Description
Book SynopsisIn our society, we must make decisions about the production and use of energy and the consequences of that production and use, whether we are buying a car, voting for ballot measures or building a house. Our governments, the media and corporations discuss policies regarding climate change, radioactive waste and environmental regulation. Hinrichs/Wade's ENERGY: ITS USE AND THE ENVIRONMENT, 6th Edition, provides you with the science foundation to participate in these discussions and to make informed decisions, emphasizing the physical principles behind energy and its effects on our environment. In this text you will learn the basic physical principles behind the use of energy, including the study of mechanics, electricity and magnetism, thermodynamics, and atomic and nuclear physics. By placing energy issues within the context of everyday examples and asking you to define and support critical arguments, this text will offer a provocative approach to this crucial field.
Table of Contents1. Introduction. 2. Energy Mechanics. 3. Energy and Work. 4. Conservation of Energy. 5. Heat and Work. 6. Home Energy Conservation and Heat-Transfer Control. 7. Solar Energy: Characteristics and Heating. 8. Energy from Fossil Fuels. 9. The Greenhouse Effect and Climate Change. 10. Environmental Impacts of Energy Production. 11. Electricity: Circuits and Superconductors. 12. Electromagnetism and the Generation of Electricity. 13. Electricity from Solar, Wind, and Hydro. 14. Energy Storage: Batteries, Electric Vehicles and Fuel Cells. 15. The Building Blocks of Matter: The Atom and Its Nucleus. 16. Nuclear Power: Fission. 17. Effects and Uses of Radiation. 18. Future Energy Alternatives: Fusion. 19. Biomass: From Plants to Garbage. 20. Tapping the Earth's Heat: Geothermal Energy. 21. A National and Personal Commitment. Appendix A: Units of Measurement and Powers of Ten Notation. Appendix B: Conversions and Equivalencies. Appendix C: Home Heating Analysis. Appendix D: Insolation and Temperature Data for Selected U.S. Cities. Appendix E: Additional Energy Data Resources Glossary. Index.
