Brief summary of lectures and readings | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date and class | Brief summary | Reading assignment for next class |
| Lecture 1 Mon Jan 10, 2005 |
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. My lecture notes are here (for week 1!) (may be buggy - feel free to email me if you find mistakes!) | For next time, read Ch. 1.1-1.2, and 1.5. Also please read the syllabus |
| Lecture 2: Wed, Jan 12 | Some basic math today - powers of 10, unit conversions, graph reading. Some introduction to US energy consumption. | For next time, read: 1.3, 1.4, and the Feynman introduction to energy (handout). |
| Lecture 3: Fri, Jan 14, 2005 | 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. Discussion of "Calories and Btu's" as measures of heat energy. | For next time, read: Finish up Chapter 1, (maybe 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, Jan 19 | Definition (plus units) of power. Examples of energy and power, energy use, some more energy conversion problems. Where is US energy going? (transportation, heating, electricity, manufacturing) Order of magnitude estimates. Horsepower available to us, amount we consume collectively and as individuals. | For next time, catch up - (Chapter 1 and Appendix A.1) Also, read the primer on oil use (the "Hubbert newsletter" handout) |
| Lecture 5: Fri, Jan 21 | Discussion of US energy, sources and uses. Some quantitative estimates of energy use for typical American. | For next time, read: Ch. 2.1-2.4 |
| Lecture 6: Mon, Jan 24 | Al Bartlett's guest lecture on exponential growth (part I) | For next time, nothing new. (up through 2.8 by FRIDAY) |
| Lecture 7: Wed, Jan 26 | Al Bartlett's guest lecture on exponential growth (part II) | For next time, read: up through 2.8 |
| Lecture 8: Fri, Jan 28 | A little review and summary of Ch. 1 Definitions, and renewable vs. Non-renewable energy supplies. Introduction to Ch. 2: origin of fossil fuels, petroleum in the US, Hubbert curve and Q(infinity). What do we save by taking the bus? (Or, insulating our houses?) | For Monday, read: 2.9-2.13 |
| Lecture 9: Mon, Jan 31 | History of production, resources. Distillation, Oil resources, Review of Hubbert ideas, | For next time, read: Finish up Ch. 2. (2.14-2.16) |
| Lecture 10: Wed, Feb 2 | More on Hubbert and resources - oil and natural gas. Prices, of oil, gas, and natural gas. Hubbert-style analysis of nat gas - how much do we have left? | For next time, read: 3.1-3.2 |
| Lecture 11: Fri, Feb 4 | Coal, formation of coal, advantages and disadvantages. | For next time, read: 3.3-3.5 It may be a little hard going, we'll be covering it through next week. Give it your best shot. |
| Lecture 12: Mon, Feb 7 | Alternative sources of petroleum (esp. shale oil, tar sands). Intro to heat engines, laws of thermodynamics. | For next time: 3.6-7 |
| Lecture 13: Wed, Feb 9 | How to convert (potential) energy, or heat energy, into useful work! Heat engines, efficiency (+ Little review??) | For next time: No new reading! |
| Lecture 14: Fri, Feb 11 | First Midterm. | For next week: Catch up, finish Ch. 3 |
| Lecture 15: Mon, Feb 14 | Heat engines, efficiency. Different kinds of motors. | Reading: start on Chapter 4.1-4.2 |
| Lecture 16: Wed, Feb 16 | Heat pumps, refrigeration, finish up Ch.3 | Read: 4.3-4.4 |
| Lecture 17: Fri, Feb 18 | Solar intro | For next time, read: 4.5 |
| Lecture 18: Mon, Feb 21 | Sunlight, wavelength*frequency=speed of light, solar constant, insolation, | For next time, read: 4.6 |
| Lecture 19: Wed, Feb 23 | John Benner from NREL | For next time, no new reading. |
| Lecture 20: Fri , Feb 25 | Solar panels. (working with some numbers to determine in a rough sense the extent to which we can go solar. ) Active vs passive. | Read: 4.7 |
| Lecture 21: Mon, Feb 28 | (Briefly: Wien's law (lambda_max drops with Temp), and Stefan's law (EM power emitted by objects due to their heat goes like T^4 power). Solar energy: passive solar, and thermal panels. Active solar energy. Thermal solar, and photovoltaics. Basic physics of Silicon devices. | For next time, read: Ch. 5.1 and 5.3 (we'll come back to 5.2 after the guest lecture!) |
| Lecture 22: Wed, Mar 2 | Guest lecture: Tony Jimenez from NREL wind. | For next time, no new reading. (Work on the next project deadline, due Friday!) |
| Lecture 23: Fri, Mar 4 | Finish up solar: passive. | read: 5.2 (on hydro) and 5.4 (OTEC) |
| Lecture 24: Mon, Mar 7 | Intro to other renewables, esp. wind. | For next time (or by Monday), read all through: 5.5 (biomass) |
| Lecture 25: Wed, Mar 9 | Mostly review: Brief discussion of OTEC (to review heat engines), and solar, and wind... | No new reading - midterm is next. |
| Lecture 26: Fri, Mar 11 | Midterm #2 | For next time, no new reading |
| Lecture 27: Mon, Mar 14 | Other sources of renewable energy. Hydro, OTEC, ocean tidal, intro to biomass. | For next time, Ch. 5.6, 5.7 |
| Lecture 28: Wed, Mar 16 | Hydro, Biomass For next time, finish up Chapter 5. | |
| Lecture 29: Fri, Mar 18 | Finishing up Ch. 5, renewables. (Geothermal, ocean tidal...) | After the break, we'll get started on nuclear energy. Read 6.1 and 6.2... |
| Lecture 30: Mon, Mar 28 | Review of renewable story, intro to some basic nuclear physics. | For next time, read: through 6.6 |
| Lecture 31: Wed, Mar 30 | History of nuclear physics, physics of fission. | For next time, read: 6.7-6.8 |
| Lecture 32: Fri, Apr 1 | Nuclear radiation. | For next time, read: 6.9 (Projects due!) |
| Lecture 33: Mon, Apr 4 | Radiation effects | For next time, read: Ch. 6.10-11 |
| Lecture 34: Wed, Apr 6 | Nuclear reactors | For next time, read: 6.12-13 |
| Lecture 35: Fri, Apr 8 | Chernobyl, risk. | For next time, read: Finish Ch 6, start with 7.1 |
| Lecture 36: Mon, Apr 11 | Waste from reactors, risk. | For next time, read: 7.2 |
| Lecture 37: Wed, Apr 13 | Fusion. | For next time, read: 10.3 on global warming |
| Lecture 38: Fri, Apr 15 | Guest lecture - Andrew Gettelman | For next time, read: 7.3 |
| Lecture 39: Mon, Apr 18 | Heat loss in homes, energy use of various items. FCQ's. | I think we may be done with new reading assignments! |
| Lecture 40-43: Wed, Apr 20 - Wed Apr 27 | Student presentations (see schedule) | No new reading |
| Physics 3070 home page. | Prof. Pollock's home page. | Physics Dep't |