This list is meant to tell you in detail which sections will (and will not) be covered on exams, and to suggest review questions in the book and at the text web site.

Remember that I consider these questions homework, but instead of turning in the answers, I will include some of them on each exam.

At the end of each chapter, the recommended questions are marked "RD" for the "Review and discussion" questions, and "TF" for the "Conceptual self-test: true or false/multiple choice" questions. These vary considerably in difficulty, but none involve significant mathematical manipulations--I chose them as good warm-ups for exams, and because I think you should understand the corresponding material.

There are multiple choice questions at the textbook web site, and most of them are good practice. I list below the questions you should NOT attempt (either too numerical or material not covered)--these are labeled "TWS" ("Textbook Web Site") below. To get to these on the internet, go to the textbook web site www.prenhall.com/chaisson/ and select our book, Astronomy Today 6/e (cover will not look the same). Then pick a chapter, and select "Multiple choice 1", "Multiple choice 2", and "True or False" to test yourself--the site will provide you with answers when you are through.
They are somewhat simple, and should be used to gauge your understanding. Notice that the questions I suggest you look at provide you with an assessment of what I will and will not include on the exams, although exam questions will generally not be so simple.

You will benefit most by trying your hand at the suggested questions after you have thoroughly studied the material, so you can see how prepared you actually are. You will also probably find it beneficial to think about the "Learning Goals" at the beginning of each chapter, once before you start to read each chapter, and again when finished and/or when preparing for each exam.

Note: You have to register the first time you visit the site--you will have to enter the ISBN number from your textbook, so have it handy.

• I suggest you go through your textbook (soon) and mark all these items (e.g. an mark next to questions listed below, "not on exam" in certain subsections, etc.).
• Recommended questions at the textbook web site are now listed (updated 9/24/07).

FOR EXAM #1
Chap. 1: Read "Scientific Notation" (App.1) and "Angular Measure" (p.11).

Mark Appendix 2 on "Astronomical Measurement" as a useful reference on units that are used in the rest of the text, in case you become confused about units.

Look through pp. 8 through 25 (topics having to do with the night sky, seasons, eclipses, ...), but you won't be tested on it because it interrupts the main flow of topics; however I urge you to read it if you want to understand the most basic astronomical events you can experience with your own eyes.

Sec.1.7: Measurement of distance--important.

RD: 1, 5, 8, 17-19; TF: 1, 2, 9, 10, 19, 20.

Textbook Web Site: MC1: 4, 8, 13; MC2: 5; T/F: 6, 7, 10, 15

Chap. 2: Look over sec.2.1 and 2.2 on historical topics, but they won't be on the test. Read sections on the Heliocentric model (2.3) and Birth of Modern Astronomy (2.4), but only for the basic ideas. Things like "retrograde motion" and the phases of Venus won't be on the exam.

Read "More Precisely" 2-1 (p.49), 2-3 (p.55) and 2-3 (p. 57), but of course I won't ask you to carry out any calculations related to them, except for one formula I will explain in class.

Get serious with secs. 2.5 (Kepler's Laws), 2.6 (Dimensions of the Solar System), and especially 2.7 (Newton's laws) and 2.8 (Newtonian mechanics).

RD: 2, 4, 9, 10, 13-15, 20; TF: 3, 5, 6, 9, 12, 15, 17, 19, 20.

TWS: MC1: 1, 3, 6, 8, 11; MC2: 3, 4, 8; T/F: 6, 7, 9, 18

Chap.3: Don't worry about details concerning temperature scales ("More Precisely 3-1", p. 73) or numerical aspects of radiation laws ("More Precisely 3-2, p.77), although I still recommend you try to read it. We will postpone sec. 3.5 on the Doppler Effect to Exam #2.

RD: 2, 3, 5, 11, 12-16; TF: 1, 4-6, 11, 12, 15-19.

TWS: MC1: 2 through 10; MC2: 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 15; T/F: 1, 3, 6, 7, 9, 17

FOR EXAM #2
Chap. 3, sec. 3.5 on the Doppler Effect. RD 17-19, TF 20 in Chap.3.

TWS: MC1: 12; MC2: 10 (notice no calculation is needed); TF 2, 13, 20.

Chap. 4 (Spectroscopy)
"More Precisely 4-1" (p.92) will not be on exam.

RD: 3, 4, 8-10, 12, 15-20; TF: 1-6, 9, 10, 15-17, 19.

TWS: MC1: All except 13, 14, 15; MC2: All except 7, 10, 11, 14; TF: All except 15.

Chap. 5 (Telescopes)
In section 5.1, you won't be tested on subsections on "Reflecting and refracting telescopes" (p. 108), "Comparing refractors and reflectors" (p. 109), or "Types of reflecting telescopes" (p. 111) in sec.5.1.
Read "Discovery 5-1" on Hubble Space Telescope (pp. 114-115).
Don't worry about the right-hand column of Table 5.1 (p.137); but DO use the middle column to test whether you understand text material.

RD: 1, 4-11, 13-17; TF: 1, 2, 4-6, 8, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19.

TWS: MC1: All except 1, 9, 11; MC2: All except 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 14; TF: All except 2, 5, 7, 11, 16.

FOR EXAM #3
Chapters 6 and 15 are NOT in your textbook, but will be available to read (or print) online. Page numbers below maybe be off by a small amount, because that part of the textbook web site is not yet complete.
Chap. 6 (The Solar System)
We will not cover the various space missions discussed in sec. 6.6. Read the "More Precisely 6-1", but such numerical examples will not be on the exam.
Also read the "More Precisely 6-2" in order to understand the concept.
You don't have to memorize any of the information in Table 6.1, although it might help you to look at it awhile.
However Table 6.2 IS very important to learn.

RD: 1, 3-8, 10, 11, 17-20; TF: 1-3, 5-8, 11, 13, 14, 16, 19, 20.

TWS: Not at web site yet.

Chap. 15 (Formation of Planetary Systems)
The "Discovery 15-1" on [p. 390] is for your interest only, but will not be on the exam.

RD: All; TF: All.

TWS: Not at web site yet.

Chap. 16 (The Sun) ) [This and all subsequent chapters are in your textbook.]

Because of time constraints we are going to skip sec. 16.4 "Solar Magnetism" and sec. 16.5 "The Active Sun," but I urge you to at least look at the figures and their captions to get a feel for how complex the surfaces of stars must be.

In sec. 16.6 on energy production by the proton-proton cycle, I don't expect you to memorize all the reactions in the sequence (p. 441, "More Precisely"), but I DO expect you to understand what you read about it well enough to understand the basics of how the sun makes light by nuclear fusion in its core.

RD: All except 13-17; TF, all except 8, 9, 17-19

TWS: Not at web site yet.