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Instructor: Professor
Ringwald E-mail: ringwald[at]csufresno.edu and replace [at] with @
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Phone: (559) 278-8426 |
Office hours (vai Zoom, email, or phone, between January 21 and
May 6): MoTuWeTh 5:30-7:00 p.m.
You don't need an appointment to come in
during office hours.
This is time set aside for
students, when Professor Ringwald will be in.
You
can get homework help, free tutoring, or review
sessions before exams, personalized just for you.
Class objectives:
(1) To serve that most essential purpose of a good
education: to show you what lies beyond the horizon,
in space and in time.
Required Course Texts (which should be
available at Kennel Bookstore, in the University
Student Union):
Required Course Equipment:
(1) A clear plastic ruler.
Recommended Course Equipment:
(1) A scientific calculator (that can display
scientific notation, and can calculate
exponents).
Course web page:
http://zimmer.csufresno.edu/~fringwal/psci21.html.
Course grades will be awarded for the
following final percentages:
85.000-100% = A;
70.000-84.999% = B; 60.000-69.999% = C; 50.000-59.999% = D;
0-49.999% = F.
These percentages will be computed with the following
weights:
| 15% | Take-Home Mid-Term Exam 1, due by email by 11:59 p.m. on March 5. |
| 15% | Take-Home Mid-Term Exam 2, due by email by 11:59 p.m. on April 23. |
| 5% |
Paper Title & Summary, see the
Writing Guide, due by email by 11:59 p.m. on April 23. |
| 5% | The Exercise on the Nature of Evidence, due by email by 11:59 p.m. on April 30. |
| 10% | Laboratory, for which every student must register for a section, separately from this lecture section. |
| 20% | Research Paper, over 1200 words long and with a reference list (see the Writing Guide), due by email by 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, May 5, the last day of instruction. Students may use a copy of this Research Paper in the GE Portfolio. |
| 30% | Take-Home Final Exam, which will be comprehensive (covering all material in the entire PSci 21 course), due by email by 11:59 p.m. on 5/13. |
TENTATIVE Course Schedule (updated April 29).
Always do the readings before class:
| Week | M | W | F | Read by Wednesday of next week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1/18: No class: MLK holiday | 1/20: No class | 1/22: Introduction and Course Syllabus | Chapters 1, 2 and 3 of Astronomy for Beginners and this entire syllabus |
| 2 | 1/25: Why Study Science, If You're Majoring in Something Else? | 1/27: Powers of Ten and Scientific Notation | 1/29: Metric System, Units Conversions, The Light-Year, Look-Back Time | Pages 9-35, 66-72, 108-121, and 127-135 of The Stars by H. A. Rey and Chapters 4 and 5 of Astronomy for Beginners |
| 3 | 2/01: Proportions: A Brief Tour of Space and Time | 2/03: The Cosmic Calendar | 2/05: Classical Astronomy: Seasons | Chapters 6 and 7 of Astronomy for Beginners |
| 4 | 2/08: Classical Astronomy: Constellations (continued) | 2/10: Scientific Method | 2/12: From Copernicus to Kepler | Chapter 8 of Astronomy for Beginners |
| 5 | 2/15: No class: holiday | 2/17: Galileo | 2/19: Newton | Chapter 9 of Astronomy for Beginners |
| 6 | 2/22: Atoms, Isotopes, and Radioactivity | 2/24: Matter, Energy, and the Laws of Thermodynamics | 2/26: Light and spectra | Chapters 10 and 11 of Astronomy for Beginners; also re-read Chapters 1-8 of Astronomy for Beginners, Lab 1, and The Stars by H. A. Rey |
