This course of study is an exploration of the Earth as our home and as a planetary member of the Solar System. It is the human intellect confronting the physical manifestations of the laws of Nature. We will proceed in a developmental / historical manner, exploring:
In addition to this page of information, there is an astronomy information page http://astro4.ast.villanova.edu/ar/ar.htm you can monitor for general information and late-breaking news of things astronomical.
Instructors: | Dr. Frank Maloney 462 Mendel Science Center; 519-6023; 519-4820; Frank.Maloney@villanova.edu; Office Hours: W 10:00 - 11:00 AM, T&Th 3:00 - 4:00 PM, or by appointment |
Dr. Philip Maurone 347 Mendel Science Center; 610-519-4860 philip.maurone@villanova.edu; Office Hours T 12:30 - 1:30, W 2:30 - 3:30, R 1:30 - 2:30 | |
Text: | The Physical Universe (13th Edition) by Krauskopf & Beiser; ISBN 978-0-07-351212-9; Web Site |
In addition to the text, you must purchase a Turning Technologies ResponseCard XR response pad, that we call a "clicker". (Do not purchase a used clicker made by eInstruction. These were used in past semesters. Villanova has standardized to Turning Technologies clickers as of Fall 2009.) We will be using the clickers to take attendance, to measure classroom participation, to gather instructional feedback in class, and to take quizzes. If you do not bring your clicker to class, you can earn at most only 50% of the points available that class period. | |
Lab Materials: | There is a $15 lab fee, which covers the cost of the lab book and all lab materials for Planet Earth. |
Grading: | Two one-hour tests September 22 and November 3, 2011 February 16 and March 22, 2012 | 200 | points |
10-minute Quizzes | 100 | points | |
Attendance & Class Participation | 50 | points | |
Project Proposal (due December 1, 2011) Report (due April 19, 2012) | 50 | points | |
Comprehensive Final Exam May 5, 2012, 10:45 AM | 100 (200) | points | |
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TOTAL | 500 (600) | points | |
Villanova University regulations prohibit the comsumption of food or drink in class or in lab. In addition, the use of computers, PDAs, cell phones, and other electronic devices is not permitted in class or in lab. |
The grade scale is: | A = 93 to 100 | B+ = 87 to 89.999 | C+ = 77 to 79.999 | D+ = 67 to 69.999 | A- = 90 to 92.999 | B = 83 to 86.999 | C = 73 to 76.999 | D = 63 to 66.999 | B- = 80 to 82.999 | C- = 70 to 72.999 | D- = 60 to 62.999 |
COURSE CONTENT:
the nature of science | 1.1, 1.2 |
early Greek observations: sky & earth | 1.3, 1.4 | |
Copernican revolution | 1.5 | |
Tycho & Kepler | 1.6, 1.7 | |
Galileo: on the WWW | pg. 42, 640, 651, 663 |
units of measurement: defined v. derived | 2.2 | ||
motion: speed and acceleration | 2.1, 2.4 | ||
Galileo & free-falling objects | 2.5, 2.6 |
forces & motion | 2.7 | |
First Law: inertia | 2.8 | |
Second Law: force, mass, acceleration | 2.9, 2.10 | |
Third Law: mutual interaction | 2.11 |
mass, distance, inverse-square | 2.12 - 2.14 |
phases, eclipses, tides | 17.12, 17.13 |
apparent v. mean solar time | notes | |
time zones & international date line Earthwatch; Screen shot |
notes | |
calendar & seasons | notes | |
precession, leap days, leap seconds | notes |
waves v. particles | notes | |
longitudinal v. transverse waves | 7.1, 7.2 | |
speed, wavelength, and frequency | 7.3 |
work | 3.1 | |
power | 3.2 | |
energy; Energy Table in Excel & Notes | 3.3 - 3.6 | |
momentum conservation in interactions; Notes & Ali Equation | 3.8, 3.9 |
rocks and the Earth's surface: sedimentary, metamorphic, igneous |
14.1, 14.3 - 14.5, 14.17 | |
layering near the Earth's surface, here, or any image of the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Monument Valley, or Painted Desert |
notes | |
interior structure | 15.7, 15.8 | |
Color & Temperature | Alfred Wegener & Plate Map in PDF | 16.2, 16.3 |
USGS - This Dynamic Earth | 16.4 - 16.7 | |
evolution of the Hawaiian Islands | 16.7 | |
crustal faulting & San Andreas Fault | 15.6, 16.1 | |
earthquakes & seismic waves:
Seismic Monitor, UPSeis, San Francisco 1906 "Earthquakes" on Power Point Tsunami 26 December 2004: Washington Post coverage (map & images) Videos USGS PDF Poster Map |
15.6, 15.7, 16.1 | |
seismic waves: Simulator for Windows, Tutorial | ||
geologic time impacts & extinctions asteroids, comets, & Shoemaker-Levy 9 v. Jupiter |
16.12 - 16.18 17.3, 17.8 |
forces in nature "Forces" on Power Point |
