Environmental Physics

PHY470/570: Environmental Physics, SPRING 2008

Professor: Miron Kaufman OFFICE: SI-116, TEL.6872436

m.kaufman@csuohio.edu

Prerequisites: PHY221, PHY231 College Physics I or PHY241/243/243H University Physics I

LECTURE: M, W 4:00 - 5:50 PM, MC-329

OFFICE HOUR: M, W 3:00 - 3:50 PM, SI-116

REQUIRED BOOKS: McFarland,Hunt,Campbell: Energy, Physics and the Environment
Kaufman: Environmental Physics Computational Projects

The goal of the course is to foster rational thinking in complex decision situations related to environmental problems by studying the physical laws underlying environmental phenomena.

Tentative Schedule

WEEK #1 Energy, Power Ch.1;
WEEK #2, 3 Consumption Models: Exponential, Hubbert Ch.2,3
WEEK #4 Thermodynamics: Energy, Entropy Laws Ch.4;
WEEK #5 Heat Transfer Ch.16
WEEK #6 Fossil Fuel Effect on the Environment: Heat and Air Pollution, Urban Heat Island Ch.5
WEEK #7 Electricity Ch.7
WEEK #8 Magnetism Ch.8
WEEK #9, 10 Black-Body Radiation, Global Climate Change Ch.6
WEEK #11 Power Lines and Health Ch.9
WEEK #12 Radioactivity Ch.10
WEEK #13 Nuclear Energy Ch.11
WEEK #14 Radiation and Health Ch.12
WEEK #15 Environmental Modeling: Chaos Theory Application to Population Dynamics

Important Dates

Last day to withdraw: Friday, March 28.
No classes: Moday January 21, Monday February 18, Monday March 10, Wednesday March12.

Exams Schedule

Exam #1 Ch.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 16 M, March 3
Final Exam Comprehensive M, May 5

The final grade is a weighted average of:

Exam #1 30%
Final Exam 40%
Computer Project 20%
Homework, Quizzes 10%

QUIZ SOLUTION

Quiz #1 M 2-25-08
Quiz #2

Part of the course is a project in the computer lab of the Physics Department SI-117A. We will work modeling problems in environmental physics, population dynamics and chaos theory by using MathCad on the following dates:

W, January 23:Computer lab #1: Tutorial and Exponential Growth Consumption Model
W, February 6:Computer lab #2: Hubbert Consumption Model
W, February 20:Computer lab #3: Stability of Dry Air and Brunt-Vaisala Oscillations
W, March 5:Computer lab #5: Pollutant Diffusion
W, March 26: Computer lab #4: Earth's and Sun's Electromagnetic Radiation
W, April 9:Computer lab #6: Radioactivity
W, April 23:Computer lab #7: Deterministic Chaos

The students enrolled in PHY570 do a computational project including background information on "Applications of chaos theory and fractals to environmental science".

Homework

Homework #1

McFarland, Hunt, Campbell Ch.1:

Exercises:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7;

McFarland, Hunt, Campbell Ch.1:

Problems: 8, 11.

DUE:M 1-28-08

Homework #2

McFarland, Hunt, Campbell Ch.2:

Exercises: 1, 2, 3;

McFarland, Hunt, Campbell Ch.2:

Problems:6, 7, 8.

DUE:W 1-30-08

Homework #3

McFarland, Hunt, Campbell Ch.4:

Exercises: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6;

McFarland, Hunt, Campbell Ch.4:

Problems: 8, 9, 10, 11, 13.

DUE: M 2-11-08

Homework #4

McFarland, Hunt, Campbell Ch.16:

Exercises: 2;

McFarland, Hunt, Campbell Ch.16:

Problems: 7, 8, 9.

DUE: W 2-13-08

Homework #5

McFarland, Hunt, Campbell Ch.5:

Exercises: 1, 2;

McFarland, Hunt, Campbell Ch.5:

Problems: 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16.

DUE: W 2-27-08

Homework #6

McFarland, Hunt, Campbell Ch.7:

Exercises: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12;

McFarland, Hunt, Campbell Ch.7:

Problems: 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21.

DUE: W 3-19-08

Homework #7

McFarland, Hunt, Campbell Ch.8:

Exercises: 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9;

McFarland, Hunt, Campbell Ch.8:

Problems: 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15.

DUE: W 3-26-08

Homework #8

McFarland, Hunt, Campbell Ch.6:

Exercises: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5;

McFarland, Hunt, Campbell Ch.6:

Problems: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16.

DUE: M 4-7-08

Homework #9

McFarland, Hunt, Campbell Ch.10

Exercises: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7;

McFarland, Hunt, Campbell Ch.10

Problems: 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15.

DUE: W 4-16-08

Homework #10

McFarland, Hunt, Campbell Ch.10

Problems: 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23.

McFarland, Hunt, Campbell Ch.11

1, 2, 3, 5.

DUE:

Homework #11

McFarland, Hunt, Campbell Ch.12

2, 3, 4, 5.

DUE:

True Story:

A freshman at Eagle Rock Junior High won first prize at the Greater Idaho Falls Science Fair, April 26. He was attempting to show how conditioned we have become to the alarmists practicing junk science and spreading fear of everything in our environment. In his project he urged people to sign a petition demanding strict control or total elimination of the chemical "dihydrogen monoxide." And for plenty of good reasons, since it can

1. cause excessive sweating and vomiting
2. it is a major component in acid rain
3. it can cause severe burns in its gaseous state
4. accidental inhalation can kill you
5. it contributes to erosion
6. it decreases effectiveness of automobile brakes
7. it has been found in tumors of terminal cancer patients

He asked 50 people if they supported a ban of the chemical. forty-three said yes, six were undecided, and only one knew that the chemical was water. The title of his prize winning project was, "How Gullible Are We?" He feels the conclusion is obvious.

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