Prerequisites

Physics I: Classical Mechanics (8.01), Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism (8.02), Single Variable Calculus (18.01), Multivariable Calculus (18.02), and either Principles of Chemical Science (5.111 and 5.112) or Introduction to Solid State Chemistry (3.091)

Description

The Physics of Energy is a new subject, offered for the first time in the Fall of 2008. The course is designed for MIT sophomores, juniors, and seniors who want to understand the fundamental laws and physical processes that govern the sources, extraction, transmission, storage, degradation, and end uses of energy.

The course is not aimed specifically at physics majors. It is designed for any MIT student, including, for example, an engineer, scientist, social scientist, or management, architecture or planning major, who wants to get a firm foundation in the physical principles that constrain the energy landscape. The course will enable students to approach energy issues in a sophisticated and scientific fashion, but without having to take advanced subjects in thermodynamics, quantum mechanics, or nuclear physics beforehand.

You may have heard about courses on the "Physics of Energy" offered at other universities. The ones we know of are aimed at non-scientists without a background in calculus or calculus-based physics. Because MIT undergraduates are so well prepared in mathematics and physics, we will present material at a considerably more advanced level. This should make the course more exciting (and more challenging). Much of the reading and background material for 8.21 is being created specifically for this course, since existing introductory books and resources on energy physics do not seem to be advanced enough for MIT undergraduates.

Homework and Exams

Problem sets are issued weekly. There are two in-class exams and a final exam.

Grading

Format

Rather than follow the traditional format of theory followed by application, we will integrate fundamental physics with practical applications to energy systems of contemporary relevance throughout the semester. If you complete this subject you should be equipped with the technical tools and perspective to enable you to start to evaluate energy choices objectively and quantitatively both at a national policy and a personal level.

Additional Comments

• This course will focus on the fundamental physical principles underlying energy processes, and on application of these principles to practical calculations. We will emphasize quantitative analysis and will introduce and apply many important analytical tools. It is not intended to be a survey course.
• The course will focus on the physics. Tough political, economic, social, and ethical issues will have to be resolved if the "energy crisis" is to be ameliorated. Although they will not be discussed directly in the course, the course will provide the scientific foundation for intelligent evaluation of those important considerations.
• If you are interested in studying any particular energy technology in great depth, you will want to take additional, more advanced subjects at MIT. Our hope is that this course will give you enough background to approach those subjects with a broad and functional perspective on the physics of energy.