# Assessment Instructions: Problem Set 07 — Capstone Synthesis: Verifying PSR J0348+0432’s Total Mass from Its Orbit

## Inputs to Inspect
Student submission, this problem set, the solution key, the corresponding lecture slides/notes, and the referenced dataset(s) under `materials/ASTR330/data/`.

## Grading Standard
Award credit for correct method and units first, then for the specific numeric result. A student who shows correct reasoning with a small arithmetic slip should receive most of the available credit; a student with a correct-looking number but no visible derivation steps should not. Because this is a 300-level quantitative course exceeding ASTR 310's own rigor, full marks require a genuine derivation (not just formula substitution) wherever the problem set asks for one.

## Problem-Level Criteria
- Problem 1: 15 points — correct unit conversions.
- Problem 2: 20 points — correct Kepler’s-third-law rearrangement and arithmetic.
- Problem 3: 15 points — correct percent-agreement arithmetic.
- Problem 4: 20 points — correct identification of independence and correct analogy to the ASTR 310 precedent, not a generic restatement.

## Resubmission Policy
Students may resubmit within one week of receiving feedback. A resubmission must show a corrected derivation, not only a corrected final number, and should reference the specific feedback comment it addresses. Regrade to a maximum of 90% of the original point value unless the error was a grading mistake.

## Common Errors to Flag
- Forgetting to convert days to seconds or km to meters before applying Kepler’s third law.
- Using the Sun-planet form of Kepler’s third law (assuming one mass dominates) instead of the full two-body form.
- Writing a generic "agreement is good" synthesis in Problem 4 without explaining why the two methods are physically independent.