1. Test #1 Exam 1 on Feb 7 You will need….. –A pencil –A calculator Expect…..about 40 questions –Questions from the book –Questions from the lectures (note that things discussed in the lectures are not in the book or the quizzes) Dr. Britt is in DC at a NASA panel. Questions will be answered promptly by e- mail

2. What does the light and dark stuff tell us about the Moon? Having more craters means what? How does rice paddies, domestication of livestock, and clearing forests prevent the advance of glaciers? Why don’t we get an eclipse every new and full moon? What are the common sense reasons why the Ancients thought the Earth was the center of the Universe?

3. What is a constellation? What is the celestial sphere? Why do we see a band of light called the Milky Way in our sky? Describe the basic features of the local sky…horizon, meridian, zenith…. Why does NASA launch satellites here? What is the Earth’s rotational speed at the North Pole? The Equator? What is the ecliptic? What is the cause of the seasons on Earth?

4. What are the dates of the equinoxes? Solstices? Why does the Sun set along University Blvd during the equinoxes? What is the current phase of the moon? A year is 365.25 days long. Was that always the case? How many degrees do stars move in an hour? How does the night sky change through the year? What is special about Greenwich that the prime meridian of the world is located there? Jackson Square in New Orleans is 90º west of Greenwich England. If it is 6 pm in Greenwich, what time is it in NO?

5. Why do we see phases of the Moon? Name the phases of the moon in order. What conditions are necessary for an eclipse? What is a node? Why do planets sometimes seem to move backwards relative to the stars? What is parallax? What is an arc-second? Why did the ancient Greeks reject the idea that the Earth goes around the Sun, even though it offers a more natural explanation for planetary motion?

6. A lunar eclipse occurs during what phase of the moon? How did the Greeks lay the foundations for modern science? How did Eratosthenes figure out the size of the Earth? What was the Ptolemaic model? What are Kepler’s three laws of planetary motion? If p 2 = a 3 and a planet has an orbital distance of 5 au, what is its period in years? Briefly describe the roles of Copernicus, Tycho, Kepler, and Galileo.

7. How did Galileo’s observations of Venus refute the Ptolemaic model? How can we distinguish science from nonscience? What is Occam’s razor? What are the characteristics of a Scientific Theory? Is a Scientific Law a stronger statement than a Scientific Theory? What is gravitational potential energy? What is the basic structure of an atom? What is the difference between atomic number and atomic mass number. How do electron energy levels help distinguish one element from another?

8. What is the acceleration of gravity? Have you ever been weightless? Have you ever been massless? What are Newton’s three laws of motion? What is the universal law of gravitation? If the Moon were half the distance it currently is, how much higher would the tides be? Are we in an ice age? What orbital factors trigger ice advances? What would Orlando be like without glaciation?

9. Why are there two high tides on Earth each day? Why are high tides 12 hours and 25 minutes apart? Why are tides on Earth caused primarily by the Moon rather than by the Sun? Why is Earth’s rotation gradually slowing down? Why does the Moon always show the same face to Earth? What is the speed of light? What is the inverse square law?

10. What are the four ways in which light and matter can interact? In what way is light a wave? In what way is light made of particles? How are wavelength, frequency, and energy related for photons of light? How can we use emission or absorption lines to determine the composition of a distant object? When did the human-caused buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere start?

11. Are there any material objects that don’t give off any light? What comes from a hotter source, blue light or red light? What sort of light do you radiate? What is a Doppler shift? What do we learn from a redshift or blueshift? A day is 24 hours long. Was that always the case? What is the evidence for global warming? Give some examples of scientific observations, laws, and theories.

12. What’s the difference between a refracting telescope and a reflecting telescope? What are the two most important properties of a telescope? How can we see images of nonvisible light? What is light pollution? Do stars really twinkle? What do gamma-rays, x-rays, and microwaves have in common? What is a Sievert and what happens if you are hit by 8 Sieverts? What is worse in terms of radiation exposure, eating a banana or living for one year within 50 miles of a nuclear power plant?