Brief summary of lectures and readings | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date and class | Brief summary | Reading assignment for next class |
| Lecture 1 Mon Aug 28, 2000 |
Welcome,
discussion of
syllabus and administrative stuff.
What is physics 3070 about? Energy and the environment! Brief discussion of "big picture" of the course - fossil fuels, alternative fuels, energy conservation vs. conservation of energy, pollution, global warming. We will focus on numbers, data, calculations, analysis of facts, understanding of physical and technical principles - take a "numerate" approach. Intro to global (human) consumption of fossil fuels in an impressively brief period of time. Crude notes here (for week 1) | For next time, read Ch. 1.1-1.2, and 1.5. Also please read the syllabus |
| Lecture 2: Wed, Aug 30 | Some basic math today - powers of 10, unit conversions. Order of magnitude estimates. Introduction to US energy consumption. Crude scanned notes here | For next time, read: 1.3, 1.4, and 1.6, and the Feynman introduction to energy (handout). |
| Lecture 3: Fri, Sept 1, 2000 | (Few newspaper items, why aren't we taxing SUV's that don't meet minimal mileage standards?) Where is US energy going? (Discussed transportation, heating, electricity, manufacturing) Definition of energy=capacity to do work (Work=Force*distance), units involved. Forms of energy, like kinetic, potential, electric, radiation, mass, chemical, heat. Conversion of energy from one form to another, and principle of conservation of energy. Definition (plus units) of power. Crude scanned notes here | For next time, read: Finish up Chapter 1, read Appendix A.1 . Don't forget to read the short Feynman handout from last time, on the "Dennis the Menace" story of energy. |
| Lecture 4: Wed, Sept 6 | News articles: nuclear power, and French "anti-gas tax" action. Examples of energy and power, energy use, some more energy conversion problems. Discussion of "Calories and Btu's" as measures of heat energy. More discussion of US energy use - horsepower available to us, amount we consume collectively and as individuals. Crude scanned notes here | For next time, read: Text, Ch. 2.1 and the primer on oil use (the "Hubbert newsletter" handout) |
| Lecture 5: Fri, Sept 8 | Finishing up Ch.1. Discussion of US energy, sources and uses. Some quantitative estimates of energy use for typical American. What do we save by taking the bus? Definitions, renewable vs. Non-renewable energy supplies. Crude scanned notes here | For next time, read: Ch. 2.2-2.4 |
| Lecture 6: Mon, Sept 11 | A little review and summary of Ch. 1 and intruction to Ch. 2: origin of fossil fuels, petroleum in the US, history of production, resources. Crude scanned notes here | For next time, read: 2.5-2.7 |
| Lecture 7: Wed, Sept 13 | Distillation, Oil resources, Q_infinity, and the Hubbert curve. Crude scanned notes here | For next time, read: 2.8 - 11 |
| Lecture 8: Fri, Sept 15 | Review of Hubbert ideas, Natural Gas. Crude scanned notes here | By next Wed (or Friday), you'll want to be finished reading Ch. 2! |
| Lecture 9: Mon, Sept 18 | Prof. Al Bartlett speaks on exponential growth and population. | For next time, read: Finish up Ch. 2. (We may be getting into Ch. 3, just a bit, on Friday.) |
| Lecture 10: Wed, Sept 20 | Prof. Al Bartlett concludes his talk on exponential growth and population. | For next time, read: 3.1 and 3.2. (We'll finish up Ch. 2 on Fri, but may start talking about Ch. 3...) |
| Lecture 11: Fri, Sept 22 | Finishing up Ch.2: Coal, formation of coal, advantages and disadvantages. Hubbert-style analysis of coal - how much do we have left? Crude scanned notes here | For the weekend, read: 3.3 - 3.5. It may be a little hard going, we'll be covering it through next week. Wed is the midterm, of course. So, I won't have any more reading assigned for Wed, but on Friday we'll be close to finishing up Ch. 3, so read what you can over this weekend! |
| Lecture 12: Mon, Sept 25 | Alternative sources of petroleum (esp. shale oil, tar sands). Then, heat engines, how to convert (potential) energy, or heat energy, into useful work! Crude scanned notes here | For next time: Study for midterm... |
| Lecture 13: Wed, Sept 27 | First Midterm. (Solutions are here (in PDF format) | For next time, read: 3.6 |
