This is a descriptive survey course of elementary astronomy intended for both non-science and science majors. Topics covered include a description of the celestial sphere, techniques for measuring and classifying stars, stellar evolution, white dwarfs, black holes, neutron stars, galaxies, and Big Bang cosmology. A descriptive overview of the entire field of physics, including the concepts of scalars and vectors, Newton's laws, energy conservation, rotational motion, heat and thermodynamics, electricity, atomic and nuclear physics, relativity, and elementary particle physics. This course is intended to provide the non-scientist with substantial insight into the physical behavior of matter and energy.
Extensive demonstrations accompany the presentation of material to illustrate key concepts.
This course covers the laws of thermodynamics, kinetic theory of matter, simple harmonic motion, wave motion, electrostatics, DC circuits, RC circuits, and magnetic fields and forces. This course covers Faraday's Law, AC circuits, geometrical optics, interference and diffraction of light, the special theory of relativity, quantum physics, and atomic and nuclear physics. Astronomy 2 cr A laboratory course dealing with activities in observational astronomy, including observation by telescope, methods of astronomical photography and laboratory exercises on the solar system, stars, and galaxies. This course covers simple harmonic motion, wave motion, the laws of thermodynamics, kinetic theory of gases, electrostatic field and Gauss' law, electric potential, DC circuits, and magnetic fields. This course covers Ampere's law, Faraday's law and inductance, Maxwell's equations and electromagnetic waves, AC circuits, geometrical optics, interference and diffraction of light, special relativity, quantum physics, and atomic and nuclear physics.