Simple Solar Energy Experiments for Students
To teach a concept
like solar energy, you often have to demonstrate
how the concept applies in real life so that
students (particularly those in grade school
and high school) can grasp how solar energy
really applies to our daily lives.
One simple way of teaching how solar panels
can supply us with the solar energy we need
to power a gadget is to get a solar-energy-powered
handheld calculator and perform simple computations
on it. This is one application of solar power
technology, which may be very quick for students
to grasp.
Another experiment they can do is to take
an empty hot water bottle, fill it with water,
and then let the hot water bottle sit in a
very sunny place for some hours. Then pour
out the contents of the hot water bottle in
a basin and let the students test it with
a finger so see how hot it got. This experiment
is the basis for some solar energy applications
like creating hot water during camping trips.
The most classic solar energy experiment known
is the use of an ordinary magnifying glass
to focus sunlight passing through it so that
the intense solar energy can set fire to something
like a piece of paper. This is actually a
trick taught to many Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts
so that they can find a way to make a fire
in the wild when they lack matches. You can
do this same solar energy experiment with
just a lens from reading glasses too.
You can also test how certain colors affect
how much solar energy can be absorbed by certain
solar energy traps. These solar energy traps
will be painted a range of colors ranging
from black to the middle colors to white.
The rule of thumb when it comes to colors
is that the darker the color, the more readily
it will absorb solar energy. You need to paint
each solar energy trap (basically a cardboard
box with cover) the color assigned to it inside
and out, let it dry and then allow one thermometer
to be placed inside before covering the box
with its respective cover. You will then set
out all the differently-colored cardboard
boxes in the middle of a sunny open area for
a set period of time (say, 12 hours) before
bringing in the boxes and then checking the
temperature on each thermometer. Record the
temperatures then compare how each box had
a different temperature based on its color.
You will find that the dark boxes have higher
temperatures than the lighter-colored boxes.
To see how plants react to sunlight, you can
plant the same type of seed in different pots
then put each pot with a varying level of
sunlight reaching it throughout the day. For
instance, you can put one seeded pot in direct
sunlight, another in a partially sunny/partially
shady area, and another in full shade. You
can then monitor how each seed responds to
the amount of sunlight they receive per day.
You shouldn’t forget to water your seeds
though since not watering would change the
outcome of the experiment.
In any solar energy experiment, it is important
for the students and instructor to cover their
eyes with appropriate film-based eye protective
gear. You can use simple sunglasses or even
dark goggles. This prevents the eyes of your
students from being hurt by the solar energy
rays.
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