Applied Physics Paragraph (Faculty Lecture Lab)
Sean Tauber
3/18/11
Physics 121 Applied Physics Paragraph (Faculty Lecture Lab) Unfortunately, I had a chemistry lab so I wasn’t able to come to the
faculty lecture! What follows is a statement about applied physics… I think that the events that have unfolded at the Fukushima nuclear
power plant in the last week are an excellent example of applied
physics. The mechanical process used at the plant is dependent on our
fundamental understanding of physics, which parlays into the chemistry
involved in nuclear fission… water is boiled when it cools a nuclear
fission reaction, which generates steam which spins a turbine that
likely moves a magnet within a coil of wires, generating electricity.
In the crisis itself, the cooling systems failed to continue to pump
water, causing uncontrolled steam and hydrogen gas to put extreme
force on the inner walls of the building, eventually causing the roof
to break apart from the surrounding structure in several of the
reactors. The response teams are guiding their next moves based on
their understanding of nuclear isotopes and are looking to prevent
risk by tackling the most dangerous problems first. In planning the
build of the nuclear plant, the earthquake data available at the time
was used in developing the building structure - several physics models
based on the calculations that we have learned in class about basic
mechanics can be used to predict the affect of a shaking earth with
respect to the mass of the walls and density of materials used. The
fact that these nuclear plant buildings are still standing is a
testament to our understanding of physics. The fact that Japan lives on a subduction fault has lead to the
engineering of buildings that are safer out of necessity - and without
applied physics and an understanding of the observed behavior of our
natural world, we would have no way to engineer that safety as a human
race. In a way, living in a dangerous place can lead to innovations
in applied physics due to our desire to save our community from harm,
and it shows itself well in Japan (in the planned swaying of towers
and the tsunami seawalls). As I continue my engineering education, I
hope to further this pursuit and continue to find solutions to
problems using the tools that physics and other sciences provide to
continue to protect and enhance our quality of life as a global
population.
3/18/11
Physics 121 Applied Physics Paragraph (Faculty Lecture Lab) Unfortunately, I had a chemistry lab so I wasn’t able to come to the
faculty lecture! What follows is a statement about applied physics… I think that the events that have unfolded at the Fukushima nuclear
power plant in the last week are an excellent example of applied
physics. The mechanical process used at the plant is dependent on our
fundamental understanding of physics, which parlays into the chemistry
involved in nuclear fission… water is boiled when it cools a nuclear
fission reaction, which generates steam which spins a turbine that
likely moves a magnet within a coil of wires, generating electricity.
In the crisis itself, the cooling systems failed to continue to pump
water, causing uncontrolled steam and hydrogen gas to put extreme
force on the inner walls of the building, eventually causing the roof
to break apart from the surrounding structure in several of the
reactors. The response teams are guiding their next moves based on
their understanding of nuclear isotopes and are looking to prevent
risk by tackling the most dangerous problems first. In planning the
build of the nuclear plant, the earthquake data available at the time
was used in developing the building structure - several physics models
based on the calculations that we have learned in class about basic
mechanics can be used to predict the affect of a shaking earth with
respect to the mass of the walls and density of materials used. The
fact that these nuclear plant buildings are still standing is a
testament to our understanding of physics. The fact that Japan lives on a subduction fault has lead to the
engineering of buildings that are safer out of necessity - and without
applied physics and an understanding of the observed behavior of our
natural world, we would have no way to engineer that safety as a human
race. In a way, living in a dangerous place can lead to innovations
in applied physics due to our desire to save our community from harm,
and it shows itself well in Japan (in the planned swaying of towers
and the tsunami seawalls). As I continue my engineering education, I
hope to further this pursuit and continue to find solutions to
problems using the tools that physics and other sciences provide to
continue to protect and enhance our quality of life as a global
population.
