Syllabus - Spring Semester 2007
Physics 103N - The Exploration of Space
Call Numbers 3054 And 3055
Instructor and TA: Eric Woods and Adom Giffin
E-mail: eawoods@albany.edu
Office Hours: MW 11:00 - 12:00 in PH312 for Eric; TBA for Adom
Interacting with your professor:
Before and after MWF lectures is the best time to get immediate feedback from your professor. Otherwise, you can come to my office hours (time and location listed above), email me (address above), or call my office at 442-4541. If I am not in the office when you call, you should email me in addition. My voice mail doesn’t always work properly and I might not get your message.
Lecture Notes (IMPORTANT): Lecture notes are available online at the University Library’s ERes (Electronic Reserves) site. Instructions for accessing these are as follows:
1. On your Web browser, go to library.albany.edu
2. On the left-hand menu, click on ERes
3. Click on the first link: Electronic Reserves & Reserves Pages
4. Type “APHY103N” in the search field and click on Search
5. Click on the link to APHY103N
6. Click on Accept
7. Click on the document you wish to view or print
The lecture notes are intended as a supplement to the lectures. They are not a subsitute. Some things that we cover in lecture will not be in the notes, and you may be tested on anything from either the lectures or the notes. There is no required textbook. We used to use Exploration of Space by Ratcliff and Storey, which is now out of date and out of print; if you find yourself a used copy, you may find it a useful study guide for some parts of the course.
Other Important Resources on ERes: I will also post practice exams which contain questions from old tests, which I highly recommend as a study aid. I will post your exam scores here as well as any important class announcements (cancellations, information about the final exam, etc.) You should check ERes often.
VIDEOS (a warning): In the schedule of lectures, I have indicated on which days we will be watching videos. You will be tested on the information in the videos. Be warned that the only time you will be able to see these videos is during the scheduled viewings in class. They will not be available for borrowing from your professor or from the library.
Review Sessions (not required but very useful): There will be a review session before each exam. Use the time as you see fit - come for the whole session, or just part.
Exploration of Space - Spring 2006
Schedule of Lectures and Examinations
01 Mon Jan 23 History of the Space Age
02 Wed Jan 25 Natural Orbits
03 Fri Jan 27 Orbits About the Earth
04 Mon Jan 30 Orbits Through the Solar System
05 Wed Feb 1 How Do Rockets Work?
06 Fri Feb 3 Launch Vehicles Today and Tomorrow
07 Mon Feb 6 Satellites in Earth Orbit
08 Wed Feb 8 Communications Satellites and GEO
Thu Feb 9 Review Session for Exam #1; Time and Location TBA
Fri Feb 10 Exam #1 (covers lectures #01-06)
09 Mon Feb 13 Sun Synchronous Orbits
10 Wed Feb 15 Military Spy Satellites
11 Fri Feb 17 Projects Mercury and Gemini
Mon Feb 20 Class does not meet today (University break)
Wed Feb 22 Class does not meet today (University break)
Fri Feb 24 Class does not meet today (University break)
12 Mon Feb 27 The Flights of Apollo
13 Wed Mar 1 Apollo VIDEO
14 Fri Mar 3 Apollo VIDEO
15 Mon Mar 6 Origin of the Solar System VIDEO
16 Mon Mar 8 The Earth and the Moon
Thu Mar 9 Review Session for Exam #2; Time and Location TBA
Fri Mar 10 Exam #2 (covers lectures #07-14)
17 Mon Mar 13 The Importance of the Moon VIDEO
18 Wed Mar 15 Origin of the Moon; Mercury
Fri Mar 17 Class does not meet today (instructor away)
19 Mon Mar 20 Venus VIDEO
20 Wed Mar 22 Venus
21 Fri Mar 24 Mars
22 Mon Mar 27 Mars VIDEO
23 Wed Mar 29 Natural Satellites
24 Fri Mar 31 Threats to the Earth from Space VIDEO
25 Mon Apr 3 Life Support Systems
26 Wed Apr 5 Microgravity VIDEO
Thu Apr 6 Review Session for Exam #3; Time and Location TBA
Fri Apr 7 Exam #3 (covers lectures #15-24)
Mon Apr 10 Class does not meet today (University break)
Wed Apr 12 Class does not meet today (University break)
Fri Apr 14 Class does not meet today (University break)
27 Mon Apr 17 The Space Shuttle
28 Wed Apr 19 Challenger and Columbia Accidents
29 Fri Apr 21 Missions of the Shuttle VIDEO
30 Mon Apr 24 Space Stations
31 Wed Apr 26 International Space Station VIDEO
32 Fri Apr 28 Human Journey to Mars VIDEO
33 Mon May 1 The Search for Extraterrestrial Life
34 Wed May 3 The Search for Extraterrestrial Life, Continued
35 Fri May 5 Space Colonies
36 Mon May 8 Space Colonies VIDEO
VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: The Final Exam covers lectures #25-36, and is therefore not cumulative. The Final Exam counts for one-third of your grade. VERY IMPOTANT: The Final Exam is a Departmental Exam. The time and date of the Final exam is different from that listed in the Schedule of Classes. The Registrar’s Office will announce the time and location of our Final Exam late in the semester. I will announce this information in class as soon as it becomes available. You are responsible for knowing the time and location of that Final Exam. Missing the Final Exam will result in a grade of zero which will really hurt your semester grade.
