PH332: INTRODUCTION TO

ENERGY PHYSCS

Lecture 1 and 2
20/08/20
 Outline

1. INTRODUCTION TO ENERGY
2. ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE
The knowledge of the basics types of energy and the law of
thermodynamics are a necessary foundation for fully
understanding the topics presented throughout the course.

Energy is the ability to bring about change or to

do work, and thermodynamics is the study of
energy.

First Law of Thermodynamics:

Energy can be changed from one form to
another, but it cannot be created or destroyed
 The Second Law of Thermodynamics
This states that "in all energy exchanges, if no “energy
enters or leaves the system, the potential energy of
the state will always be less than that of the initial
state." This is also commonly referred to as entropy.
Entropy is a measure of disorder.
The flow of energy maintains order and life. Entropy wins
when organisms cease to take in energy and die.
KINETIC AND POTENTIAL ENERGY FORMS
Energy exists in many forms, such as heat, light, chemical energy,
and electrical energy. These forms can be grouped into two types,
Kinetic and Potential:
I. TYPES OF KINETIC ENERGY

 Kinetic Energy is motion––of waves, electrons, atoms, molecules, substances, and

objects. The kinetic energy (KE) of an object is the energy that it possesses due to its
motion. It is defined as the work needed to accelerate a body of a given mass from rest to its
stated velocity. Having gained this energy during its acceleration, the body maintains
this kinetic energy unless its speed changes.
 Electrical Energy is the movement of electrical charges. Everything is made of tiny particles
called atoms. Atoms are made of even smaller particles called electrons, protons, and
neutrons. Applying a force can make some of the electrons move.
Electrical charges moving through a wire is called electricity. Lightning is another
example of electrical energy.
 Radiant Energy is electromagnetic energy that travels in transverse
waves. Radiant energy includes visible light, x-rays, gamma rays and
radio waves. Light is one type of radiant energy. Solar energy is an
example of radiant energy.
 Thermal Energy, or heat, is the internal energy in substances––the
vibration and movement of the atoms and molecules within substances.
Geothermal energy is an example of thermal energy.
 Motion Energy is the movement of objects and substances from one
place to another. Objects and substances move when a force is applied
according to Newton’s Laws of Motion. Wind is an example of motion
energy.
 
 Sound is the movement of energy through substances in longitudinal
(compression/rarefaction) waves. Sound is produced when a force causes
an object or substance to vibrate––the energy is transferred through the
substance in a wave.
 TOPIC: ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Energy Balance
• Atmosphere gets most of it’s energy from the sun
• Energy input is concentrated in certain regions and
must be moved from one location to another by one of
earth’s systems, Atmosphere (air) or hydrosphere
(oceans)
• Transfer of Energy (E) from the sun to the earth’s
atmosphere is done by:
Conduction- E transfer by molecular contact
Convection- E transfer by motion
Radiation- E transfer via electromagnetic
transference
Distribution of energy

An energy budget example

Solar Radiation: The driving factor
• Radiation (Electromagnetic
energy) released, absorbed &
reflected by all things
• travels as both a particle and
a wave
• is affected by
- gravity, magnetism, and
atmosphere composition,
distance, angle of incidence
• provides Earth with an
external source of energy
Nature of radiative energy (Radiation) electromagnetic
travels as waves and also acts like particle
All things radiate energy as a function of Temperature
Stephan-Boltzman’s Law. Stefan-Boltzmann law, state
that the total radiant heat power emitted from a
surface is proportional to the fourth power of its
absolute temperature. The law applies only to
blackbodies, theoretical surfaces that absorb all incident
heat radiation
F = s T4
Where F is radiation Flux
s is a constant 5.67 x 10-8 W/m2K4
T is the temperature in ° Kelvin
The hotter the object, the more energy it radiates
F = (5.67 x 10-8) x (6000)4 = 73,400,000 W/ m2 (Sun)
F = (5.67 x 10-8) x (288)4 = 390 W/ m2 (Earth)
Emissivity is defined as the ratio of the energy radiated from a
material's surface to that radiated from a perfect emitter, known
as a blackbody, at the same temperature and wavelength and
under the same viewing conditions. (a value between 0 and 1).
Why is the emissivity of a black body equal to one?
They do not absorb 100% of the incident energy and
usually select the absorbed wavelengths.
Consequently, they cannot re-emit all the incident
energy. This ratio depends on wavelength and is
comprised between 0 and 1. Of course, the
emissivity of a true blackbody equals 1.
Is Earth a blackbody?
Although a blackbody does not really exist, we will
consider the planets and stars (including the earth
and the sun) as blackbodies. According to the above
definition, a blackbody will emit radiation in all parts
of the EM spectrum, but by intuition, we know that
one will not radiate in all wavelengths equally.
 In general, temperature of emitting body controls
wavelength of outgoing energy
hotter = shorter 
cooler = longer 
Wien's law or Wien's displacement law, named after
Wilhelm Wien was derived in the year 1893 which
states that black body radiation has different peaks of
temperature at wavelengths that are inversely
proportional to temperatures.
It allows us to predict which wavelength will be most
abundant.
The equation describing Wien's law is very simple:
λmax = b / T , where: λmax is the aforementioned peak
wavelength of light.
b is a constant of proportionality called Wien's displacement
constant, equal to 2.897771955... ×10−3 m⋅K, or b ≈ 2898 μm⋅K.
 The Stefan-Boltzmann law says that the total energy radiated from a blackbody is
proportional to the fourth power of its temperature, while Wien's law is the relationship
between the wavelength of maximum intensity a blackbody emits and its temperature.
Reflection - energy is bounced away without being
absorbed or transformed
Scattering - energy is diffused or scattered into
different wavelengths related to composition and
thickness of atmosphere
Absorption - some gases and aerosols capture (absorb)
energy. energy is typically re-released as longer
wavelength radiative energy
Transmission - The amount of radiation that actually
gets through to the surface
 Composition of the Atmosphere
Nitrogen N2 78.084%
Oxygen O2 20.948%
Argon Ar 0.934%
• Carbon Dioxide CO2 0.036%
• Methane CH4 1.7 ppmv
Hydrogen H2 0.55 ppmv
• Nitrous Oxide N2O 0.31 ppmv
• Ozone O3 10-500 ppbv (troposphere)
0.5-10 ppmv (stratosphere)
• Water H2O 100 pptv –
Note: ppmv- parts per million by volume

