Energy, Environment, and Everyday Life
Beschreibung
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About this course: For a sample of what this course will include, see the video "Energy, Environment, and Everyday Life MOOC with University of Illinois Professor David Ruzic" - http://go.citl.illinois.edu/Energy-MOOC This course teaches you everything you need to know about energy, the environment, and at least a number of things in everyday life. It starts by talking about energy itself and where it comes from. This includes how much we have, who has it, who uses it, and what that all means. The video clips are produced in a fast-paced multimedia format during which Professor Ruzic throws in fun and demonstrations. There are multiple-choice questions to check your understanding and so…
Frequently asked questions
Es wurden noch keine FAQ hinterlegt. Falls Sie Fragen haben oder Unterstützung benötigen, kontaktieren Sie unseren Kundenservice. Wir helfen gerne weiter!
When you enroll for courses through Coursera you get to choose for a paid plan or for a free plan .
- Free plan: No certicification and/or audit only. You will have access to all course materials except graded items.
- Paid plan: Commit to earning a Certificate—it's a trusted, shareable way to showcase your new skills.
About this course: For a sample of what this course will include, see the video "Energy, Environment, and Everyday Life MOOC with University of Illinois Professor David Ruzic" - http://go.citl.illinois.edu/Energy-MOOC This course teaches you everything you need to know about energy, the environment, and at least a number of things in everyday life. It starts by talking about energy itself and where it comes from. This includes how much we have, who has it, who uses it, and what that all means. The video clips are produced in a fast-paced multimedia format during which Professor Ruzic throws in fun and demonstrations. There are multiple-choice questions to check your understanding and some more in-depth exercises to guide you deeper into the subject. After explaining the main things we use energy for – our cars and electronics! – fossil fuels are examined in detail. Want to really learn about fracking or pipelines? Watch these segments. The environmental effects of fossil fuels are taught as well. Global warming, acid rain, and geoengineering all are in this part of the course. Part of their solution is too. Renewables follow, with clips on solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, biofuels, etc. You’ll even see Professor Ruzic in a corn field and in the middle of a stream showing how you could dam it up. Finally, nuclear power is taught in detail – how it really works and what happens when it doesn’t work, as in Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima, as well as how we are making it today, which is shown here without political preconceptions. In this course, economics takes center stage. People will ultimately do whatever costs the least, so energy policy is most effective when it is targeted at the user’s wallet. Throughout the course there are 24 segments on “How Things Work." These guides to everyday life are tremendously varied, covering everything from fireworks to making beer to what happens backstage at a theater. The course is designed to be enjoyable as well as informative. We hope you will take a look!
Who is this class for: Any person who wants to know more about the world around them. No previous education on these topics is presumed.
Created by: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign-
Taught by: David N. Ruzic, Abel Bliss Professor
Nuclear, Plasma and Radiological Engineering
Each course is like an interactive textbook, featuring pre-recorded videos, quizzes and projects.
Help from your peersConnect with thousands of other learners and debate ideas, discuss course material, and get help mastering concepts.
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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a world leader in research, teaching and public engagement, distinguished by the breadth of its programs, broad academic excellence, and internationally renowned faculty and alumni. Illinois serves the world by creating knowledge, preparing students for lives of impact, and finding solutions to critical societal needs.Syllabus
WEEK 1
Course Orientation
You will become familiar with the course, your classmates, and our learning environment. The orientation will also help you obtain the technical skills required for the course.
1 video, 4 readings, 2 practice quizzes expand
- Video: Course Introduction and Guidelines
- Reading: Syllabus
- Reading: About the Discussion Forums
- Practice Quiz: Orientation Quiz
- Practice Quiz: Demographics Survey
- Reading: Updating Your Profile
- Discussion Prompt: Getting to Know Your Classmates
- Reading: Social Media
Week 1: How It All Starts and Ends
The course starts by looking at the basic principles of energy sources at the level of the atoms and molecules. This shows how everything from wind energy to nuclear energy share the same basic concept. We then go on to blow some stuff up and explain the statistics of what forms of energy are used around the world – who has them, who uses them, and who produces them. “How Things Work” segments start with a bang (fireworks) and then get both louder (bell towers) and softer (silencers).