| Lecture 14: Fri, Sept 29 | Heat engines, efficiency, demos! Converting heat energy into work. Crude scanned notes here | For next week: Finish Ch. 3 |
| Lecture 15: Mon, Oct 2, 2000 | Guest lecture, Jack Edwards, on finite resources. | For next time: We may start on Ch 4, but we'll be doing much of Ch 4 the week after the break. |
| Lecture 16: Wed, Oct 4 | Heat pumps, refrigeration, finish up Ch.3 Crude scanned notes here | Friday there's no class, have a nice break! Next week, we'll be starting solar energy, read: Ch. 4.1-4.3 |
| Lecture 17: Mon, Oct 9 | Intro to solar - light, EM radiation Crude scanned notes here | For next time, read: 4.4, start 4.5 |
| Lecture 18: Wed, Oct 11 | Solar constant, insolation Crude scanned notes here | For next time, read: 4.5 |
| Lecture 19: Fri, Oct 13 | Solar energy, insolation, working with some numbers to determine in a rough sense the extent to which we can go solar. Wien's law (lambda_max=3E-3 m*K/T), and Stefan's law (EM power emitted by objects due to their heat goes like T^4 power). Crude scanned notes here | For next time, read: Ch. 4.6 |
| Lecture 20: Mon, Oct 16 | Solar energy: passive solar, and thermal panels. Crude scanned notes here | For next time, read: (Finish Ch. 4) |
| Lecture 21: Wed, Oct 18 | Active solar energy. Thermal solar, and photovoltaics. Basic physics of Silicon devices. Crude scanned notes here | For next time, read: Ch. 5.1 and 5.2 |
| Lecture 22: Fri, Oct 20 | Economics of solar devices. Intro to other renewables, hydropower. (Energy = mgh) Crude scanned notes here | For next time, read: 5.3 |
| Lecture 23: Mon, Oct 23 | Guest lecture, Prof. Cullen from U. Wash, on risks. (Some lecture notes may be available when she emails them to me!) | For next time, read: 5.4 |
| Lecture 24: Wed, Oct 25 | Hydro power. Pros and cons, example calculation. Crude scanned notes here | For next time, read: 5.5 - 5.7 |
| Lecture 25: Fri, Oct 27 | Wind energy. Crude scanned notes here | For next time, read: Finish Ch. 5 |
| Lecture 26: Mon, Oct 30 | Other sources of renewable energy. Wind, OTEC, ocean tidal, biomass. Crude scanned notes here | For next time, no reading assignment, just study for the midterm |
| Lecture 27: Wed, Nov 1 | Midterm II | For next time, just be sure you've finished reading Ch. 5 |
| Lecture 28: Fri, Nov 3 | Finishing up Ch. 5, renewables. Also, introduction to "calibrating ourselves" for making educated guesses. Crude scanned notes here | For next time, read: 6.1-6.3 |
| Lecture 29: Mon, Nov 6 | Introduction to Ch. 6, Nuclear energy, and some basic nuclear physics. Crude scanned notes here | For next time, read: 6.4 - 6.6 |
| Lecture 30: Wed, Nov 8 | Guest lecture, John Cowdry, Hydropwer. | For next time, read: 6.7-8 time) |
| Lecture 31: Fri, Nov 10 | Nuclear radiation, and interaction with materials. Crude scanned notes here | For next time, read: 6.9-10 |
| Lecture 32: Mon, Nov 13 | More on radiation, and introduction to nuclear power - history, power plants. Crude scanned notes here | For next time, read: Finish Ch. 6 for Friday |
| Lecture 33: Wed, Nov 15 | Guest lecture - Will Toor. | For next time, read: (Finish Ch. 6) |
| Lecture 34: Fri, Nov 17 | Nuclear reactors, and safety Crude scanned notes here | For next time, read: Finish Ch. 6 |
| Lecture 35: Mon, Nov 20 | Finishing up CH 6: Waste from reactors, fusion. Crude scanned notes here | For next time, read: (7.1-7.2, for after the break) |
| Lecture 36: Wed, Nov 22 | Guest lecture, Mark Ruzzin from Eco-cycle. | For next time, Happy Thanksgiving! Read: 7.1-7.2 |
| Lecture 37: Mon, Nov 27 | Some "risk" discussion, then Ch. 7 - Energy conservation. Crude scanned notes here | For next time, read: 7.3 and 7.4 |
| Lecture 38: Wed, Nov 29 | Heat loss in homes, energy use of various items. Crude scanned notes here | For next time, read: 10.1 and 10.2 |
| Lecture 39: Fri, Dec 1 | Finish up CH. 7, energy use (and conservation) in homes. Intro to global climate, and ozone. Crude scanned notes here | For next time, read: Finish up Ch. 10. That's it for reading assignments for the semester. |
| Lecture 40: Mon, Dec 4 | Finish up CH. 10, global warming. Crude scanned notes here | (Study for midterm! Info is here ) |
| Remaining Lectures Wed, Dec 4 - Wed Dec 11 | Exam, then class presentations. (Here is a schedule of when people will present) | |
| Physics 3070 home page. | Prof. Pollock's home page. | Physics Dep't | Send me your comments |