Greenhouse A greenhouse gas is one that absorbs terrestrial (LW)

Gases radiation, i.e. emitted from the Earth’s surface/atmosphere
 What is Insolation?
The incoming solar radiation (energy
from the Sun) that reaches Earth

When and where does the most intense Insolation occur?

Time of Day: Noon

Time of Year: June 21 (NH)
Where: Near the Equator
 How much solar radiation
reaches Earth?

The Earth’s
surface only
absorbs 51%
of incoming
solar
radiation
 Global Heat Budget

Condensation &

•Energy is transferred from the Earth’s surface

by radiation, conduction, convection, radiation,
evaporation, and water condensation.
•Ultimately, the Sun’s heat and Earth’s energy
transfer is a major cause of weather.
What is Greenhouse effect?
The greenhouse effect is a natural process that
warms the Earth’s surface. When the Sun’s
energy reaches the Earth’s atmosphere, some of
it is reflected back to space and the rest is
absorbed and re-radiated by greenhouse
gases.
Various gases capture this energy which
warms the Earth’s atmosphere
3 Main Greenhouse Gases: CARBON DIOXIDE
(CO2), Methane, and WATER VAPOR
 Is the Greenhouse Effect
Good or Bad?
• It is necessary for life (good)- it keeps
our climate toasty warm and prevents it
from fluctuating (changing) too much.

• It is bad when: there are too many

greenhouse gasses and the climate gets
warmer (GLOBAL WARMING)
 What is Global Warming?

• Global warming, the gradual heating of Earth's surface,

oceans and atmosphere, is caused by human activity,
primarily the burning of fossil fuels that pump carbon
dioxide (CO2), methane and other greenhouse gases into
the atmosphere. An increase in average global
temperatures
• It is caused by an increase in Greenhouse Gases in the
Atmosphere
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA):
Between 1880 and 1980, the global annual temperature increased at a rate of
0.13 degrees Fahrenheit (0.07 degrees Celsius) per decade, on average. Since
1981, the rate of increase has sped up, to 0.32 degrees F (0.18 degrees C) per
decade. This has led to an overall 3.6 degrees F (2 degrees C) increase in global
average temperature today compared to the preindustrial era. In 2019, the
average global temperature over land and ocean was 1.75 degrees F (0.95
degrees C) above the 20th-century average. That made 2019 the second
hottest year on record, trailing only 2016. 
https://www.livescience.com/37003-global-warming.html
 What causes an Increase in Greenhouse
gases?
• 1. CARBON DIOXIDE is added to the atmosphere
when people burn coal, oil (gasoline), and natural
gas FOSSIL FUELS, for transportation, factories,
and electricity.
• 2. Deforestation, or the clearing of forests,
also increases the amount of CARBON DIOXIDE
in the air because in photosynthesis plants take
in carbon dioxide and remove it from the
atmosphere, they make oxygen.
• 3. Volcanoes, fires, and respiration (breathing) also add CO2 to the
atmosphere.