13 videos, 3 practice quizzes expand
- Video: What Is Energy?
- Video: Nothing New under the Sun
- Video: How Things Work: Fireworks
- Practice Quiz: Topic 1 Practice Quiz
- Video: We Are All Star Material
- Video: Disappearing Mass
- Video: How Things Work: Big Bells and Bad Beats
- Practice Quiz: Topic 2 Practice Quiz
- Video: Measure Up
- Video: Energy Around the World
- Video: Where Does It Come From?
- Video: How Is It Used?
- Video: How Things Work: Voice Change and Sound Proofing - What Is Sound?
- Video: How Things Work: Voice Change and Sound Proofing – Getting Rid of Sound
- Video: How Things Work: Voice Change and Sound Proofing – Do Silencers Really Work
- Practice Quiz: Topic 3 Practice Quiz
Graded: Week 1 Quiz
Graded: Compare Chemical and Nuclear Energy
WEEK 2
Week 2: Getting and Using the Power
Here we dig into the two most frequent uses of energy and how to make it into useful devices, namely, the engines in cars and making electricity. How exactly does an engine work, and are there ways to make them better? How do they tie into the basic physics from the first week? We also find out what is so “smart” about the electric grid and how it is changing over time. “How Things Work” features airports, hybrid cars, and really flashy electricity (i.e., lightning!).
14 videos, 3 practice quizzes expand
- Video: What Goes Up...
- Video: What Is Temperature?
- Video: Fun and Facts with Liquid Nitrogen
- Video: How Things Work: Airport behind the Scenes
- Video: Energy from Chemistry?
- Practice Quiz: Topic 4 Practice Quiz
- Video: Heat Engines
- Video: How Things Work: The Engine in Your Car…
- Video: Diesel Is Different
- Video: Octane and Other Numbers at the Pump
- Video: Hybrid Cars?
- Practice Quiz: Topic 5 Practice Quiz
- Video: Electricity: What and How
- Video: Electricity: Where and When
- Video: The Smart Grid
- Video: How Things Work: Shock and Awe-some Lightning
- Practice Quiz: Topic 6 Practice Quiz
Graded: Week 2 Quiz
Graded: How Much of a “Horse” Are You?
WEEK 3
Week 3: Why Coal Is Dirty
Fossil fuels still dominate the energy landscape, and this week we go into them deeply, starting with coal. What is it? Where does it come from? Who has it? Who uses it? What problems does it cause? We will explore global warming and, more importantly, what can be done about it. You get to control the world in a climate model and see how bad (or how good) the future can be. “How Things Work” takes you into a coal power plant, a trash transfer station, and a waste treatment plant, so grab your shovels and hard hat, and let’s dig in!
19 videos, 3 practice quizzes expand
- Video: What Is Coal?
- Video: Coal: Who Has It, Wants It, and Uses It
- Video: What's Up with the Water?
- Video: Burning Coal through the Decades
- Video: What Goes Up in Smoke?
- Video: The University's Power (Plant)
- Video: How Things Work: A Coal (and Gas) Power Plant
- Practice Quiz: Topic 7 Practice Quiz
- Video: Acid Rain
- Video: Trading Smoke Works
- Video: Cleaning Coal (I.e., Dropping Acid)
- Video: How Things Work: What Happens to Our Garbage
- Practice Quiz: Topic 8 Practice Quiz
- Video: How the Greenhouse Works
- Video: Which Gasses Are Bad?
- Video: The Earth's Getting Warmer – How Do We Know?
