Friday, June 26, 2009
Practice final corrections
Three mistakes have already been found with the practice final, earning some eagle-eyed student 3 extra credit points. The corrections are: the answer to question (3) should be E, the answer to question (22) should be E, and the answer to question (26) should be C. Either mark these on the printouts I gave in class Thursday, or download the corrected practice final here.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Practice final available
The final exam is a week from today, so you need to start getting ready! The final will cover all reading we have done in the class, but with a strong emphasis on chapters 9-16, 18, and 19. The test will consist of 50 true/false and multiple choice questions. You will need to bring to class a SCAN-TRON 882 form and a #2 pencil for the test. I will NOT have extras on hand, so don't forget. Both of these are available in the campus bookstore. Also, the test is closed book, closed notes, and no calculators. I will help help you out by providing a page of important equations and numbers, so you don't have to memorize these things.
To help you prepare for the final, I have made a practice final that you can download here. It consists of 50 questions from your textbook and also a sample sheet of the equations and numbers I will be providing on the test, so that you know what to expect. I recommend you give yourself an hour and a half, sit down and try taking the practice test. On the last sheet of the practice final are the answers, so you can check how you do. If you find you're having trouble with anything, be sure to come in to the discussion sections next week to ask questions.
CHANCE FOR EXTRA CREDIT! If while you're taking the practice test you find that there are any mistakes with my answers, send me an email! For each mistake you find, you will receive one extra percentage point on your final grade. You must be the first person to notify me of any particular mistake. On the practice midterm there was 2 mistakes, so do know that I am fallible!
To help you prepare for the final, I have made a practice final that you can download here. It consists of 50 questions from your textbook and also a sample sheet of the equations and numbers I will be providing on the test, so that you know what to expect. I recommend you give yourself an hour and a half, sit down and try taking the practice test. On the last sheet of the practice final are the answers, so you can check how you do. If you find you're having trouble with anything, be sure to come in to the discussion sections next week to ask questions.
CHANCE FOR EXTRA CREDIT! If while you're taking the practice test you find that there are any mistakes with my answers, send me an email! For each mistake you find, you will receive one extra percentage point on your final grade. You must be the first person to notify me of any particular mistake. On the practice midterm there was 2 mistakes, so do know that I am fallible!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Imprortant schedule change
I've decided to NOT make Chapter 17 (Active Galaxies and Quasars) mandatory reading. There is just too much that I'd like to cover about cosmology (the size, shape, age, and evolution of the Universe) in Chapters 18 and 19. As you'll notice, Homework #5 doesn't have any questions from Chapter 17, and you will not be required to know the details of Chapter 17 for the final exam.
So the current plan is to cover Chapters 18 and 19 on Thursday, Monday, and Tuesday, and leave Wednesday open so that you can ask me questions before the final exam. The second half of this class has been much more complicated and information heavy than the first half, so don't be afraid to come to the discussion sections or even ask questions in class to make sure you have an understanding of the main topics.
So the current plan is to cover Chapters 18 and 19 on Thursday, Monday, and Tuesday, and leave Wednesday open so that you can ask me questions before the final exam. The second half of this class has been much more complicated and information heavy than the first half, so don't be afraid to come to the discussion sections or even ask questions in class to make sure you have an understanding of the main topics.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Observing projects due on Monday
This is just a friendly reminder that the observing projects are due on Monday, June 29th. You must turn in BOTH of your projects at the beginning of class that day. The class is winding down now, so I CANNOT accept projects that are turned in late. Please don't ask for any extensions!
Monday, June 15, 2009
Extra credit opportunity
This Saturday (June 20th), there will be a public lecture by Alex Filippenko (the author of your book!) on “Dark Energy and the Runaway Universe." It will take place at the Genetic and Plant Biology Building, Room 100 from 11 am to 12 noon. See the public lecture website for more info.
The talk is free, but space is limited. It is first-come, first-served seating, and the doors open at 10:30 am. Get there early if you want to get a seat! This is an exciting topic and Prof. Filippenko is one of the top in the world on this subject. He’s a fantastic lecturer, and was voted the Best Professor at UC Berkeley 6 times!