| 7 | 3/01: More tricks of the light: thermal radiation, chemical fingerprinting, and the Doppler effect | 3/03: Telescopes (Refractors vs. Reflectors) | 3/05: Telescopes (Aperture, Resolution, and Magnification); Take-Home Mid-Term Exam 1 due by email by 11:59 p.m., covering Chapters 1-8 of Astronomy for Beginners, Lab 1, and The Stars by H. A. Rey, | Chapters 12, 13, and 14 of Astronomy for Beginners |
| 8 | 3/08: Eyes, Small Telescopes, and CCDs | 3/10: The Solar System | 3/12: Exolanets: Planets of Other Stars | Pages 136-138 of The Stars by H. A. Rey and Chapters 15, 16, and 17 of Astronomy for Beginners |
| 9 | 3/15: Planet Earth | 3/17: Moon Phases and Eclipses (Rey, pages 136-138) | 3/19: The Earth's Moon | Chapters 18, 19, 20, and 21 of Astronomy for Beginners |
| 10 | 3/22: Mars | 3/24: Cosmic Debris: Asteroids, Comets, and Kuiper-Belt Objects | 3/26: Mercury, Venus, and Atmospheres | - |
| - | 3/29: No class: Spring Break | 3/31: No class: Spring Break | 4/02: No class: Spring Break | Chapters 22 and 23 of Astronomy for Beginners |
| 11 | 4/05: The Outer Solar System | 4/07: The Sun | 4/09: The Sun and Nuclear Physics | Chapters 24 and 25 of Astronomy for Beginners; Also re-read pages 136-138 of The Stars by H. A. Rey and Chapters 9-22 of Astronomy for Beginners |
| 12 | 4/12: Stars | 4/14: Stars: spectral types and luminosity classes | 4/16: Stellar evolution | Chapter 26 of Astronomy for Beginners |
| 13 | 4/19: Nebulae, Star Birth, and Star Death | 4/21: Black Holes and Relativity | 4/23: Black Holes and Relativity (continued); Take-Home Mid-Term Exam 2 due by email by 11:59 p.m., covering pages 136-138 of The Stars by H. A. Rey and Chapters 9-22 of Astronomy for Beginners, and ALSO: Paper Title and Summary due by email by 11:59 p.m. (see the Writing Guide) | Chapter 27 of Astronomy for Beginners |
| 14 | 4/26: Ultimate Address and the Large-Scale Structure of the Universe | 4/28: Cosmology | 4/30: The Deep Universe; The Exercise on the Nature of Evidence due by email by 11:59 p.m. | Chapters 28, 29, and 30 of Astronomy for Beginners |
| 15 | 5/03: Life from Outer Space | 5/05: The Most Influential Scientific Findings of All Time; Research Paper due by email by 11:59 p.m., see the Writing Guide | 5/07: No class | Chapters 31 and 32 of Astronomy for Beginners; also re-read Chapters 1-32 of Astronomy for Beginners, all assigned parts of The Stars by H. A. Rey, and all labs, especially the lab on The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram. |
| Schedule # | Day | Time | Lab Classroom | Instructor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35238 (07-LAB) | Monday | 5:30-7:20 p.m. | Virtual Asynchronous | Mrs. Harrison |
| 35237 (09-LAB) | Monday | 5:30-7:20 p.m. | Virtual Asynchronous | Mr. Contreras |
| 35242 (11-LAB) | Tuesday | 5:30-7:20 p.m. | Virtual Asynchronous | Mr. Contreras |
| 35239 (13-LAB) | Tuesday | 5:30-7:20 p.m. | Virtual Asynchronous | Mr. Harness |
| 35956 (15-LAB) | Wednesday | 5:30-7:20 p.m. | Virtual Asynchronous | Mr. Harness |
| 35243 (17-LAB) | Wednesday | 5:30-7:20 p.m. | Virtual Asynchronous | Mr. Bellis |
| 35883 (19-LAB) | Monday | 7:30-9:20 p.m. | Virtual Asynchronous | Mrs. Harrison |
| 35957 (21-LAB) | Monday | 7:30-9:20 p.m. | Virtual Asynchronous | Mr. Contreras |
| 35241 (23-LAB) | Tuesday | 7:30-9:20 p.m. | Virtual Asynchronous | Mr. Contreras |
| 35240 (25-LAB) | Tuesday | 7:30-9:20 p.m. | Virtual Asynchronous | Mr. Harness |
| 35958 (27-LAB) | Wednesday | 7:30-9:20 p.m. | Virtual Asynchronous | Mr. Harness |
| 36109 (29-LAB) | Wednesday | 7:30-9:20 p.m. | Virtual Asynchronous | Mr. Bellis |
TENTATIVE Lab Schedule (updated 2020 December 17).
