|
| |
EXTRA CREDIT OPTIONS FOR
PHYSICS 111
For each exam you may select and perform one of the
activities decribed here. This activity must be turned in at the beginning of the class
period following the exam. It is possible to earn up to seven points to be added to your
exam score. These extra activities are entirely voluntary - no one is required to do them.
.
In addition to these extra credit activities associated
with individual exams, there is a larger project which may be
completed to raise your end of the semester average.
Essays and Projects
Some of the Questions to Ponder at the end of the chapters
require more than a simple factual answer. Some require an opinion with reasoning to back
up the opinion. Others involve gathering information in the library or on the internet and
reporting on it. I have also added some possibilities that are not in the book. You
may choose any of the questions listed below. Sometimes a specific length for your
response is specified in the question. If not, your answer should be no more than
two typed pages. (Typed essays are preferred but not required.) Any time you get
information from a source other than the textbook be sure to cite your reference.
This includes web sites not just books and magazines. Each project can add a maximum of 7
points to your exam score. Whether you are awarded the maximum number of points will
depend on the quality of your work. Most of the questions are such that it will be
difficult to complete them if you wait until after you take the exam to begin on
them. You should decide now whether you have the time to do extra credit work and,
if so, get started as we begin each section of new material. Look over all the
possibilities for each exam and pick something that interests you.
For Exam I
 | Prologue Question to
Ponder #1 |
| Prologue Activity |
| Many ancient Greek scientists had ideas that, in
retrospect, seem well ahead of their time. Choose one of the following Greek
scientists, and learn enough about their work in science and asatronomy to write a one- to
two-page "scientific biography."
 | Thales |
| Anaxagoras |
| Archimedes |
| Hipparchus |
| Hypatia |
| Anaximander |
| Eratosthenes |
| Democritus |
| Eudoxus |
| Aristarchus |
|
| Choose an ancient astronomical struction of interest to you
(e.g. Stonehenge, Nazca lines, Pawnee lodges) and research its history. Wrtie a two-
to three-page summary of your findings. If possible, also build a scale model of the
structure of create detailed diagrams to illustrate how the structure was used. |
For Exam II
| Ch. 5 Question to
Ponder #9 |
| Ch. 11 Activity 1 |
| Visit NASA's web site for the Sun-Earth connection and
explore some of the current and planned spae missions designed to observe the Sun.
Choose one mission to study in greater depth, and write a one- to two-page report
on the mission status and goals and what it has taught or will teach us about the Sun. |
| Study Chapter 11 of Lewis Epstein's Relativity
Visualized (San Francisco: Insight Press, 1983) and summarize his discussion of
warped space. |
For Exam III
| Consult an astronomy magazine, such as Astronomy
or Sky and Telescope, and report on the lastest findings concerning
SN1987A. |
| Until fairly recently, men greatly outnumbered women in
professional astronomy. Nevertheless, many women made crucial discoveries in
astronomy throughout history. Do some research about the life and discoveries of a
woman astronomer from any time period, and write a two- to three-page scientific
biography. |
| Historical accounts exist for supernovae in the years 1006,
1054, 1572, and 1604. Choose one of these supernovae and learn more about historical
records of the event. Did the supernova influence human history in any way?
Write a two- and three-page summary of your research findings. |
| Write a one- to two-page short story of one of the
scenarios below. Each story should be detailed and scientifically correct, but also
creative. That is, it should be entertaining while at the same time proving that you
understand stellar evolution. Be sure to state whether "you" are a member
of a binary system.
| You are a white dwart of 0.8 Msun. Tell
your life story. |
| You are a neutron star of 1.5 Msun. Tell
your life story. |
|
Final Exam
| Ch. 16 Question to
Ponder #5 |
| Ch. 10 Question to
Ponder #9 |
| Ch. 10 Question to Ponder #11 |
| Ch.8 Question to
Ponder # 9 |
Semester Project
In addition to the extra credit
activities associated with individual tests, there is a larger project which may be
completed to raise your end of the semester average. This project involves observing the
moon and will be done over a period of one to two months. If you choose to do this
project,
- Prepare a lunar observation record. This record should
contain columns for the date, time of observation, phase of moon, and general location of
the moon in the sky.
- Begin your observations with the occurrence of a full moon.
Record your observations three times per day: around sunrise (or whenever you get up),
midday and late evening (before you go to bed). Your observations do not have to be made
from the same location each time, but they should be made at approximately the same time
each day. You should get in the habit of looking for the moon anytime you are outdoors.
- For each observation, record the time of the observation,
the phase of the moon (words or picture), and a description of the moon's general location
in the sky (such as, high in the south, just above the eastern horizon, etc.). If you use
pictures to describe the phase, pay attention to whether the crescent opens to the East or
West. You will not be able to see the moon every time you look. In your record, be sure to
distinguish between times when you could not see the moon because the sky was cloudy and
when you could not see the moon because it was below the horizon.
- If the weather is mostly clear, so that you see the moon
most days, you may stop after one month. If you have lots of cloudy days, you should
observe for at least six weeks.
- When you have completed your observations, summarize the
relationship between the phase of the moon and its location in the sky at various times of
the day.
|
