The Department of Physics offers two other courses in Astronomy that,
with Physics 111, form a Miami Plan Thematic
Sequence that has been approved by the Liberal Education Council.
Physics 211 is taught every fall semester.
Physics 311 is offered every spring semester.
Your Place in the Universe Thematic Sequence
Courses
Physics 111: Introduction to Astronomy and Space Physics.
Study of space exploration, astrophysics, astronomy, and cosmology.
MPF, IVB, H (3 hours)
Physics 211: The Observational Foundations of Astronomy.
Describes and investigates many of the pivotal observations in the development
of astronomy. Through a largely historical development, the contexts of these observations
are discussed and the impact of these observations on the fundamental theories of
astronomy is described. Prerequisite: PHY 111. (3 hours)
Physics 311: Contemporary Astronomy.
Studies of topics of current interest in astronomy, including the most recent and
important observations and theories. Prerequisite: PHY 111 and PHY 211. (3 hours)
Description of Thematic Sequence
At the beginning of the twenty first century, the scientific community believes that we have an
understanding of many of the processes at work in the Universe. The thematic
sequence, Your Place in the Universe, begins in Physics 111 by giving an
overview of this understanding with some discussion as to how
we reached such a level.
After the student has acquired the
necessary background knowledge from Physics 111, he/she is now ready to address the question that
is at the heart of all science, why do we think that our picture of the
Universe represents reality?
The crucial role of observation and its impact on our theories of the Universe is examined in detail.
For example, a student completing Physics 111 would know that observations of Cepheid
variable stars provided astronomers with a way to determine distances to other galaxies.
in Physics 211, the students would make these observations themselves (or utilize the
raw data), analyze the data, and arrive at a conclusion.
It is inherent in this process that the student will see for him/herself
how uncertainties in the observations of data analysis translate into uncertainties in our
conclusions about the Universe.
Physics 211 will provide the student with the necessary
critical thinking tools to approach problems in astronomy that do not yet have an
acceptable explanation; the
topic of the third course in the sequence. Each year; Physics 311, will select six to eight topics
from astronomy that are currently of interest to be analyzed and debated by the students,
armed with their knowledge and skills from Physics 211. Working in small groups,
the students will independently research the observations and study possible
explanations. Thus, by the end of the sequence, the students will actually be
participating in the ongoing development of science and our understanding
of the Universe.