PHY 101 - Assignments

                           

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Homework Assignments:

You should do problems every night. The following select list of problems should be started on the given evening and finished by the given due date. (These problems will be set up and graded in WileyPLUS. So, you can practice using the textbook version. In WileyPLUS you will see the same problems but with different values given.) You are further encouraged to go over other problems on your own.

Answers to Even-numbered problems:  

HW# Start     Chap  Problems Due By
1 Aug 20 R 1 4 6 9 13 16 18  
  25 T 1 23 31 35 45 47 8/27
2   27 R 2 3 8 11 14 18 25 28 35  
   Sep 1 T 2
3
46 49 53 59 65 68
2 6 9
9/3
3   3 R 3
4
12 15 16 27 29 39 45
1 5 11 14
9/8
    7 M   Labor Day  
4   8 T 4 27 28 32 40  
    10 R 4 46 47 48 53 59 61 62 71 76 9/15
    15 T   Exam I  
5   17 R 5 1 5 8 13 15 21 25 32 36 41 60 9/22
6   22 T 6 4 6 8 15 24  
    24 R 6 33 40 42 45 54 60 63 9/29
7   29 T 7 2 5 12 13 18 20 23  
 Oct 1 R 7 29 31 35 38 50 52 10/8
    5 M   Fall Vacation  
    6 T   Fall Vacation  
8   8 R 8 3 9 12 15 16 21 27 30  
    13 T 8 37 40 42 46 54 56 61 10/15
9   15 R 9 3 5 12 13 18 22 32  
  20 T 9 44 46 52 57 60 64 10/22
    22 R   Exam II  
10   27 T 10 1 4 7 12 15 18 24 27  
    29 R 10 43 45 51 56 57 60 11/3
11  Nov 3 T 11 1 11 14 20 22 27 34 40 48 50  
  5 R 12 3 11 18 19 44 45 57 59 65 11/10
12   10 T 13
14
2 5 13 24 29
1 3 9 11 13 16 33 36
11/12
13 12 R 15 3 6 8 13 20 22 23 29 35 36  
17 T 15 45 52 55 57 65 77 78 80 11/19
    19 R   Exam III  
14   24 T 16 1 3 12 18 26 52 55 65 71 12/1
25 W   Thanksgiving  
26 R   Thanksgiving  
27 F   Thanksgiving  
15 Dec 1 T 17 1 7 8 20 29 32 33 43 51 12/2

BONUS REPORTS

These will be reports which are typed with double-spacing and 12 pt font. You will be expected to use correct English grammar and punctuation. Do not just list the answers, but put everything into proper sentence and paragraph form. DO NOT COPY AND PASTE text from the Internet.  You should show that you have read and digested the material. All work that is not yours is supposed to be supported with a bibliography whenever write. Grades are typically given based upon proper, answering questions, and evidence of the effort made. The grades earned will be added to your homework grade. You are expected to list references, including non-electronic library materials.

 

Bonus #1 Manhattan Project - Due September 24th


What was the Manhattan Project? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwpgmEvlRpM

Bonus #2 Nobel Prize - Due October 29th

Again - make sure you follow the general directions for the format, including that you are not just listing the questions and answering them, but writing an essay of substantial length. You might want to check out http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/, the interviews http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/video_interviews.html and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Nt1or4tHD4  

  • Who won this year's physics prize and what for?

  • Steven Chu won in 1997 http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1997/index.html. What has he been doing lately?

  • What were the origins of the establishment of the Noble Prizes.

  • What fields are awarded Noble Prizes? 

  • What were the top five countries from which Nobel (physics) winners came.

  • How many women have received Nobel prizes in physics?

  • Has anyone received more than two physics prizes?

  • Pick and describe at length in your own words an area awarded a Nobel Prize in physics during the last 20 years and which you find particularly interesting.

  • What have you learned that you did not know before?

Bonus #2 Physical Cosmology - Due November 24th

 

While answering the following, try to see how they are connected, who the key players were/are and how this is connected with physics. Possible videos to watch:

 

TED Talks - Relatively Short

Longer Video Series

Other

Questions:

  • What is physical cosmology?

  • What is the Big Bang and when did it take place? What proof is there for the Big Bang? In this context what is Cosmic Inflation?

  • What is the cosmic microwave background (CMBR)? When was it first discovered? Why is it important today? What were COBE and WMAP?

  • What are dark energy and dark matter? How are they related to the above?

  • What is the current state of understanding of the ultimate fate of the universe?

  • What are some of the way out ideas? string theory, parallel universes, etc.

  • What does the LHC (Large Hadron Collider) have to do with cosmology?

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E-Mail: Dr. Russell Herman Last Updated: November 05, 2009