| Week | Dates | Moon | Lab |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | January 18-20 | First Quarter (January 20) | No labs: Martin Luther King Day holiday |
| 2 | January 25-27 | Full (January 28) | No labs |
| 3 | February 1-3 | Last Quarter (February 4) | No labs |
| 4 | February 8-10 | New (February 11) | Do as homework, scan or photograph, and email to your PSci 21 lab
instructor by 11:59 p.m. on February 10: Lab 1, Star Names, Maps, and Constellations. |
| 5 | February 15-17 | First Quarter (February 19) | No labs: Presidents' Day holiday |
| 6 | February 22-24 | Full (February 27) | Do as homework, scan or photograph, and email to your PSci 21 lab
instructor by 11:59 p.m. on February 24: Lab 2, The Mystery Constellations. |
| 7 | March 1-3 | Last Quarter (March 5) | Do as homework, scan or photograph, and email to your PSci 21 lab
instructor by 11:59 p.m. on March 3: Lab 3, How Many Stars are in the Milky Way? |
| 8 | March 8-10 | New (March 13) | Do as homework, scan or photograph, and email to your PSci 21 lab
instructor by 11:59 p.m. on March 10: Lab 4, Exponential Growth and Decay. |
| 9 | March 15-17 | First Quarter (March 21) | Do as homework, scan or photograph, and email to your PSci 21 lab
instructor by 11:59 p.m. on March 17: Lab 5: What's the Difference between Energy and Power? |
| 10 | March 22-24 | Full (March 28) |
Do as homework, type your answers into email, and send to your
PSci 21 lab instructor by 11:59 p.m. on March 24: Lab 6, Roman Numerals. |
| - | March 29-31 | Last Quarter (April 4) | No labs: Spring break; also César Chávez Day holiday |
| 11 | April 5-7 | New (April 11) | Do as homework, type your answers into email, and send to your PSci
21 lab instructor by 11:59 p.m. on April 7: Lab 7, Life from Outer Space. |
| 12 | April 12-14 | New (April 11) |
Do as homework, scan or photograph, and email to your PSci 21 lab
instructor by 11:59 p.m. on April 14: Lab 8, The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram. |
| 13 | April 19-21 | First Quarter (April 20) |
Do as homework, type your answers into email, and send to your
PSci 21 lab instructor by 11:59 p.m. on April 21: Lab 9, Classification of Galaxies. [NOTE TO LAB INSTRUCTORS: Please grade all labs, record the grades, and return all labs to the students during the April 26-28 labs.] |
| 14 | April 26-28 | Full (April 26) |
Math review lab, via Zoom
[NOTE TO LAB INSTRUCTORS: Email the Lab Final Quiz to all students by 5 p.m. on Monday, May 3.] |
| 15 | May 3-5 | Last Quarter (May 3) |
Do as homework, type your answers into email, and send to your
PSci 21 lab instructor by 11:59 p.m. on May 5: The Lab Final Quiz, covering all labs. |
Because PSci 21 is such a large class, the instructor will not be able to accept late work under any circumstances, even from students with a compelling reason to be late, such as an illness documented by a physician's note. In cases in which students do have a compelling reason to be late, and only in such cases, the instructor will mark missed work as "excused," which will mean that the part of the course grade for which that work would have counted will be voided, and the rest of the grade will be counted as 100%.
Last-minute technical problems, such as broken printers or computer drives, happen when students wait until the last minute to complete an assignment. There is really no excuse for late work, because at a typing speed of 30-40 words per minute, it takes less than an hour to type and print even the longest PSci 21 assignment. Equipment failure at the worst possible time therefore isn't a plausible excuse, and will not be accepted as a valid excuse. There are computers and printers on campus that students may use, and students ought to make backups and print out drafts, to prevent this. If students don't even have an hour to spare to do their work, they have problems the PSci 21 instructor can't help.
Sorry, but the instructor cannot give make-ups for mid-term exams, nor can the instructor give mid-term or final exams in advance, not even for students who have legitimate reasons for being absent. Legitimate reasons for being absent include, but are not limited to, job interviews, illness documented by a physician's note, deaths in the immediate family that can be documented, or participating in University-sponsored activities, such as athletics, theatre, or ROTC. If any student must miss a mid-term exam, the student should remember that only the higher of the two mid-term exams will count. If any student must miss both mid-term exams, the part of the course grade for which the mid-term exam would have counted will be voided, and the rest of the grade will be counted as 100%.
