Course Name
Physics of Contemporary Challenges
Course Number
ph315
Year/Term
Fall-2026
Course Credits
3
Class meeting times
3 hours of lecture per week
Prerequisites
Recommended: PH 211
Course description
An introduction to thermal and quantum physics in the context of contemporary challenges faced by our society, such as power generation, energy efficiency, and global warming.
Topic/Day
Activities
Resources
Homework Due
Course Overview
Course Info
Latex Resources
Textbooks
Week 0 Wednesday (9/24)
Introduction
SEWHA Ch 1 - Motivations
SEWHA Ch 2 - Balance Sheet
Optional: Lecture by David MacKay, the author of SEWHA.
Hydroelectric power from a coarse-grained model.
SEWHA Ch 8 - Hydroelectricity
Week 0 Friday (9/26)
Coarse-Grained Models
Classroom Norms