Spring Quarter, 2006

• CURRENT ANNOUNCEMENTS
  

  Review of material for the final exam (See also: Review of material for the midterm exam) Midterm Solutions Guidelines for the Brief Report and the Research Paper (revised and extended, May 17)

• Course Syllabus
• MasteringAstronomy website (Online course assignments to accompany The Cosmic Perspective, 4th Ed., by Bennett et al)
• Physics 2000
  A GREAT website to spend time at. Educational AND entertaining.
• Assignments (online activities indicated in blue)
  

  Class Date	Assignments to be completed at least 15 minutes before the start of class (and reminders of readings and in-class activities from the course syllabus)
  Monday Mar. 27	No pre-class assignment! Roll call, review of syllabus, course introduction, "Cosmos" video
  Wednesday Mar. 29	Read Ch. 1 and Chapter 2, Section 1 Enroll online at the course website. Use the Access Code that came with your text or purchase one online to register and then sign up for "Course ID" PHY303SPRING2006 If you are successful, take a look around the website and complete the assignment "Introduction to MasteringAstronomy" If you are not successful, see me for help.
  Monday Apr. 3	Read Chapter S2 Complete online assignment "Introduction to MasteringAstronomy" Complete online Assignment 1 (due date extended to Apr. 5)
  Wednesday Apr. 5	Review Chapter S2 Complete online Assignments 1 and 2
  Monday Apr. 10	Read Chapter S4 and Chapter 14, Sections 1 and 2 Complete online Assignment 3
  Wednesday Apr. 12	Review Chapter S4 and Chapter 14, Sections 1 and 2 Complete online Assignment 4
  Monday Apr. 17	Read Chapter 15 Complete online Assignment 5
  Wednesday Apr. 19	Review Chapter 15
  Monday Apr. 24	Intended topic for brief report due at the start of class Read Chapter 16 and Chapter 17, sections 1&2 Complete online Assignment 6
  Wednesday Apr. 26	MIDTERM EXAM (Through Chapter 15)
  Monday May 1	Read Chapter 17, sections 3&4 and Chapter S3 Complete online Assignment 7
  Wednesday May 3	Brief report due at the start of class Read Chapter 18, section 1&2
  Monday May 8	Start thinking about the topic for your research paper Read Chapter 18, sections 3&4 and Chapter 19, sections 1&2 Complete online Assignment 8
  Wednesday May 10	Read Chapter 19, sections 3&4 Complete online Assignment 9
  Monday May 15	Intended topic for research paper due at the start of class Read Chapter 20 and Chapter 21, sections 1&2 Complete online Assignment 10
  Wednesday May 17	Read Chapter 21, sections 3&4 Complete online Assignment 11
  Monday May 22	Read Chapter 22 Complete online Assignment 12
  Wednesday May 24	Read Chapter 23 Complete online Assignment 13
  Monday May 29	Academic Holiday
  Wednesday May 31	Research paper due at the start of class Read Chapter 24 Complete online Assignment 14 by FRIDAY June 2, at noon
  Monday June 5	FINAL EXAM (3:50-5:50)

• Suggestions for paper topics
  

  The scientific method: How new ideas become "accepted theory" Occam's razor Newton's laws Special relativity: New ideas about space and time. The twin paradox Relative velocities in relativity Energy and matter: E=mc2 General relativity and gravity Equivalence principle of gravity and acceleration Black holes Are the laws physics the same everywhere in the universe? Certainty and uncertainty in quantum mechanics The wave-particle duality in quantum mechanics EPR (Einstein Podolsky Rosen) paradox String theory The Copenhagen and the Many Worlds interpretations of quantum mechanics The rate of asteroid impacts, supernovae, gamma ray bursts, etc. and the implications for life on Earth

  The fate of our sun and its relevance to life on earth The Anthropic Principle: Is it science? Time and distance scales in the universe Using Cepheid variable stars as "standard candles" to determine distances to nearby galaxies Using supernovas as "standard candles" to determine distances to distant galaxies The possibility of extra terrestrial life in the universe What lies beyond the observable universe? Astrology: history, science, cultural beliefs and ramifications Expansion and acceleration of the universe Hubble's Law and the use of "standard candles" The cosmological constant: Einstein's "greatest blunder"? "Dark matter" The difference between bosons and fermions Evidence for the Big Bang and alternative scenarios The large scale structure of the universe The production and recycling of atomic nuclei Evolution: Are there viable alternative scientific theories? Hawking radiation Quantum mechanical tunneling Multiple universes Climate change

• Class Discussion List
  An email list that I will use to communicate with you as needed between class meetings and that you can use to broadcast questions or comments of any kind related to the course. For instance, I particularly encourage you to use the list for discussions of homework problems and questions about textbook readings. I will monitor the discussion and contribute myself when I feel it might be useful.
  
  Subscribe to the list using the list's subscription management web page.
  
  Once you have subscribed to the list, you can send messages to everyone else who has subscribed by addressing them to
  
      phy303@mailman.csupomona.edu
• College of Science Emergency Procedures
  All students are responsible for being aware of these Emergency Procedures.
  Please take the time to familiarize yourself with them.