| Time | The Midterm (Hour Exam) will be held in class Friday Oct. 18. |
|---|---|
| Topics | The material covered is everthing through the Friday, Oct. 11 class. All lecture and homework material through this time (including Problem Set 6) is fair game. |
| What to Bring |
Bring yourself, well-rested, something to write with, and a calculator if you wish. You may not use computers, cellphones, or any electronic devices except a calculator. The exam will be closed book and closed notes. You will be given any constants or numerical data you might need. You may bring one page (of ordinary 8 inch x 11 inch paper) with any notes, equations, diagrams, or other material you wish. You page must be handwritten by you. You may write on both sides of the page. You will be asked to hand it in the sheet with your exam, but you will be graded only on your exam responses, not on the contents of your sheet of notes. |
| Question Format | There will be several questions, most of which will be quantitative, while some will be qualitative. Of course, given the time constriants of the exam, the problems will not generally be as involved as homework problems, but rather the questions will emphasize an understanding of how to apply and interpret the tools we have developed. |
| Study Tips | The best way to prepare for the exam is to be sure you are clear on the concepts and to be able to understand and apply the equations you have been given. In both cases, your lecture notes will be helpful, as will the text. Reviewing the homework is also an excellent way to practice quantitative problems. Note that all of the homework solutions (in fairly lengthy, pedagogical form) are posted. |
| Previous Midterm Exam | From the Fall 2007, here is the Midterm exam, and pedagogical answer key. Obviously, this year's exam will be different; for example, the 2007 exam came slightly later in the semester and thus included some material (e.g., Hubble's law) not covered on your exam). However, this gives the flavor of the kind of questions which might appear on the exam. |