- Video: Effects of Global Warming
- Video: How to Cool the Planet
- Video: Geoengineering – Possible? Desirable?
- Video: How Things Work: What Happens When You Flush Your Toilet?
- Practice Quiz: Topic 9 Practice Quiz
- Video: Climate Change Assignment Introduction
Graded: Week 3 Quiz
Graded: The Climate “Game”
WEEK 4
Week 4: Oil and Gas – With Us Forever?
Oil and natural gas are the most used and most popular energy sources in the world. What are they? Where do they come from? Who uses, needs, and makes them? All the facts and the controversies over pipelines and hydraulic fracturing (fracking) are discussed in detail. All of this is tightly tied to economics so grab your wallets – you will really see where your money goes! "How Things Work” takes us to high places – an observatory, a cell phone tower, and a laser light show!
17 videos, 3 practice quizzes expand
- Video: How Does Oil Form?
- Video: How Do You Find It?
- Video: How to Get It Out
- Video: How to Get Even Out!
- Video: Refining: Crude Conversion
- Video: How Things Work: Gateway to the Heavens
- Practice Quiz: Topic 10 Practice Quiz
- Video: Oil Producers and Consumers
- Video: Tar Sands
- Video: Pipeline Controversies
- Video: Oil Economics
- Video: How Things Work: How Does a Cell Phone Find You?
- Practice Quiz: Topic 11 Practice Quiz
- Video: From the Well to You
- Video: How Hydraulic Fracturing (Fracking) Works
- Video: Fracking and the Environment: Myth and Reality
- Video: Who Produces and Consumes Natural Gas
- Video: Combined Cycle and Converting Coal to Run It
- Video: How Things Work: Laser Light Shows
- Practice Quiz: Topic 12 Practice Quiz
Graded: Week 4 Quiz
Graded: Pipelines and Fracking
WEEK 5
Week 5: Renewables – What Is New under the Sun
Renewable energy sources finally make an appearance this week. Here we will tell you about everything powered by the sun directly and indirectly. This includes photo-voltaic, passive solar design, wind, and biofuels. Again, their inner working, what is needed, and how much it costs are the focus. You will see Prof. Ruzic make moonshine and show you how you can, too. “How Things Work” takes you to an actual windmill and brewery, and, just for fun, an ice skating rink.
16 videos, 3 practice quizzes expand
- Video: The Magic in a Solar Cell
- Video: The Cost of Sunshine
- Video: What Is “Passive” Solar?
- Video: How Things Work: Ice Rinks
- Video: How Does a Salt Pond Work?
- Practice Quiz: Topic 13 Practice Quiz
- Video: How Things Work: Windmills
- Video: What's in a Windmill
- Video: Blowing in the Wind
- Video: There Is Always a Cost
- Video: Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Economy
- Practice Quiz: Topic 14 Practice Quiz
- Video: Making Moonshine
- Video: How Things Work: How Is Beer Made?
- Video: What Goes into Making Biofuels?
- Video: Economics of Biofuels
- Video: Growing Stuff to Burn
- Video: Energy from Garbage
- Practice Quiz: Topic 15 Practice Quiz
Graded: Week 5 Quiz
Graded: Solar Experiments
WEEK 6
Week 6: Renewables and Your Radioactive World
We finish up renewables this week by discussing those coming from water – hydropower, geothermal, waves, and tides. You will even see Prof. Ruzic walking on water. Then, the world of the nucleus is opened up to you. What is radioactivity and how much should be feared? What is the basis for fission and how does a power plant differ from an atomic bomb? “How Things Work” looks at the visual world – from why the sky is blue to how a 3D IMAX movie system makes it seem like you are really there.
18 videos, 3 practice quizzes expand
- Video: Small-Scale Hydropower
- Video: Large-Scale Hydropower
- Video: The Power of Water
- Video: Hot Rocks
- Video: Heat for Homes?
- Video: Home Improvements!
