solution that just gives the final number, even if it is correct, is not acceptable. Late homeworks lose 10% off their grades each week.
- Course Calendar
- The following gives the test dates for the 2004 Spring semester. The final test is scheduled for May 19.
| DATE |
TOPIC |
READING |
| Mar. 10 |
MIDTERM #1 |
Mar. 22, 24, 26 |
SPRING BREAK |
| Apr 21 |
MIDTERM #2 |
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| May 19 |
TEST #3 |
- Texts/Resources/Readings/Supplies
- The primary textbook is The Cosmic Perspective, Third Edition, by Bennett, Donahue, Schneider and Voit.
- Study Tips/Learning Resources
- The Astronomy Place:
Cosmic Perspective Web Site, including tutorials and study information.
- Astronomy Picture of the Day: A great source for astronomy pictures.
