Instructor: Dr. Doug R. Ingram
Lectures: MWF 9:00-9:50 in SWR LH2
Text: "Cosmic Perspective, 5th ed." by Bennett et al.
Office: SWR 368
Hours: MTWRF 10-11 and by appointment
Phone: (817) 257-7313 (less reliable)
Email: d.ingram@tcu.edu (more reliable)
WWW: http://personal.tcu.edu/~dingram/phys20083

Overview: We'll start with some basic concepts in Astronomy, including simple observations, coordinate systems, size scales and the properties of light and matter. Once these concepts are covered, we will discuss the properties of the Sun and the other stars in the galaxy. We will study how stars evolve over time, and we will study groups of stars such as clusters and various types of galaxies. We will look at current issues and theories of cosmology and study the Big Bang, both what we think about it and how we figure things out. An overriding theme of the course will be the process and philosophy of science, with examples taken from current research problems (such as the latest data from current NASA missions) and discussed at length.

Grading: If you are taking 20023 (lecture without the lab component), then each of the five exams (the final is one of the five exams) will count for 20% of your total grade. If you are taking 20083 (lecture with the lab component), each of the four regular exams counts for 15% of your grade, the final exam counts for 20% and the lab grade also counts for 20%, though your grade may be penalized if you miss labs (see the Physics 20083 Lab Announcement for details). Grading scale:

Attendance: I don't take attendance, but I am aware of attendance. If you're going to miss two or more classes during the semester, then you should seriously consider taking a different class. Your grade will simply suffer too much if you miss class. I reserve the right to penalize students who frequently arrive to class more than 1 minute late by deducting points from their exam scores.

Exams: The exams in this course will be based exclusively on material from lectures, films, thought questions and in-class discussions. The book is supplemental and helpful to your understanding of the course material, and you will find that keeping up with the reading will help greatly (but it is not a substitute for attending class). Each of the four exams during the semester will cover only the material from the preceding lectures. These four exams are not cumulative, but the final exam will be comprehensive. No exam grades will be dropped. In the event of an unavoidable and documented medical or legal reason for missing an exam, I will consider the issue on an individual basis. Usually, make-up exams will be oral, given by me as close to the exam date as possible (either before or after). A tentative exam schedule is given below. Exams will last for 50 minutes.

Exam Dates:

Academic Misconduct:

Policies and procedures regarding your rights as well as responsibilities are published in the TCU Student Handbook, available on line at http://www.studentaffairs.tcu.edu/handbook/handbook.htm. Specifically, review Section 3.4 regarding Academic misconduct, i.e. cheating, plagiarism etc.

Students with Disabilities: Texas Christian University complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 regarding students with disabilities. If you require accommodations for a disability, please contact the Coordinator for Students with Disabilities in the Center for Academic Services, located in Sadler Hall 11. Further information can be obtained from the Center for Academic Services, TCU Box 297710, Fort Worth, TX 76129, or at 817-257-7486.

Adequate time must be allowed to arrange accommodations and accommodations are not retroactive; therefore, students should contact the Coordinator as soon as possible in the academic term for which they are seeking accommodations. Each eligible student is responsible for presenting relevant, verifiable, professional documentation and/or assessment reports to the Coordinator. Guidelines for documentation may be found at http://www.acs.tcu.edu/DISABILITY.HTM.

Students with emergency medical information or needing special arrangements in case a building must be evacuated should discuss this information with their instructor/professor as soon as possible.

Teamwork: I expect many of you to work together when studying for exams, and that's great! Ask each other questions, and help each other out! I strongly encourage you to form groups of 3 or more to study for exams and answer thought questions in handouts. You're not competing with one another since there is no curve.

But, please, note this word of caution! Don't rely on your group as a crutch. Failure to fully analyze and discover the solutions to questions I pose in handouts on your own may lead to disaster on exams. Your group's best role is as a backup. Use others to verify your own original answers to questions, not to tell you what the answers are. This course is not about memorization; it is about figuring things out on your own. The discussions you have with your group about the answers to various questions are important, but they are no substitute for your own analysis.

Advice: I will always give optional reading assignments from the text well in advance of the appropriate lecture. This does not mean that the lectures will be derived from the text! In other words, I really mean it when I say that the reading is intended to be supplemental and helpful, but it is not a substitute for attendance. I realize that reading 18 chapters in 15 weeks is not going to be a high priority for many of you. I encourage you to read as much as you can, taking care to familiarize yourself before lecture with the particularly interesting and/or confusing points in the relevant chapters. I'm always happy to answer questions sparked by your reading during lecture.

In general, the more time you invest in preparation for the lecture by reading the assigned chapters, the more you'll get out of the course. As usual, then, I'm torn between the necessity to encourage you to read the text and the unfairness of asking you to read everything I assign. In the end, it's your call. I will trust you to strike a balance that will enable you to get the most out of this course without putting unreasonable demands on your time. Try to budget your time wisely in this course. Realistically expect to spend at least an hour outside of class for every hour in class (even more if you are having trouble). Don't just wait to study until the night before the exam. Do the thought questions well in advance (especially those with web links, which have a nasty habit of being unreachable the day before the exam) and think about the study questions so that you can ask me to cover your weak spots during the reviews.