PHY 113 CC: ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

The way humanity uses energy has changed radically over the past 300 years. This revolution has brought both great benefits and dire consequences for people around the world, some of which are only starting to be manifested today. In this course, students will examine what energy is, and how it is stored, transferred, used, and “lost”. Students will also study some of the various large-scale energy systems in use today (such as wind, solar, fossil, nuclear, and geothermal) and their advantages and disadvantages. Students will research how energy is generated and used both on the Connecticut College campus and in their home communities, and how much energy they use on a regular basis. Students will investigate how the energy system and its impacts have broad importance beyond the field of physics, and will examine the energy system from the perspective of fields such such as economics, sociology, biology, and politics from local to global scales. They will also examine whether these impacts have been equitably distributed, either within the United States or on a global scale. Students will be asked to examine the problems surrounding the energy system using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The class will include both lecture/discussion meetings and laboratory work. (Lab work may be conducted remotely if necessary due to public health concerns.) No prior physics or mathematics coursework is required, although algebra and trigonometry will be used in the course.