Instructor     F. Eugene Dunnam,  Professor of Physics

                                  Office:  2364 New Physics Building;  Telephone 392-1444

                                  Office Hours:   Mondays, 8:45 - 10:30 am & Thursdays, 1:00 - 2:00 PM

                                  email: <dunnam@phys.ufl.edu>;    Home page: <http://www.phys.ufl.e du/~dunnam/Welcome.html>
 

Textbooks   Robert A Ristinen and Jack J. Kraushaar: Energy and the Environment,Wiley, 1999

General Information

This course in energy fundamentals is primarily for honors students who are not majoring in one of the physical sciences or engineering. This is a physical science course with a significant component (~30%) focussing on energy policy, permitting it also to be used to meet social science General Education requirements. Our principal goal is to analyze two critical problems of our times: the use and abuse of the world's primary energy resources (on which our civilization depends) and the often-inconsistent public policies governing their use.

Course objectives

1. To get acquainted with scientific methods by examining some of the major energy issues from a scientific perspective;
2. To learn some of the basic science that bears directly on the problems;
3. To learn how to access a variety of energy information resources;
4. To prepare you as educated citizens to make informed decisions concerning public energy policies.

Assigned readings in the texts are listed in the Course Schedule and serve as study guides and reference sources. You are expected to read the assigned material before it is discussed in class.  Almost all energy issues are closely tied to environmental questions.  Our 'policy' text,  the new edition of Professor Rosenbaum's well-known book contains ample material on both the policy process and its relationship to energy usage and resources. In-class discussions on energy policy have been scheduled at roughly three-week intervals [again, see the Course Schedule !]. The relevant science and technical background will thus be covered prior to discussion of policies concerning a particular energy issue or resource.

Question/problem assignments listed in the schedule are designed give you the requisite experience in working with the basic concepts.  Don't  neglect this!  Assimilating the material in a quantitative discipline like this one requires regular practice.  "Doing science" involves applying a relatively small number of general principles (sometimes in combination) to a wide variety of  physical situations.  Memorizing solutions to specific problems is usually  not helpful unless you have a photographic memory and can 'store' several dozen of them.  Suggestion: keep your problem solutions in a notebook for ready reference and review before exams.

Outside resources and reference materials relating to energy and energy policy are many and varied. Although a large fraction of the energy reference books in the Marston Science Library dates from the 1970's and 80's, much of the material is still timely. The World Wide Web offers myriad resources. You might like to explore a 'biggie' in this category: take a look at the US Department of Energy's home page at  http://www.energy.gov/

Examinations and Grading

There will be two exams, given at intervals of approximately four weeks, plus a comprehensive final examination. The times and locations are listed in the Course Schedule . Exams will include essay questions and numerical problems. The three exams are weighted equally; however if your final exam score is higher than that of Exam 1 or Exam 2, the final exam score will be substituted for your ‘worst’ score in computing your average.  When taking exams you are permitted to use a calculator and one card or page of notes.

Course Schedule