In this lesson designed to enhance literacy skills, students examine energy forms …
In this lesson designed to enhance literacy skills, students examine energy forms in moving objects and discover how changes from one form to another move cars through a roller coaster ride.
On NOVA, a team of carpenters, timber framers, engineers, and historians recreate …
On NOVA, a team of carpenters, timber framers, engineers, and historians recreate a medieval throwing machine called a trebuchet. This adapted video segment explores how understanding energy transfer informs their design.
In this activity learners work in pairs or small groups to evaluate …
In this activity learners work in pairs or small groups to evaluate energy use in their school and make recommendations for improved efficiency. Students create and use an energy audit tool to collect data and present recommendations to their class. Further communication at the school and district level is encouraged.
Introduces the basics of energy from how we measure it, to how …
Introduces the basics of energy from how we measure it, to how it is regulated and priced, to how you can engage in exciting new opportunities for energy efficiency, green architecture, and renewable energy. Recorded in May 2008 by Penn State University for the Local Development Districts of Pennsylvania's Energy Partnership, in Milton, PA.
Where is humanity going? How realistic is a future of fusion and …
Where is humanity going? How realistic is a future of fusion and space colonies? What constraints are imposed by physics, by resource availability, and by human psychology? Are default expectations grounded in reality?
This textbook, written for a general-education audience, aims to address these questions without either the hype or the indifference typical of many books. The message throughout is that humanity faces a broad sweep of foundational problems as we inevitably transition away from fossil fuels and confront planetary limits in a host of unprecedented ways—a shift whose scale and probable rapidity offers little historical guidance.
Salvaging a decent future requires keen awareness, quantitative assessment, deliberate preventive action, and—above all—recognition that prevailing assumptions about human identity and destiny have been cruelly misshapen by the profoundly unsustainable trajectory of the last 150 years. The goal is to shake off unfounded and unexamined expectations, while elucidating the relevant physics and encouraging greater facility in quantitative reasoning.
After addressing limits to growth, population dynamics, uncooperative space environments, and the current fossil underpinnings of modern civilization, various sources of alternative energy are considered in detail— assessing how they stack up against each other, and which show the greatest potential. Following this is an exploration of systemic human impediments to effective and timely responses, capped by guidelines for individual adaptations resulting in reduced energy and material demands on the planet’s groaning capacity. Appendices provide refreshers on math and chemistry, as well as supplementary material of potential interest relating to cosmology, electric transportation, and an evolutionary perspective on humanity’s place in nature.
Corrections and feedback can be left at https://tmurphy.physics.ucsd.edu/energy-text/
Our world runs on energy - without it, things come to a …
Our world runs on energy - without it, things come to a screeching halt, as the recent hurricanes have shown. Ever stop to wonder what our energy future is? What are our options for energy, and what are the associated economic and climatic implications? In \Energy and the Environment\" we explore these questions, which together represent one of the great challenges of our time - providing energy for high quality of life and economic growth while avoiding dangerous climate change. This course takes an optimistic view of our prospects, and we'll see how shifting to renewable energy can lead to a viable future.
This activity utilizes hands on learning with the conservation of energy with …
This activity utilizes hands on learning with the conservation of energy with the inclusion of elastic potential energy. Students use pogo sticks to experience the elastic potential energy and its conversion to gravitational potential energy.
An activity focusing on black carbon. This activity explores the impacts of …
An activity focusing on black carbon. This activity explores the impacts of the use of black carbon generating wood, dung, and charcoal for fuel in developing countries.
In this activity, students compare countries and nation states with high- and …
In this activity, students compare countries and nation states with high- and low-energy consumption rates within a specific region of the world. Students are encouraged to draw linkages between a country's energy culture and its position in multilateral climate negotiations.
This activity introduces students to different forms of energy, energy transformations, energy …
This activity introduces students to different forms of energy, energy transformations, energy storage, and the flow of energy through systems. Students learn that most energy can be traced back to nuclear fusion on the sun.
Students are introduced to sound energy concepts and how engineers use sound …
Students are introduced to sound energy concepts and how engineers use sound energy. Through hands-on activities and demonstrations, students examine how we know sound exists by listening to and seeing sound waves. They learn to describe sound in terms of its pitch, volume and frequency. They explore how sound waves move through liquids, solids and gases. They also identify the different pitches and frequencies, and create high- and low-pitch sound waves.
This activity utilizes hands-on learning with the conservation of energy and the …
This activity utilizes hands-on learning with the conservation of energy and the interaction of friction. Students use a roller coaster track and collect position data. The students then calculate velocity, and energy data. After the lab, students relate the conversion of potential and kinetic energy to the conversion of energy used in a hybrid car.
Students are introduced to genetic techniques such as DNA electrophoresis and imaging …
Students are introduced to genetic techniques such as DNA electrophoresis and imaging technologies used for molecular and DNA structure visualization. In the field of molecular biology and genetics, biomedical engineering plays an increasing role in the development of new medical treatments and discoveries. Engineering applications of nanotechnology such as lab-on-a-chip and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) microarrays are used to study the human genome and decode the complex interactions involved in genetic processes.
Under the "The Science Behind Harry Potter" theme, a succession of diverse …
Under the "The Science Behind Harry Potter" theme, a succession of diverse complex scientific topics are presented to students through direct immersive interaction. Student interest is piqued by the incorporation of popular culture into the classroom via a series of interactive, hands-on Harry Potter/movie-themed lessons and activities. They learn about the basics of acid/base chemistry (invisible ink), genetics and trait prediction (parseltongue trait in families), and force and projectile motion (motion of the thrown remembrall). In each lesson and activity, students are also made aware of the engineering connections to these fields of scientific study.
This course covers the major topics of mechanics, including momentum and energy …
This course covers the major topics of mechanics, including momentum and energy conservation, kinematics, NewtonŰŞs laws and equilibrium. The major emphasis is to develop critical analysis, problem solving and scientific reasoning skills by considering numerous different systems and interactions, solving problems and discussion. It uses a systematic approach based on modeling systems by application of basic physics principles, making assumptions, utilizing multiple representations (not just mathematical) in order to become proficient at problem solving. Lab work is required and is designed to help students develop a questioning approach to physical situations, distinguishing the significant behaviors from the less significant behaviors of a system under study.Login: guest_oclPassword: ocl
Students learn about applied forces as they create pop-up-books the art of …
Students learn about applied forces as they create pop-up-books the art of paper engineering. They also learn the basic steps of the engineering design process.
Students use simple materials to design an open spectrograph so they can …
Students use simple materials to design an open spectrograph so they can calculate the angle light is bent when it passes through a holographic diffraction grating. A holographic diffraction grating acts like a prism, showing the visual components of light. After finding the desired angles, students use what they have learned to design their own spectrograph enclosure.
Students learn about the periodic table and how pervasive the elements are …
Students learn about the periodic table and how pervasive the elements are in our daily lives. After reviewing the table organization and facts about the first 20 elements, they play an element identification game. They also learn that engineers incorporate these elements into the design of new products and processes. Acting as computer and animation engineers, students creatively express their new knowledge by creating a superhero character based on of the elements they now know so well. They will then pair with another superhero and create a dynamic duo out of the two elements, which will represent a molecule.
This course is intended to understand the engineering design of nuclear power …
This course is intended to understand the engineering design of nuclear power plants using the basic principles of reactor physics, thermodynamics, fluid flow and heat transfer. This course includes the following: Reactor designs, Thermal analysis of nuclear fuel, Reactor coolant flow and heat transfer, Power conversion cycles, Nuclear safety and Reactor dynamic behavior.
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