SOLAR ENERGY & TECHNOLOGY

SOLAR CARS

OBJECTIVESBY THE END OF THIS LESSON YOU SHOULD BE SAYING “I CAN…”

• USE VISIBLE LIGHT FROM THE SUN (SOLAR ENERGY) TO PRODUCE ELECTRIC CURRENT IN PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS TO POWER A CAR

• EXPLAIN HOW PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS CONVERT ONE FORM OF ENERGY TO PRODUCE ELECTRICITY

• EXPLAIN HOW ELECTRICITY CAN POWER A CAR

• MODIFY, REFINE, AND BUILD A SOLAR POWERED CAR

• DESIGN A SOLAR POWERED CAR

WATCH THIS VIDEO TO SEE HOW SOLAR CELLS WORK.

HOW SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS WORK

SIMPLY PUT, A SOLAR PANEL WORKS BY ALLOWING PHOTONS, OR PARTICLES OF LIGHT, TO KNOCK ELECTRONS FREE FROM ATOMS, GENERATING A FLOW OF ELECTRICITY.

SOLAR PANELS ACTUALLY COMPRISE MANY SMALLER UNITS CALLED PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS.

(PHOTOVOLTAIC SIMPLY MEANS THEY CONVERT SUNLIGHT INTO ELECTRICITY.)

BUILD YOUR CAR!

CONVERT ONE FORM OF ENERGY (LIGHT) INTO ANOTHER

FORM OF ENERGY (ELECTRICAL) AND THEN INTO

ANOTHER FORM OF ENERGY (MECHANICAL)

CONVERTING ENERGY

SUN PLANTS WE EAT PLANTS OR ANIMALS THAT EAT PLANTS WE HAVE ENERGY TO MOVE!

SUN __________ MOTOR USES ELECTRICITY MOTOR

MOVES WHEELS!

GET TO WORK!

• GET INTO GROUPS

• TAKE NOTES USING THE STUDENT GUIDE – THESE NOTES WILL BE REVIEWED BY THE GROUP AFTER THE CAR IS BUILT AND WILL BE PRESENTED TO ENTIRE CLASS

• CONSTRUCT THE SOLAR POWERED CAR

CLASS

PRESENTATIONS

REVIEW:

• WHAT WENT WRONG? WHAT WERE SOME CHALLENGES OR PROBLEMS?

• WHAT DID YOU DO TO FIX THOSE PROBLEMS?

• WHAT WERE THE OUTCOMES?

• DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS OR TRICKS FOR ANYONE ELSE LOOKING TO BUILD A SOLAR CAR?

OBJECTIVES RECAP

HOW DOES SOLAR ENERGY PRODUCE ELECTRIC CURRENT IN PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS TO POWER A CAR?

WHAT ARE SOME OTHER EXAMPLES OF ONE FORM OF ENERGY BEING CONVERTED INTO ANOTHER FORM OF ENERGY?

EXPLAIN HOW ELECTRICITY CAN POWER A CAR.

CAN YOU MODIFY, REFINE, AND BUILD A SOLAR POWERED CAR?

CAN YOU DESIGN A SOLAR POWERED CAR?