Course Catalogue

View Specification Document | Reading List

This course will explore the underlying physical mechanisms of various methods of energy production, the principles of energy consumption and efficiency and their influence on environment and climate. The course will equip future physics graduates with a solid foundation in key physical principles and ideas that underpin climate change science and sustainable energy.

Approx. 2 class meetings per week, times yet to be determined.

This course is normally only open to students who meet the requirements for entry, or progression, for a degree programme which includes Energy and Environment as an elective or compulsory course and will not be present for the April/May exam diet.

Energy and Environment is an elective course for the following degree programmes:

BSc Physics, BSc Theoretical Physics, BSc Physics with Astrophysics, BSc Chemical Physics

MSci Physics, MSci Theoretical Physics, MSci Physics with Astrophysics, MSci Chemical Physics

None

Examination (75%)

Small individual/group project report (25%)

Reassessment of the main diet examination is normally available for students on PGT degree programmes if they do not achieve an overall course grade of C3 at their first attempt. Reassessment of the main diet examination is normally available for students on designated BSc degree programmes if they do not achieve an overall course grade of D3 at their first attempt. Reassessment of the main diet examination is not normally available for students on Honours degree programmes.

Reassessment is not normally allowed, for practical reasons, for any other assessed components of coursework.

To provide students with an opportunity to develop knowledge and understanding of the key physical principles and applications of physics relevant to the areas of sustainable energy and climate change.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Demonstrate basic understanding of the physical principles involved in relevant energy sources (fossil, nuclear fusion and fission, wind, photovoltaic, hydroelectric, wave, geothermal etc).

■ Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of the various energy sources.

■ Identify potential energy saving methods and to suggest improvements in energy efficiency of any specific system (from a single building to a whole country).

■ Describe the relation between energy production/consumption and any potential climate change.

■ Apply objective tackling methods for 'hardly-solvable' problems, focussing on scientific aspects, but also taking financial, ethical and political constraints into account (trade-off techniques).

None