FYS1010 – Environmental Physics
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
Course content
The course focuses on three main environmental issues:
- Ionizing radiation and radioactivity
- UV-radiation and the ozone layer
- Greenhouse effect and climate
These subjects include among other; Natural background radiation, radon, the benefits and risks related to radioactive sources and radioactive pollution, the use of ionizing radiation in medicine and research, nuclear power, fusion, fission, biological consequences of ionizing radiation, radiation induced cancer; Production and destruction of ozone and the ozone layer, the development of the ozone hole, UV radiation, measurements of ozone and UV radiation, biological effects related to too much and too little UV-exposure, D-vitamin deficiency, skin cancer; The atmosphere and its composition, the greenhouse effect, the role of the greenhouse effect for life on earth, green house gasses, the variations in the global green house effect and its consequences.
Learning outcome
Learning Objectives: The students shall
- aquire basic knowledge within selected environmental topics (ionizing radiation, radioactivity, UV-radiation, atmospheric ozone, greenhouse effect and climate, and biological effects related to these)
- be able to ask critical questions and perform scientifically based evaluations about current important environmental subjects
- be able to perform calculations within the selected environmental topics
- on their own be able to obtain information from external sources needed to answer a given question related to the selected environmental topics
Admission to the course
Students at UiO register for courses and exams in Studentweb.
Formal prerequisite knowledge
In addition to fulfilling the minimum requirements for entrance to higher education in Norway, you must either have 2MX/2MY/3MZ and 3MX/3FY/3KJ/3BI/(2KJ+3BT)/(2BI+3BT) from Norwegian upper secondary school, or have completed equivalent studies in mathematics as well as physics, or chemistry, or biology at upper secondary school or university level at another educational institution.
Recommended previous knowledge
Some knowledge of basic science at high school level is recommended, but the course can be followed by anyone interested in obtaining knowledge about important environmental topics.
Teaching
The course is taught in the spring semester with 4 hours of lectures per week (3 hours of lecture, 1 hour colloquium/problem solution). The course includes a mandatory written project.
Examination
The mandatory project assignment must be approved to take the final exam.
An exam in the form of a compulsory project in March (weighted 20% ).
A final written exam ( 3 hours).
Allowed aid: Approved calculator.
Detailed information about examinations at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences can be found here
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.