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the Bohr Model of the atom Brownian Motion |
8.1, 8.2, 10.9 | |
elements & compounds | 10.1 - 10.3 | |
elements: names, numbers, masses, isotopes | 10.4 - 10.6 | |
the Periodic Law Atomic Orbital Viewer Periodic Table of the Elements Table of Nuclides |
10.9, 10.10 | |
radioactivity on Power Point |
8.3 - 8.5 | |
Age of the Earth - Geologic Time | 16.10-16.18 |
constituents | 14.1 | |
pressure & temperature v. height | 5.5, 5.7, 14.1 | |
winds & Coriolis effect Global Wind Patterns |
14.6 | |
high/low pressure | 14.7 | |
weather patterns/forecasts The Weather Channel | ||
Test #1 -------------------------------- | ||
Hurricanes Tornados |
14.8 - 14.10 | |
origin & evolution | 14.11, 14.12 |
molecules & motion | notes | |
temperature and measurement | 5.1 | |
heat and flow "Heat and Temperature" on PowerPoint |
5.2 | |
specific heat | notes | |
molecular motion | 5.8, 5.9 | |
evaporation and condensation | 5.10 - 5.12 |
frequency & wavelength | notes | |
waves: reflection, refraction, interference, diffraction | 7.10 - 7.12, 7.16, 7.17 | |
light & particles | 9.1 -9.7 |
solids, liquids, gases | notes | |
continuous thermal radiation | 18.3 | |
spectral lines | 9.8 - 9.10 |
brightness: apparent v. absolute | 18.8 | |
distance | 18.8 | |
color <> temperature <> spectral class | 18.3 | |
radius | 18.11 | |
motions | 18.10, 18.11 | |
age (lifetime) see also below | 18.7, 18.13 | |
composition (from spectra) | 18.2, 18.3 | |
mass | 18.11 | |
Hertzsprung - Russell Relationship | 18.12 |
oxidation (no) | notes | |
contraction (no) | notes | |
fusion (yes) | 8.6 - 8.9 |
1 Solar Mass | 18.13 | |
10 Solar Masses | 18.14 | |
Pulsars & Black Holes | 18.15, 18.16 | |
Extrasolar Planets | 19.11 - 19.13 |
"Relativity" on PowerPoint | 3.11 - 3.13 | |
Cosmological Principles | 19.1, 19.4, 19.6-19.9 |
One of the more important aspects of this course involves integrating concepts. In class, we explore seemingly separate and independent concepts to help you to see how they are indeed related in very fundamental ways. In order to carry this mechanism of discovery into your daily lives, you will be required to complete an independent project, and submit a project report sometime before the end of the Spring 2012 term in AST 1052. The project will be your investigation into some aspect related to Planet Earth and how it fits into the spirit of interdisciplinary approaches to learning.
Possible topics for your project include:
Extensive class time is devoted to demonstrations and discussions. As such, your attendance is vital. Attendance is taken at the beginning of each class. If you arrive after attendance is recorded, it is recorded as an absence.
AST 1051 PLANET EARTH LABORATORIES - FALL 2011
DATE | WEEK | GROUP BLUE - SECTIONS 001, 003, and 005 | GROUP WHITE - SECTIONS 002, 004, and 006 |
Aug 24 | 1 | The Sky (241) aspects of the sky: appearance of celestial objects, motions, coordinates astronomical circumstances and gatherings, D-Day June 6, 1944 |
Introduction (247) examination of experimental design, computation introduction to Data Studio: tabular data and Cartesian coordinates |
Aug 31 | 2 | Introduction (247) | The Sky (241) |
Sep 07 | 3 | Sky & Ecliptic (241) examination of the paths of the planets, Sun, and Moon meaning of the signs of the Zodiac |
Hooke's Law - Elasticity (247) investigation of physical relationships by experimentation concepts of forces, motion, and elasticity |
Sep 14 | 4 | Hooke's Law - Elasticity (247) | Sky & Ecliptic (241) |
Sep 21 | 5 | Sky & Earth I (241) |
Hooke's Law - Periodic Motion (247) |
Sep 28 | 6 | Hooke's Law - Periodic Motion (247) | Sky & Earth I (241) |
Oct 05 | 7 | Sky & Earth II (241) | Freefall - Galileo's Tour de Force (247) |
Oct 12 | FALL BREAK | FALL BREAK | |
Oct 19 | 8 | Freefall - Galileo's Tour de Force (247) | Sky & Earth II (241) |
Oct 26 | 9 | The Total Lunar Eclipse of 10 December 2011 & the Saros (241) examination of the forthcoming total lunar eclipse determination of the cycle of eclipses - the Saros |
Heating Rate & Surface Color (247) |
Nov 02 | 10 | Heating Rate & Surface Color (247) | The Total Lunar Eclipse of 10 December 2011 & the Saros (241) |
Nov 09 | 11 | The Annular Solar Eclipse of 20 May 2012 (241) simulations of solar eclipses as seen from the Moon eclipses in history & their effects on Earthly affairs |
Cooling Rate & Surface Color (247) |
