Physics 3070: Energy and the Environment, Sp 2000
(There is much more general course information available here.)The topics of energy and the environment are not just academic - they are of real significance to all of us. To be good, informed citizens, we must be able to make rational decisions about energy usage, efficiency and conservation, pollution, and the related required public and private commitments. There are many goals in this course - to help you learn to apply quantitative reasoning to complex and often emotional issues, to understand the underlying physical principles involved, to answer questions about energy conservation in your own lives (appliance choices, automobiles, insulation, and so on), and to allow you to make informed decisions about policies, regulations, and legislation regarding energy and the environment that you will surely encounter in your lifetime.
The topics we will cover, in order, are
1) Fundamentals of Energy - some basic physics, and facts about energy consumption.
(With some supplemental math review)
2) Fossil Fuels - resources, geology, production techniques
3) Heat Engines - some more basic physics, laws of thermodynamics we have to live with!
4) Solar energy - passive, active, and direct conversion.
5) Alternative energy sources - wind, hydro, biomass, geothermal, tidal.
6) Nuclear energy - some basic physics, advantages, costs, and risks.
7) Energy conservation - homes and heating, appliances, industrial, and recycling issues.
8) Transportation - requirements, future alternatives, risks and costs.
9) Air pollution - thermal, chemical, and particulate.
10) Global effects - greenhouse effect, global warming, and ozone depletion.
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