Welcome to Joules 2 $! This is a course unlike any other you’ve taken at Colby. In this class you’ll learn a very practical approach to understanding sustainability and energy systems. Professor Whitney King will educate you on the thermodynamics and the science of energy systems. Professor Michael Donihue will introduce you to methods of evaluating alternative energy systems and a way of thinking about the individual behavior and consumer choice in the context of energy economics.
In preparation for our solar lab in two weeks, get a copy of a recent residential electricity bill from a property in the continental United States that you can identify using Google Earth. Ask your parents, a family member, a friend, or someone who might like to know whether it makes sense to install solar panels on their home.
Review of General Chemistry

Image: Wikimedia Commons
Readings: The Carnot Limit, Kinetic Temperature, Temperature, Internal Energy, First Law, Heat, Second Law, Carnot Efficiency
Homework: CH141 Final Exam 2003 (due Tuesday, February 13th)
Laboratory Prep: Introduction to Colby’s Biomass Plant
Resources: Excel Tutorials, Slides, DWK Lecture Notes

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