If you attend the lecture and type a 2 page summary (11 pt font, double spaced), you can receive up to 3 extra percentage points in this class. This is due on June 25th at the beginning of class. This is extra credit, so don't feel like you MUST do this if you are already doing well in the class.
You should address the following questions in your summary:
What is the main evidence for Dark Energy in our Universe?
Is there any other evidence that Dark Energy exists? If so, describe this other evidence.
What percent of the total energy and mass in our Universe is Dark Energy?
What work is being done now and in the future to understand the nature of Dark Energy?
What does the presence of Dark Energy mean for the future fate of our Universe?
Do you believe that Dark Energy exists? Please support your opinion with an explanation of why or why not?
The talk is free, but space is limited. It is first-come, first-served seating, and the doors open at 10:30 am. Get there early if you want to get a seat! This is an exciting topic and Prof. Filippenko is one of the top in the world on this subject. He’s a fantastic lecturer, and was voted the Best Professor at UC Berkeley 6 times!
If you attend the lecture and type a 2 page summary (11 pt font, double spaced), you can receive up to 3 extra percentage points in this class. This is due on June 25th at the beginning of class. This is extra credit, so don't feel like you MUST do this if you are already doing well in the class.
You should address the following questions in your summary:
What is the main evidence for Dark Energy in our Universe?
Is there any other evidence that Dark Energy exists? If so, describe this other evidence.
What percent of the total energy and mass in our Universe is Dark Energy?
What work is being done now and in the future to understand the nature of Dark Energy?
What does the presence of Dark Energy mean for the future fate of our Universe?
Do you believe that Dark Energy exists? Please support your opinion with an explanation of why or why not?
Friday, June 12, 2009
Don't forget your projects!
I just wanted to point out that now that the midterm is over with and homework #3 is rather short, the next week is a good time to concentrate on your projects (both the research paper and the observing projects). Homeworks #4 and #5 will be much longer, so work on these projects now while you have the time.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Homework #2 solutions
The Home #2 solutions are posted, so that you can use them for studying for the midterm.
Some of the homework solutions require producing a diagram for the answer. So instead of being part of actual solutions, I'm just going to post the diagrams here on this website. Question (5) asked you to draw Venus circling the Sun, and identify the various phases of Venus as seen from Earth. From this diagram you should also be able to identify at what phases does Venus have the largest and smallest angular size in the sky. Another good thing to practice is to draw a similar diagram for Mars. What phases do you see for Mars from Earth, and how do these differ from the phases we see for Venus?
Questions (6b) asked at what position on the Earth will the north celestial pole be seen at the horizon. The answer is the equator, but you also need to draw a diagram to explain this fast. Here is the diagram. Note that the south celestial pole is also at the horizon when viewed from the equator, but it's on the exact opposite end of the sky from the north celestial pole. Using a diagram like this, you should also be able to identify what things in the sky can and cannot be seen depending on your position on Earth. For example, if you are in Berkeley, can you see the south celestial pole? If you wanted to maximize the amount of the celestial sphere that you can see with a given telescope (over the course of a year), where is the best place to place it on the Earth?
Some of the homework solutions require producing a diagram for the answer. So instead of being part of actual solutions, I'm just going to post the diagrams here on this website. Question (5) asked you to draw Venus circling the Sun, and identify the various phases of Venus as seen from Earth. From this diagram you should also be able to identify at what phases does Venus have the largest and smallest angular size in the sky. Another good thing to practice is to draw a similar diagram for Mars. What phases do you see for Mars from Earth, and how do these differ from the phases we see for Venus?
Questions (6b) asked at what position on the Earth will the north celestial pole be seen at the horizon. The answer is the equator, but you also need to draw a diagram to explain this fast. Here is the diagram. Note that the south celestial pole is also at the horizon when viewed from the equator, but it's on the exact opposite end of the sky from the north celestial pole. Using a diagram like this, you should also be able to identify what things in the sky can and cannot be seen depending on your position on Earth. For example, if you are in Berkeley, can you see the south celestial pole? If you wanted to maximize the amount of the celestial sphere that you can see with a given telescope (over the course of a year), where is the best place to place it on the Earth?
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