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Marble Roll
Click here to begin your research on energy, motion, and forces.
How a Parabolic Trough Works
How could you build this with materials you could find at your house?
Earth's Resources
Solar Energy Webquest
Creating a Solar Cooker
Guiding Question
How can we harness the power of the sun and use it as an alternative form of energy?
IntroductionSolar energy is energy that comes from the
sun. The sun produces nearly all the heat on the
planet, and is responsible for all life on our planet. Without it, the earth would be freezing cold--minus hundreds
of degrees Fahrenheit, almost as cold as space. The sun also makes the
wind blow and the ocean currents flow. Its heat makes clouds, rain, snow,
and all the weather on our planet, too.
To learn more, read about how solar energy is used to make electricity at The Energy Story. Scroll down to Solar Thermal Electricity.
Please answer the follow questions by clicking on the comment link below.
To learn more, read about how solar energy is used to make electricity at The Energy Story. Scroll down to Solar Thermal Electricity.
Please answer the follow questions by clicking on the comment link below.
1. How does a parabolic trough work?
2. How does a Central Tower Power Plant work?
3. What is one of the problems with using the sun as a source of energy?
2. How does a Central Tower Power Plant work?
3. What is one of the problems with using the sun as a source of energy?
Task
You will decide on a container— a shoe box, cardboard box, plastic bucket, paper bag, or similar object—to use as a solar collector to harness the sun's energy. Then you will figure out what colors and textures to use on the inside surfaces of it, how to point it, and how to insulate it to make the most of the amount of sunshine the collector catches.
Modified on March 28, 2006 at 11:43 AM In the comment section below, please list the three different styles of cooker designs and then find a plan that looks interesting and list the materials that you would need to build it.
Process
1. You have already completed the first step--learning about solar energy and solar collectors. The next step will be to find out how to build your solar collector. To do this, you will need to go to a few websites and answers a few questions. Please click on the comment link to post your answers.
How does the sun heat a solar collector? Click here to get your answer.
What materials will I need? What are some designs I might use?
What materials will I need? What are some designs I might use?
2. Next, you will design your solar collector. Here are some things to remember when designing your collector. For this part, you will actually to draw out a plan and have a materials list ready for Mr. Tubbs before you can begin. With this design, you will need to come up with a question that you want to answer about your solar cooker. Some possible questions are:
Does the size and/or shape of a container affect temperature increase?
Does the texture of the materials lining the cooker affect temperature increase?
Does the texture of the materials lining the cooker affect temperature increase?
Does changing the angle of the collector change the temperature?
Click below to download a list of questions that need to be answered and given to Mr. Tubbs before you can begin. Solar_Cooker_Planning_Sheet.doc
4. You will test your solar collector. You will do this by recording the temperature of the air outside and then the temperature of the air inside the solar collector after specified time periods.
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