PHYS 1404 Week 7 Discussion 1

PHYS 1404 Week 7 Discussion 1 |  Central Texas College | Assignment Help

Lesson 7 Lab: Habitable Zones

In Lesson 7 Lab: Habitable Zones we will apply many well-grounded scientific concepts to the problem of “Are We Alone”? As we study the Sun this lesson one of the primary byproducts of the Sun is Life on Earth. There are regions around the Sun and indeed the galaxy as a whole where life is more probable. As we explore our Sun and its influence on the solar system one question that remains most prominent is whether or not our Sun is the only star in the galaxy or even the Universe that can support life. We will carry this question on into Lesson 8 as well. One of the primary properties of the Sun to study is the area around our star known as the habitable zone. We know that life can develop in the universe by our very presence here – so there is no reason to think that there couldn't be other intelligent life out there. However, we also now know that intelligent life on Earth overcame many obstacles in forming and avoided many dangers to survive including those we are studying this lesson from the active Sun. Thus, there are logical arguments to be made on either side of the "are we alone in the universe?" question. In this lab, we will explore some of those scientific principles.

Lesson 7 Lab: Habitable Zones introduces the basic conditions thought necessary for life to exist and explores where in the universe those conditions are most likely to be met.

Getting started with Lesson 7 Lab: Habitable Zones:

·         First, select the following link and work through the background sections on Life in the Universe, Circumstellar Habitable Zones, and Galactic Habitable Zones at:

o    Habitable Zones Lab

                        Next, open the following link and familiarize yourself with the capabilities of the simulator through experimentation:

o    Circumstellar Habitable Zone Simulator

                        You will also utilize the following simulator:

o    Milky Way Habitable Zone Simulator

                        After familiarizing yourself with the simulation interactive, follow instructions and answer questions in the Lesson 7 Lab - Habitable Zone Worksheet.

Note: The Lab Simulators require Flash Player which is integrated into Windows 10 and work best with Internet Explorer (IE). To avoid technical issues IE is recommended for running the simulations. If you try another browser you will need to set up flash player options for that browser yourself. For example, if you are using Chrome, go to the upper left of the URL browser entry, select "Not Secure" then select "Allow" to give Chrome permission to open the simulator.

Submit your Lab Worksheet

·         Submit the completed Assignment Sheet for Lab 8 by selecting the Lesson 7 Lab: Habitable Zones link above and select Browse My Computer to attach your saved file. Make sure to select SUBMIT. Note: Save your file as a .rtf file or .doc to ensure that it can be opened at any computer.

Labs do not have a time limit but are due on the due date of the lesson posted in the Syllabus Page 2.

Simulations courtesy of Astronomy Education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln website.