PHYSICS 103

Physics of the Environment

 

Course outline:

 

1.      Introduction

·        Energy Use and Consumption

·        Energy Sources

·        Resource Production and Depletion

·        Risk assessment

·        Economic and Environmental Considerations

·        Challenges

2.      Energy Mechanics 

·        Forms of Energy

·        Motion

·        Work and Power

·        Energy Conservation and Conservation of Energy

3.      Thermodynamics

·        Heat and Work

·        1st and 2nd Laws

·        Heat Transfer

·        Heat Engines

·        Waves

·        Electromagnetic Spectrum

·        Blackbody Radiation

·        Home Energy Considerations

·        Solar Heating

·        Solar Radiation and Earth’s Atmosphere

4.      Fossil Fuels

·        Types

·        Uses in engines/emissions

·        Extraction

·        Pollution from mining

·        Coal gasification

·        Global Warming and Greenhouse Effect

·        Ozone Depletion

5.      Electricity and Magnetism

·        Basic electricity and magnetism

·        Elementary circuits

·        Electrical power

·        Typical power plants

·        Batteries

·        Fuel Cells

·        Hybrid Vehicles

·        Generation of electricity

·        Transmission of electrical energy

·        Health effects of E&M fields

·        Electricity from solar energy

·        Hydroelectric

·        Wind

6.      Atomic and Nuclear Physics

·        Structure

·        Radioactivity

·        Radioactive Isotopes

·        Fission

·        Nuclear reactors

·        Waste/decommissioning, transport and storage

·        Radon

·        Nuclear proliferation

·        Biological effects of radiation

·        Irradiated food

7.      Other alternative energy sources

·        Fusion

·        Biomass

·        Geothermal

·        Wave/Tidal energy

·        Hydrogen

·        Energy Storage