Nov 16 | 12 | Cooling Rate & Surface Color (247) | The Annular Solar Eclipse of 20 May 2012 (241) |
Nov 23 | THANKSGIVING BREAK | THANKSGIVING BREAK | |
Nov 30 | 13 | Make Up Lab * | Make Up Lab * |
Dec 07 | 14 | Final Lab Practicum (241 & 247) | Final Lab Practicum (241 & 247) |
AST 1053 PLANET EARTH LABORATORIES - SPRING 2012
DATE | WEEK | SECTIONS 1, 3, 100 | SECTIONS 2, 4, 101 |
Jan 18 | 1 | The Clockwork of the Moon & Planets (241) | Light from a Point Source (247) behavior of light intensity with distance |
Jan 25 | 2 | Light from a Point Source (247) | The Clockwork of the Moon & Planets (241)Kepler and the Distance to Mars (241) |
Feb 01 | 3 | Kepler and the Distance to Mars (241) | Color and Distance (247) behavior of light intensity with color & distance |
Feb 08 | 4 | Color and Distance (247) | Kepler and the Distance to Mars (241 |
Feb 15 | 5 | Kepler's Harmonic Law & Galileo's Observations of Jupiter (241) | Attenuation of Light (247) behavior of the effects of attenuation on light |
Feb 22 | 6 | Attenuation of Light (247) | Kepler's Harmonic Law & Galileo's Observations of Jupiter (241) |
Feb 29 | 7 | Newton and the Masses of the Sun & Jupiter (241) Newton's modification of Kepler's harmonic law a determination of the mass of the Sun and the mass of Jupiter |
Color & Temperature observations of the fundamental link between color and temperature |
Mar 07 | SPRING BREAK | SPRING BREAK | |
Mar 14 | 8 | Color & Temperature (247) | Newton and the Masses of the Sun & Jupiter (241) |
Mar 21 | 9 | Roemer and the Speed of Light (241) Roemer's classic determination of the speed of light Laboratory measurement of light using laser & rotating mirror |
Radioactivity I (247) behavior of radiation energy with distance & attenuation |
Mar 28 | 10 | Radioactivity I (247) | Roemer and the Speed of Light (241) |
Apr 04 | 11 | Asteroids, Comets, Meteors (241) examination of the smaller objects in the solar system meteor impacts & Halley's comet throughout history |
Radioactivity II (247) behavior of radiation in time; half-life & radiometric dating |
Apr 11 | 12 | Radioactivity II (247) | Asteroids, Comets, Meteors (241) |
Apr 18 | 13 | Make Up Lab * | Make Up Lab * |
Apr 25 | 14 | Final Lab Practicum (241 & 247) | Final Lab Practicum (241 & 247) |
May 02 | No Lab (VU follows Monday Schedule) | No Lab (VU follows Monday Schedule) |
The lab practicum will be given during the last scheduled lab period. There will be a session in Mendel 241 (the simulations) and a session in Mendel 247 (the experimentations). You must complete both sessions. The practicum counts for two lab grades; 2/14, or about 15% of your overall grade.
You will be required to conduct simulations and observations similar to those you have been performing during the semester. Typical operations are,
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
As a community committed to the Augustinian ideals of truth, unity, and love, Villanova University prides itself on maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity and does not tolerate any form of academic dishonesty or misconduct. Violations of the University's Code of Academic Integrity (as found, for example, in Appendix I of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Enchiridion) will be treated as serious offenses. Violations of academic integrity include, but are not limited to, such activities as plagiarism, representing the work of another student as one's own, copying on tests, etc. The minimum penalty for such violations in this course will be an "F" for the assignment in question. The most serious offenses may lead to expulsion from the University, with a record of the reason for dismissal retained in the student's permanent file.
Each student in Planet Earth is expected to work independently, submitting his or her own work to be graded. Upon encountering a particularly difficult concept or assignment, students are encouraged to meet with the instructor for additional help.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
It is the policy of Villanova to make reasonable academic accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. If you are a person with a disability please contact me after class or during office hours and make arrangements to register with the Learning Support Office by contacting 610-519-5636 or at nancy.mott@villanova.edu as soon as possible. Registration with the Learning Support Office is required in order to receive accommodations.