How will your semester grade be determined? You will take 4 exams this semester. Exams #1-3 each have 50 multiple choice questions and thus each of those exams is worth 100 points. The Final Exam #4 consists of 75 multiple choice questions and this exam is worth 150 points. Your grade for the semester is determined then exclusively by the sum of the four numerical scores you earn on these four tests. Your letter grade is then determined as shown on the list below. Thus if your four scores were 82 + 74 + 92 + 110 = 358, you would get a B for your semester grade.
A 400-450 A- 380-399 B+ 360-379
B 340-359 B- 320-339 C+ 300-319
C 280-299 C- 260-279 D+ 240-259
D 220-239 D- 200-219 E 000-199
S 280-450 U 000-279
Some Recurring Issues for Students
The results of the exams will be posted on ERes. Please check your scores promptly; if you have trouble finding your score, it may mean that there was a problem with your test. If you can’t find your score you should see me immediately.
Every semester some students will ask if they can raise their grade by using something other than the sum of the grades on their four exams. The answer is NO - in a class of this size, I cannot make exceptions. NO - there is no project, paper, or research that can be used to raise your grade. NO - your grade will not be raised or lowered because you are facing academic probation. NO - we do not throw away your lowest score and use only the remaining scores. NO - we will not raise your grade because you missed the cutoff by 2 points. NO - there is no magic curve that will appear at the end of the semester to replace that seen above.
PHY103N has been created as a course for non-science majors. Class surveys show that 95% of you have a major other than science or math. If you attend lectures, view the videos, and use the handouts provided in class, you should do well. If you don’t attend lectures and take good notes, you will probably pay a price. Don’t go it alone - form a study group with your fellow students.
Some students are terrorized by having to take a science course. I am always pleased when they come to me at the end of the semester and say that the course was actually fun. If you need help then come to see me or Adom and we can make some suggestions. But I can’t help you if you wait too long in the semester to see us.
THINGS YOU SHOULDN’T BOTHER ASKING
Q: I really, really need a B in this class. Is there any extra credit project I can do?
A: NO!!! Read “Some Recurring Issues for Students” in the syllabus. Everyone’s grade will be based solely on their exam scores - no exceptions.
Q: I didn’t realize then the final exam was, so I missed it. Can I take a makeup?
A: NO!!! I will announce in class many times that the final exam is a Departmental Exam - which means that we won’t know the time, date, or location until sometime in November!!! Remember - do NOT go by the final exam schedule on the Web for the time your section meets. I will not be sympathetic if you screw this up, and will not allow you to make up the final exam.
Q: I don’t know anyone else in the class, and am struggling and feeling lost in the material. Will you be my personal tutor?
A: NO!!! Adom and I will be happy to give you some help during our office hours (see page 1 of syllabus), but beyond this you will need to seek help elsewhere. You should definitely make a serious effort to get to know at least one other person in the class. It doesn’t have to be someone who’s doing really well - just so long as you have a study partner. It’s silly to try and go it alone.
Q: I missed three classes because I was traveling with the lacrosse team, and this hurt my final grade. Can you boost me up a grade?
A: NO!!! No one gets any kind of special treatment. If you miss classes it is your responsibility to find out what was covered, and if there were any important announcements. Make sure you know someone who was there an can fill you in, and perhaps let you copy their notes.
Q: The cutoff for an A- was 380 points, and I ended up with 378 points which is a B+. I studied really hard, and think I deserve the A-. Can you boost me up a grade?
A: NO!!! No special treatment, and no extra credit for effort.
Q: If I do much better on the final exam than on the other tests, do I get extra credit for having shown improvement?
A: NO!!! This is college, not high school. Your grade is based solely on the total score you get from adding up all your exam scores - see the grade ranges in the syllabus.
Q: Am I noticing a pattern to this question-and-answer charade?
A: Yup. No special treatment, no extra credit, find a study partner, and show up for the final exam at the correct time and in the correct location.
