As the industrialized world moves toward an all electric energy source, the class will learn how electricity is produced, stored, transported, and used. We will look at traditional means of producing electricity: diesel, coal, nuclear, hydroelectric, as well as more sustainable alternatives: wind, and solar. We will look at the advantages and drawbacks of each technology. The students will be introduced to the concept of "the Grid", and its elementary functioning. We will also discuss storage: batteries, flywheels, pumped hydro-power, etc.. Finally, we will discuss means by which we can reduce or mitigate our use of electrical power.
To ground our exploration and discussions, we will watch the Nova documentary Search for the Super Battery, and learn about the chemistry and physics behind the functioning of an electric battery:
