Assignment:
1.( Describe two things that waves do that particles (like balls and boxes) don't. Give the technical names and then explain how they work and how they're observed.
2. Look at the periodic table to answer this one and the next one (you may get a google image of this or use your book). Polonium (Po) decays to lead (Pb). What kind of radiation was produced? How do you know? (Justify your answer.)
3. Another periodic table question. Astatine (At) decays to radon (Rn - don't confuse it with radium, which is Ra). What kind of radiation was produced? How do you know?
4. At the most basic level, what produces magnetic fields?
5. Why do we use high-voltage lines to transfer our power from the power plant to our homes and businesses?
6. (Over the course of 10 days, the average American family home uses 288 kW-hr of energy.
A.) How much power is that family using, on average? (step one: how many hours in 10 days?)
b.) How much current is that family using, on average, knowing that the voltage coming out of the wall for them is about 120V?
7. Why can't nuclear fission power plants explode like a bomb?
8. Briefly, what are the most problematic issues associated with power from nuclear fission? Why would nuclear fusion be so preferable to nuclear fission, if only we could get it to work as a power source here on earth?
9. (Earthquakes produce waves in the rock of the earth. A. What kinds of waves are produced? Which are the fastest? The most dangerous? B. What do earthquakes tell us about the interior of the earth? How do we figure that out?
10.) What are the transformers that you personally own or use? How do they work? Why are they necessary?
Long Answer
11.- be sure your answer is thorough! that's a lot of points!) The AC/DC debate between Edison and Tesla was partially about how centrally energy should be generated (one big power plant for the city, or one on every block), and that's coming up again now. As individual residents and businesses can have solar power and wind power, energy generation may be getting less centralized. What are the pros and cons of having centrally generated power vs. locally generated power, and are these the same or different than in the old AC/DC debate? (Be sure to talk about how each of these kinds of power is generated and transmitted.) What model do you think we should focus on going forward?