Carbon
Cycle

Assimilation - the absorption and digestion of food or nutrients by the

body or any biological system
• 4. Methane is produced when
garbage is buried in landfills,
from animal waste, and from
other natural sources.
• 5. As temperatures increase, evaporation increases
which adds water vapor.
 Is Global Warming Happening?
• 1. How much have global temperatures changed between 1980 and 2000?
• 2. How much are global temperatures expected to change between 2000
and 2100?
 Is Global Warming Melting Ice Caps?
3. What percent of the polar ice caps have melted since 1979?
 5. Is Global Warming Causing Stronger
Storms?
• Hurricanes get strength from warm
ocean water. A warmer climate causes
warmer ocean currents. We might see an
increase in strong storms as a result of
global warming.
6. Man-made Sources of Greenhouse Gasses
 Arctic Ice
Sheet
melting
faster than
predicted…
…
 Evidence of Global Warming
INDEX OF SAD FACTS
• Carbon Dioxide Increasing in
Atmosphere
• Methane Also Increasing
• More Frequent Extreme Weather
• Disappearing Glaciers
• Melting Arctic Sea Ice
• Greenland's Ice Sheet Melting
• Tropical Diseases Spreading

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 Carbon Dioxide Increasing in Atmosphere

• The atmospheric levels of the greenhouse gas

carbon dioxide, have increased since pre-
industrial times from 280 part per million
(ppm) to 360 ppm, a 30% increase. Carbon
dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere are
the highest in 160,000 years. Carbon dioxide
is a by-product of the burning of fossil fuels,
such as gasoline in an automobile or coal in a
power plant generating electricity.

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 Methane Also Increasing
• Levels of atmospheric methane, a powerful
greenhouse gas, have risen 145% in the last
100 years. Methane is derived from sources
such as rice paddies, bovine flatulence,
bacteria in bogs and fossil fuel production.
• The amount of methane in Earth's
atmosphere continues to rise. ...
Concentrations of methane now exceed
1875 parts per billion, about 2.5 times as
much as was in the atmosphere in the
1850s. Climate scientists estimate that the
gas is responsible for about one quarter of
the global warming.

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More Frequent Extreme Weather

• The potential for floods and droughts is increasing.

The heating from increased greenhouse gases
enhances the hydrological cycle and increases the
risk for stronger, longer-lasting or more intense
droughts, and heavier rainfall events and flooding,
even if these phenomena occur for natural
reasons.

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 Disappearing Glaciers
• Ice is melting all over the planet. Glaciers are
melting on six continents. 
• The Bering Glacier, North America's largest
glacier, has lost 7 miles of its length, while losing
20-25% of parts of the glacier. 
• Ice cores taken from the Dunde Ice Cap in the
Qilian Mountains on the northeastern margin of
the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau indicate that the
years since 1938 have been the warmest.
 The melting is accelerating.
• The Lewis Glacier on Mt. Kenya (In Kenya) has
lost 40% of its mass during the period 1963-
1987 or at a much faster clip than during 1899-
1963.
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Iceland: a walk to the site of the now disappeared Okjokull glacier
 Melting Arctic Sea Ice
• According to a report by
Norwegian scientists, the arctic
sea ice in about 50 years could
disappear entirely each summer.
Researchers at the Nansen
Environmental and Remote
Sensing Center based their
predictions on satellite pictures.
These pictures showed that the
Arctic winter icescapes decreased
by 6% (a Texas-size area) during
the last 20 years

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 Greenland's Ice Sheet
Melting
• A NASA high-tech
aerial survey shows
that more than 11
cubic miles of ice is
melting along
Greenland's coasts
yearly, accounting for
7% of the annual
global sea level rise.

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 Tropical Diseases Spreading
• A recent study by New Zealand doctors, researchers at
the Wellington School of Medicine's public health
department said outbreaks of dengue fever in South
Pacific islands are directly related to global warming.
Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne tropical disease
caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms typically begin
three to fourteen days after infection. These may
include a high fever, headache, vomiting, muscle and
joint pains, and a characteristic skin rash
• Global warming is projected to significantly increase
the range conducive to the transmission of both
dengue and yellow fevers 46
 Pacific Island Threat
• Present research has suggested that there will be an
0.5 - 0.8 degrees C rise in regional surface
temperatures during the 20th century with less
warming in the northern hemisphere. As a
consequence of this, Pacific Island countries are
experiencing certain effects which are consistent with
the anticipated impacts of global climate change such
as adverse effects on human health, drought and the
subsequent decline of agricultural productions.

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 Pacific Island Threat
• This will adversely affect many Pacific Islands,
particularly those comprising low-lying coral atolls
such as in Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Tokelau and
Tuvalu. Indeed, the effects of global warming are
already becoming apparent in many of the outer
islands of Papua New Guinea where the rising sea
water level has spilled inland with a resultant
detrimental effect on food gardens and crops. Indeed,
when the tide subsides, pools of salt water remain
causing the root crops such as banana, breadfruit
trees and other foods to die from an excessive intake
of salty water .

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 Pacific Island solution 1
• The two obvious options are firstly to construct
sea walls around the low-lying atolls and
secondary to progressively relocate the people on
these atolls to higher safer ground. The first of
these options appears not to be economically
viable as the cost of constructing a sea wall for one
Marshall Island atoll alone has been estimated at
one hundred million US dollars. This is more than
twice the wealth that the country produces each
year.

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 Pacific Island solution 2
• The option of resettling people who lose
their island atolls as a result of global
warming appears to be the only viable one. In
some cases, this may eventually result in the
resettlement of virtually all the population of
many of our atoll island nations....they will
simply disappear. In other cases, this may
involve the relocation of people from an
outer island to the main island.

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Tutorial questions
Question 1