Astronomy 162:
Introduction to Stars, Galaxies, & the Universe
Prof. Richard Pogge, MTWThF 9:30

Homework Assignments

There will be 4 homework assignments, as follows:

Homework 1 (Out Monday Jan 9, Due Wednesday Jan 18)
Homework 2 (Out Monday Jan 23, Due Monday Jan 30)
Homework 3 (Out Monday Feb 6, Due Monday Feb 13)
Homework 4 (Out Monday Feb 20, Due Monday Feb 27)
Homework 5: Cancelled

Note: I've decided to cancel Homework #5, since I forgot to hand it out with sufficient time to do it before the end of the quarter.

Each homework assignment consists of a short set of five (5) multiple-choice questions. The questions are open-book, open-notes, open-discussion. The answers must be returned on the bubble sheets provided in class on the due date.

Collectively the homework will count for 15% of the final grade, the equivalent of one in-class exam.

These are not practice exams. Instead, they are an opportunity for me to ask somewhat more challenging questions than I can ask on the exams. These questions are designed to get you thinking about and discussing the course topics in an active way. I strongly encourage you to form study groups to discuss the questions among yourselves, but in the end you must decide on the final answers yourself (beware the perils of group-think, which can lead down the wrong path as often as not!).

We will hand the answers to your homework back to you on Wednesday following the due date (and post the answers on the web).

No Late Homework will be accepted.

"Late" means after class on the due date. Exceptions will only be made for legitimate, documentable emergencies.

Homework Assignments and Answers

The PDF files below require that you use the free Acrobat Reader.

Homework 1: Assignment Worksheet (24k PDF); Due Wednesday, Jan 18, in class
Homework 2: Assignment Worksheet (27k PDF); Due Monday, Jan 30, in class
Homework 3: Assignment Worksheet (25k PDF); Due Monday, Feb 13, in class
Homework 4: Assignment Worksheet (114k PDF); Due Monday, Feb 27, in class

Please note that homework assignment worksheets will only become available the same day as they are handed out in class.

Homework Grades

Unlike the exams, the 4 homework assignments are graded cumulatively: I added together the scores for the 4 assignments and then create a grade curve for the homework.

Statistics [Raw Score]:: Mean: 13.44 (67.2%); Median: 15 (75%); Spread: 4.51 (22.6%)
Grade Cutoffs [Raw Score]: A: 17-20; B: 12-16; C: 7-11; D: 3-6; E: 0-2
Grade Curve Plot (29k): The red arrow indicates the median score and the green arrow indicates the arithmetic mean. Note that each question is worth 5% (1/20th of 100%).

Legal Statement

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) prohibits me from posting any individual's results to the web. Instead, you will need to pick up your homework results in-person after class during the week following the due date up until the next in-class exam, and then thereafter they will only be available from the TA during his regularly scheduled office hours. FERPA rules prohibit us from allowing others to pick up results for you.

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