- Video: How Things Work: Walking on Water
- Practice Quiz: Topic 16 Practice Quiz
- Video: How Things Work: Why Is the Sky Blue?
- Video: ABCs of Radiation
- Video: The World around You
- Video: How Much Is Too Much?
- Video: What Makes Something Radioactive?
- Video: Food Irradiation
- Practice Quiz: Topic 17 Practice Quiz
- Video: Energy from Atoms?
- Video: Nuclear Fission
- Video: What Is in a Nuclear Reactor?
- Video: The Biggest Bangs!
- Video: How Things Work: Movie Theaters in the Modern Age
- Practice Quiz: Topic 18 Practice Quiz
Graded: Week 6 Quiz
Graded: Home Improvement
WEEK 7
Week 7: Nuclear Power Problems and Solutions
This week covers the heart of nuclear power. We will follow the fuel from the ground and into the reactors. We also cover the major accidents in the history of nuclear power in detail. Do you remember Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and/or Fukushima? Do you want to understand in detail what worked and what did not, how much is costs, and if it is all worthwhile? Then be sure to watch the videos this week. “How Things Work” takes a lighter view – we visit a football stadium, go backstage at a theater, and even peer into the mind by exploring brain-scanning MRIs.
14 videos, 3 practice quizzes expand
- Video: How TMI Started
- Video: How TMI Ended
- Video: What We Learned from TMI
- Video: How Things Work: What You Can Do with an MRI
- Practice Quiz: Topic 19 Practice Quiz
- Video: Chernobyl: Worst Accident Ever
- Video: Xenon Can Be a Problem
- Video: Health Effects of Chernobyl
- Video: An Earthquake and Tsunami Hit Fukushima
- Video: How Things Work: Backstage at a Theater
- Practice Quiz: Topic 20 Practice Quiz
- Video: Uranium from the Ground
- Video: Getting to the Good Stuff (Uranium Enrichment)
- Video: What Is Left Over (Depleted Uranium)
- Video: Economics of Nuclear Power
- Video: How Things Work: Behind the Scenes at a Football Stadium
- Practice Quiz: Topic 21 Practice Quiz
Graded: Week 7 Quiz
Graded: It Can Not Happen Here
WEEK 8
Week 8: Our Future Is Bright!
What does the future hold? We’ll start with how to hold the spent nuclear fuel and then talk about the modern “third generation” reactors being built today that have safety systems requiring no mechanical or human intervention. This leads to reactors that can make more fuel than they use and also to nuclear fusion – the energy source of the sun. “How Things Work” explores cooking/grilling, how microwave ovens work, and super computers, taking you to arguably the largest and fastest computer in the world.
18 videos, 4 practice quizzes expand
- Video: Natural Nuclear Reactor
- Video: The Real Bad Stuff (High-Level Wastes)
- Video: Moving Nuclear Waste Around
- Video: Contaminated Things (Low-Level Wastes)
- Video: After It Is All Over (Decommissioning)
- Video: How Things Work: Grilling/Cooking
- Practice Quiz: Topic 22 Practice Quiz
- Video: How to Be Allowed to Build
- Video: The Newest Reactors (Generation III)
- Video: Making Than You Use (Breeder Reactors)
- Video: Dealing with the Used Fuel (Reprocessing)
- Video: Reactors of the Future (Generation IV)
- Video: How Things Work: Super Computers
- Practice Quiz: Topic 23 Practice Quiz
- Video: How Things Work: Microwave Ovens
- Video: What Is a Plasma?
- Video: What Is Fusion and How Do You Get It to Work?
- Video: Magnetic Fusion's Progress
- Video: Inertial Confinement's Progress
- Video: What Plasmas Have to Do with Computer Chips
- Practice Quiz: Topic 24 Practice Quiz
- Discussion Prompt: Final Reflections
- Practice Quiz: End of Course Survey
Graded: Week 8 Quiz
Graded: The Nuclear Option
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