This is really the only possible solution, since it takes about eight hours of the instructor's time to prepare one of the instructor's special, mathematically formulated, cheat-proof exams, each of which must be different for every student who wants a make-up exam or an exam in advance. (In the past, students who were allowed to take make-up and advance exams abused the privilege by attempting use the situation to cheat.) It is therefore quite impossible for the instructor to give make-up exams or exams in advance without substantial additional cost in the instructor's time. Scheduling make-up exams or exams in advance, in classes as large as PSci 21, is also not feasible: during the instructor's first semesters at Fresno State, make-up and advance exams were allowed. It quickly became obvious that it was impossible to accommodate every student who wanted them. Fairness and the sheer number of requests left no choice but to end the practice altogether of giving make-up exams and exams in advance, and never make exceptions.
If any student must miss the final exam for a very compelling reason, such as an illness documented by a physician's note, that student will receive a grade of I (incomplete) for PSci 21 for the semester. It will then be that student's responsibility to contact the university administration within the first 15 working days of the next semester to make the arrangements to remove the I grade. See the California State University, Fresno General Catalog for regulations concerning the Incomplete (I) grade. Only students who can document a very compelling reason for missing the final exam, such as an illness documented with a physician's note, will be eligible for incompletes: other students missing the final exam will get a 0% on the Final Exam.
The above paragraph means that if any student's parents or anyone else buys that student a plane ticket or otherwise arranges for that student to leave the Fresno area at the end of the term, the party who bought the ticket or made these arrangements is responsible for knowing when the Final Exam for this course is, and that students are not allowed to miss the Final Exam for this course for any reason other than an illness documented by a physician's note, or else that student will get a 0% on the Final Exam. Another, plainer way of stating this is: If you choose to go on vacation during the academic year, or someone chooses it for you, too bad. I don't get to go on vacation during the academic year. It is so patently unfair to me: it's not right to expect me to do extra work so you can go on vacation.
No extra credit of any kind will be given in any section of any course that is taught be Professor Ringwald, including this course (PSci 21). It isn't fair to the good students who did what they needed to do right the first time, in much the way things work in real life.
If students want to know their mid-term grades, the mid-term exams indicate them reliably. During 2007 Spring, 83% of PSci 21 students got a grade for the entire course within one grade of what they scored on the higher of the two mid-term exams.
The instructor will be happy to fix any errors that occur in the grading. If after any errors are fixed, students still want to contest their grades, the students are required to do so in writing. This written request must be typed and must be a minimum of half a single-spaced page of 12-point type for exam or Final Exam questions, and a minimum of one single-spaced page of 12-point type for the overall grade. It is to be submitted one time, either to the instructor during office hours, or to the instructor's mailbox in McLane 173. See Grade Protests in the California State University, Fresno General Catalog: this must be done before the end of the fourth week of classes, during the semester immediately following the semester in which the contested grade was awarded.
(a) understand or seek clarification about
expectations for academic integrity in this course
(including no cheating, plagiarism and inappropriate
collaboration)
(b) neither give nor receive unauthorized aid on
examinations or other course work that is used by the
instructor as the basis of grading.
(c) take responsibility to monitor academic
dishonesty in any form and to report it to the
instructor or other appropriate official for action.
Instructors may require students to sign a statement
on exams and assignments that "I have done my own
work and have neither given nor received unauthorized
assistance on this work." (This section on the honor
code was a required syllabus policy statement by
Fresno State.)
DO NOT EVER copy and then paste anything with a computer, without enclosing it in quotes and citing a reference. This is plagiarism, and the first instance of it that the PSci 21 instructor or lab instructor finds will earn any student who does it a grade of F for the entire PSci 21 course.
DO NOT EVER take papers from the internet, and turn them in as your work. This is now easy for professors to detect, with www.plagiarism.org. Modifying someone else's paper slightly, or changing the word order, or stringing someone else's paragraphs together, even if they're cited, are also forms of plagiarism. Remember, always: you are responsible for anything with your name on it. Never turn in homework assignments that are exact copies of someone else's work. If you collaborate with other students, write up your results separately.
To prevent plagiarism, the instructor will be scanning both the paper titles and summaries and the research papers themselves. If the instructor finds any work that is plagiarized, the student will receive an F for the entire PSci 21 course. The instructor may also send the plagiarized work to the Dean and other university authorities (e.g. coaches) and recommend the student be expelled from the University—or the degree be revoked, if the student has graduated. Do NOT plagiarize!
Go
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Last updated 2021 June 10. Web page by Professor
Ringwald
Department of Physics, California State
University, Fresno. Please read this disclaimer