OPTIONP

EnvironmentalPhysics
Introduction

TheseStudyNotesconcentrate on the physicsof manyaspectsof environmental concern.A full

studyof the topicsconsidered herewouldhaveto take intoaccounlmorethanjust the physrcs
"/',', of the topic-For example,manygeographical
jl problemon a remoteScottishislandmay be totallyinappropriate
factorshaveto be considered. Asolutionto a
in London.Similarly, an area
I whichhistorically is dependent on coalmayfind it muchmoredifficultto persuadea localcouncil
t o a l l o w a w i n d f a r m t o b e e r e c t e dt h a n o n e w h e r e t h e r e i s n o s u c h
I d e p e n d e n c eA
.n
I environmentally friendlysolutionto a country'senergyproblemshas to start fromthe present
.l
'l [ 3tt1a11on in the country'lt is unrealistic to assumethat a new,utopiansystemcan somehowbe
i installedovernight.

lt is also unrealistic
C,,,.,..,.,,; to congtderproblen0,t-vithou!-economic,gonstraintsand thereis morero
economlcs than the simplematterof how muchsomethingcosts,For example,in
building 'S
powerstation,the relationbetweenrunningcostsand capital
costsis critical.At times ll;
interestratesit makesmore economicsense to increasecapitalspending "f
if, thereby,running
costscan be reduced-The oppositeis true at timesof highinterestrates
as repayment then of
interestcan be a cripplingburdenon any project.Anothercrucial
economicconsideration is the
readyavailability of cheapoil, gas and coal supplieson the world market.Manypromising
+ schemesfor renewableenergyare at presenttotallyuneconomical becauseof theseabundant
energysupplies.As the supplyof fossilfuelsdiminishes, however,the opportunity for renewable
energywill increase,but this will probablytake considerably
longerthan expected.coal is still
readilyavailableand the oil companiesare still makingdiscoveries
of oil and naturalgas.
However, theydo not givemuchpublicity to theirdiscoveries
as this can easilyhavean adverse
effect,for them,on the worldoil orice.

P1. PowerSources

(a) Candidatesshouldbe abte to understandand usethe term

solar constant.
(b) Candidatesshouldbe able to understandthe geographjcalyariation t-A
in so1atconstant.

il
By far the aestjagortaolsguEe of powerfor the Earthig the Sun.The Sun radiates
energy
at the rate of ..9x 1026joulesper second,that is ipo*er of 3.9x 1026watts^
Most of rhis
power,which is in the form of electromagneticradiationin the ultraviofet,vislblgaryd!nfra-
rgd regions,travelsoff into deep space but a small fraction(less than
one Oiltiontn)of it
comesin the direclionof the Earthand keepsthe Earth'ssurfaceat a mean
temperature of
about290K (or 17"C). ln the absenceof the Sun, the Earthwouldcool downrapidly
as a
resultof the energyit radiatesout into space.The total powerfrom
the Sun which is
rnlercepted by the Earthis approximately 1.8x1017W. The areaof the disc of the Earth
is 'l.3 x '1014
(Fig'1' 1), overwhichthispoweris distribuied m2,so the powersuppliedper unit
it 1400W m-2.This figureis called lhe sotar constantand is definedas the power
i3'?1
rincident normally perunitareaon the Earth.