Energy, Solar Energy, Atmosphere

 

LECTURE NOTES – January 25, 2010

 

The plan… Mostly lecture today.

Response to Green Sheets

Schedule for leadership of labs… major changes, let me know of upsets… particularly about tectonics…

Daniel, Ritchy, Sean, and Ross… please see me 5 min before the end of class.

 

LabLeadership – the plan – HW02

LabLeadership – the forms – LINK in .doc format LINK

LabLeadership – sample Green Sheet LINK

 

Lecture – Energy. And Energy and the Atmosphere

My lectures track the optional textbook – on reserve – in Marriott “Elemental Geosystems” by Christopherson

And my intent is to get the powerpoints onto Blackboard

 

I will walk though the powerpoints because they investigate the broad science of Earth science (GEOG3330 is an explorations of physical and life sciences gen ed course) and I’ll relate the concepts of most illustrations to urban systems. My notes will state connections. The images will illustrate the science. The text explains the science. Your workbooks encourage you to digest and apply the science and your-city assignment asks you to think about the science.

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction of science themes of GEOG/ENVST3330. Energy. Mass. Gravity.

First theme = ENERGY.  

(sources: Trefil and Hazen, 2010, The Sciences, an integrated approach; Geological Society of America –teacher notes Energy by C.V. McLelland)

 

Energy is one of the “great ideas” of science.  

Great idea: Energy has many forms.

Great idea: the forms are interchangeable.

Great idea: the total amount of energy in an isolated system is conserved… meaning, it is neither created nor destroyed.  

LAW of Conservation of Energy.

 

ENERGY, by definition, is the ability to do work. (Work is force acting over a distance). There are several forms of energy… LINK

 

POTENTIAL energy is stored energy. Energy waiting to be converted to another form.

Energy of position.

• Gravitational energy – position with mass (rolly-coaster)
• Chemical energy – position at an atomic level (muscles, coal)
• Nuclear energy – within nucleus of atom (power plants)

 

KINETIC energy is working energy.

• Mechanical energy – energy of a moving object (wind)
• Radient energy – energy moving waves
• Solar energy (electromagnetic radiation)
• Thermal, or heat, radiation (molecules vibrate)
• Electrical energy – kinetic at an atomic scale, motion of electrons, a current.

 

 

 

ENERGY is the ability to do work. Several energy types so several energy units… but they all interchange. Joule (accelerate a mass… ), calorie (raise temp water…), Btu (raise temp water…), ft-lb (raise lb one ft…), bbl (barrel of oil), (kilo)watt-hour, ton (of coal)

 

POWER is the rate at which work is done. Watt (watt-hour/hour); horsepower (work by one horse). A watt is much smaller than a horsepower. One horsepower = 746 watts.

 

A person generates about as much power as a 100 watt lightbulb.

 

EARTH SYSTEMS:

The uneven distribution of heat drives plate tectonics and circulation of oceans. Directly, or indirectly, the uneven distribution of energy/heat in the geosphere (tectonics), hydrosphere (circulation of oceans), atmosphere (weather and climate), biosphere… (trophic levels, plants… animals), and anthrosphere (politics of energy resources), influences urban settings and urbanization.

 

CONCEPTS for Encounter Geosystems… Chapters 2 and 3.

 

Solar Energy

 

Seasons

 

Properties of the Atmosphere

 

{Students of Geog/Envst3330 -- for powerpoints of lectures, go to your UofU WebCT / Blackboard course files }

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{This page modified on January 2010- Modifications will continue through Spring semester 2010}