The final exam will have a similar format of the first two in-class exams. It will cover primarily the material that was discussed SINCE the second exam (see below). However, it will also cover a few key concepts from the first two-thirds of the course; these topics are also outlined below. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call or email me, or stop by my office. Dr. Chanover
By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:
Explain the cause of volcanoes on Io.
Describe ways in which the large satellites of the outer planets are different from our Moon.
Compare ways in which Saturn's moon Titan is similar to and different from the Earth.
Describe the process of how Pluto was discovered. Compare our state of knowledge about Pluto to our knowledge about the other planets.
Compare the different ring systems of the 4 giant planets.
By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:
Explain the importance of comets and asteroids for understanding the history and evolution of our solar system.
Describe the differences between asteroids and comets in terms of:
Characterize the threat of an impact of a near-Earth asteroid and describe what effects such an impact might have.
Label the parts of a comet and describe what causes the various tails.
Explain how an Earth-orbiting spacecraft that studies the Sun (SOHO) is used to discover comets.
By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:
Explain to your little sister what a "shooting star" really is.
Distinguish between a meteor and a meteorite.
Explain what causes meteor showers.
Describe what is special about the Martian meteorite ALH 84001, and describe how it was discovered and how we know it originated at Mars.
By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:
Label the different components of the Sun's interior and atmosphere.
Explain what causes the surface of the Sun to appear "grainy."
List and describe examples of solar activity.
Describe sunspots in terms of their shape, size, origin, duration, etc.
Discuss ways in which the Sun interacts with the Earth.
By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:
Discuss the observed properties of our solar system that would need to be explained by any formation theory.
Explain the steps involved in forming our solar system. These include the formation of the protoplanetary disk as well as the formation of the individual planets.
Discuss current observational evidence that supports our ideas of solar system formation.
Explain the most commonly used method for detecting planets around other stars and determine why it is biased towards discovering "hot Jupiters."
Discuss how the newly discovered planetary systems are similar to and different from our own solar system.
By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:
Describe the steps that astronomers and biologists are currently taking to understand the evolution of life on Earth and elsewhere in the Universe.
Define:
Explain why astronomers are using radio waves to search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
These key points from earlier in the semester may come up again:
Explain what causes the seasons on Earth
Determine which other planets undergo seasonal changes, and justify your answer. [Hint: what crucial piece of information would you need to know about each planet in order to answer this question?]
Identify the different phases of the moon, and specify what times of day or night each phase would be visible in
Explain to an adult family member what causes the phases of the moon
Draw the geometry of the Sun, Moon, and Earth for both a solar eclipse and a lunar eclipse
Determine which phase the moon must be in for both solar and lunar eclipses
Explain Newton's Law of Gravitation to a high school student, addressing the following concepts:
- what does each variable in the formula represent?
- how does the force of gravity depends on an object's mass? distance from another object?
- use everyday examples of gravitational force, as well as examples in the solar system
Describe the following forms of radiation in terms of how they relate to visible light:
Explain the idea of plate tectonics, including:
Explain what causes the greenhouse effect. Is it necessarily a bad thing? What would the Earth be like if we had no greenhouse effect? How is the greenhouse effect linked to global warming?
Describe the surface geology of Mars. Does it have craters? Mountains? Volcanoes? Evidence of ongoing plate tectonics?
Explain what causes a magnetosphere, or what properties of a planet are required in order to have a magnetosphere.