AST 101: Introduction to Astrophysics
Homework Assignments
Spring 2007
Updated 18 March 2007
Homework assignments will not be collected or graded. Nonetheless, you
are responsible for knowing how to solve these problems.
These or similar problems may appear on quizzes or tests.
These problems, and problem solving
techniques in general, will be discussed in the Friday sessions.
- Week of January 22:
Chapter 1: Problems 1, 4, 5, 6, 12, 15-24, 25, 30, 31, 47, 49
Solutions
- Week of January 29:
Chapter 2: Problems 1, 5, 11, 15, 17-26, 27, 30, 33, 35
Chapter S1: Problems 1, 4, 8, 9, 15-24, 30, 34
Solutions
- Week of February 5:
Chapter 3: Problems 1, 2, 6, 10, 13, 14, 17-21, 30,32, 36
Solutions
- Week of February 12:
Chapter 4: Problems 1, 2, 3, 9, 12, 18, 19-28, 29, 32, 34
Solutions
- Week of February 19:
Chapter 5: Problems 2, 4,8, 9, 14, 18, 19-28, 29, 30, 37
Chapter 6: Problems 2, 9, 13-22, 23, 26, 27, 28
Solutions
- Week of February 26:
Chapter 14: Problems 2, 4, 6, 7, 13, 15, 17, 19-28, 40
Chapter 15: Problems 1, 2, 4, 7, 10, 14, 15, 16-25, 36
Solutions
- Week of March 5:
Chapter 16: Problems 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, 14, 16, 17, 18-27
Chapter 17: Problems 1, 4, 6, 8, 10, 17-26, 34
Solutions
- Week of March 12:
Chapter 17: Problems 35, 36
Chapter 18: Problems 1, 2, 5, 9, 10, 12, 15-24, 28, 33
Solutions
- Week of March 19:
- How do we use the density of an object in the Solar System to estimate
what it is made of?
- What is the definition of a planet?
- Name the parts of a comet. Which is the biggest?
- Why do comet's tails point away from the Sun?
- Where do comets come from?
- Why are all extrasolar planets found to date (except those that orbit the
pulsar) much more massive than the Earth?
Solutions
- Week of April 9:
Chapter 19: Problems 1, 3, 4, 15, 19-28, 31
Solutions
- Week of April 16:
Chapter 20: Problems 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 11, 16-25
Chapter 21: Problems 4, 5, 9, 13-22
Solutions
- Week of April 23:
Chapter 23: Problems 2, 5, 8, 14, 17-26
Chapter S3: Problems 4, 5, 12, 17, 21-30
Solutions
- Week of April 30:
Chapter 22: Problems 1, 2, 8, 15, 17-26
Solutions
The Homework questions are taken from the 4th edition of the
textbook. They do not correspond to questions in earlier editions.