PSci 168 Energy and the Environment - 2005 Spring

Course syllabus: please read carefully.

Instructor: Dr. Ringwald
E-mail: ringwald[at]csufresno.edu and replace [at] with @

Phone: 278-8426
Also: 278-2371 (secretary)

Office hours: MWF 1-2, MW 4:30-5:30, Th 11-12, and other times by appointment.
Office: McLane Hall, Room 11, in the new Building J (or "J-wing").
This is across the outdoor "hall" from McLane 149 and 151.

You don't need an appointment to come in during office hours. This is time set aside for you, when I will be in.


Please feel free to contact me, if you have any problems whatsoever in this course: or if you're doing well, and just want to talk about energy and the environment. It's in our interest, and it matters to me, that you do well!

Course Description (from the California State University, Fresno 2004-2005 General Catalog): (3 credits). Prerequisites: G. E. Foundation and Breadth Area B. Analysis of energy crisis; introduction to various forms of energy, energy conversion processes and environmental effects; present energy supply and energy projections; future energy demands and ways of evaluating alternatives. G. E. Integration IB. (3 lecture hours)

Class objectives:
(1) To serve as a conceptual physics course, with emphasis on energy generation and use, and their effects on the environment.
(2) To promote student understanding of scientific method, and to practice critical thinking and reasoning skills, useful both in and outside of science.
(3) To examine the interaction between science, technology, and society, in the context of "the energy crisis."
(4) To provide experience with quantitative reasoning and graphics, again useful both in and outside of science.

Mathematics: This course will require the use of some algebra and basic geometry, but mainly a lot of arithmetic. We will also use scientific notation, units conversions, and proportions.

Course meeting times and location: Schedule 34050 (section 01): MW 3-4:15 p.m., in McLane 280.

Holidays: February 21 (Presidents' Day), March 21 and 23 (Spring Break), March 31 (Cesar Chavez Day)

Required Course Text: Energy: and the Environment (1999), by Robert A. Ristinen and Jack J. Kraushaar.
It should be available at the campus Bookstore, in the University Student Union building.

If you can't afford books: You may borrow a copy of the text from the Circulation Desk at Madden Library (278-4024), for two hours at a time. Making copies can be useful for homework assignments.

Required Course Equipment: (1) Clear plastic ruler; (2) Scientific calculator (that has scientific notation, and can calculate logarithmic and exponential functions)

Course web page: http://zimmer.csufresno.edu/~fringwal/psci168.html

Course grades will be awarded for the following final percentages:
85-100% = A; 70-84% = B; 55-69% = C; 40-54% = D; 0-39% = F.
These percentages will be computed with the following weights:

Please note:


Click here for the Writing Guide for Research Papers


Go to Dr. Ringwald's PSci 168 (Energy and the Environment) home page, for News

Go to Dr. Ringwald's home page

Last updated 2005 April 28. Web page by Dr. Ringwald (ringwald[at]csufresno.edu and replace [at] with @)
Department of Physics, California State University, Fresno