SYLLABUS--PHYSICS 162--ELEMENTARY ASTRONOMY--Fall 2014 Sec 4
            Satisfies general education requirement                    
 Mary Anne Cummings, Faraday Hall 218, 753-???? macc@nicadd.niu.edu
 nicadd.niu.edu/~macc/162/162.html  www.physics.niu.edu/~observatory/  
 Office Hours: Wednesdays 5:30-6:15 and other times as needed
 Discovering the Essential Universe, N.F. Comins, 5th Edition (you can
 use earlier editions but the chapter and page numbering are different)

       Chapter                         pages              Review questions
                                                   (at end of chapters))    
   1  Discovering the Night Sky       1-12,14-16,21-22          14
   2  Gravitation and Planet Motion          all                11
      (App R)
   3  Light and Telescopes            all                       15
   8  The Sun                         225-230,238-244           10

   9  Characteristics of Stars        all                       6,13
  10  The Lives of Stars              267-289                   10
  11  The Death of Stars              295-314,317-326,329-330   9

   4  Formation of the Solar System   all                       5
  14  Astrobiology                    all                       none
  12  The Galaxies                    333-365                   10,24
  13  Cosmology                       Extra Reading             3
        
   Test 1. Chapters 1,2,3,8       Wednesday October 8
   Test 2. Chapters 9,10,11       Wednesday November 5        all exams:
   Test 3. Chapters 4,12,13,14    Wednesday December 3         50 minutes
   Test 4. final all chapters     Wednesday December 10       6:00-7:50 PM
   
  Grading: Each test will count 100 points and the lowest test score will be 
  dropped. There will be no makeups allowed after the day of the test; a 
  missed test will be considered as the lowest score and dropped. You can 
  choose to skip the final and just count the first three tests. Sample tests 
  are on the web page.  The assigned problems are due the day of the test 
  (1/2 credit if late). They contribute 24 points to your grade. The problems 
  will be reviewed at the end of the class immediately preceeding each exam
  day. You can turn in two extra credit papers. An extra credit paper should 
  be from 2.5-4 typed pages. I will not accept papers e-mailed to me. The 
  deadline is before the final (not 3 hours later). Possible papers are:
     1. a visit to the observatory. 10 points maximum (1 report only). 
        Sign in when there.
     2. report on a movie shown in class. 10 points maximum/paper
        Sign in after watching the movie
   You can also receive 2 extra credit points/movie for watching the
  movies shown in class. Sign in after watching the movie. This is in 
  addition to the 10 points for the paper.

   Class Curve  260+      A   The letter grades posted on Blackboard are
                225-259   B   meaningless. If you take 4 exams, Blackboard   
                180-224   C   does not drop the lowest exam and so the
                150-179   D   Blackboard sum of points is incorrect