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Avoiding Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Burning Fossil Fuels
Chemistry and earth science meet in a lesson on carbon dioxide emissions. After reading about atmospheric problems caused by using fossil fuels, science stars balance equations for the burning of different alkanes. They compute the...
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Orienting a Photovoltaic Cell
By mounting a light bulb on a stand and a PV cell on another, physics apprentices experiment with the angle of incidence. Their goal is to determine the optimum angle for collecting solar energy. The use of a scientific calculator...
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Solar Kit Lesson #14 - Solar Cells as Control Devices
Given four suggested concepts, emerging electrical engineers research, design, and constuct a working device that willrespond to changes in the intesnisty or the direction of sunlight. This is a challenge for learners to rise to, as the...
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Solar Kit Lesson #5 - Build a Simple Ammeter
Emerging electricians build a simple ammeter for making measurements on an electric current. They test the placement of solar cells in both series and parallel circuits and examine the magnetic field produced by the movement of electrons...
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Leaves, the Sun, and the Water Cycle
As a way to combine life and physical science, or simply as an investigation of plant transpiration, this instructional activity is sure to inspire! Middle schoolers capture the moisture given off by plants that are placed in different...
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Solar Car Series: during What Part of the Day Can the Most Sun Power Be Collected?
In preparation for solar car races, middle schoolers attempt to discover what time of day the most solar energy can be collected. Begin by demonstrating the use of a voltmeter for measuring solar cell output. Take them outdoors to take...
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Solar Car Series: Angle/Energy Amount
Does the angle of a solar panel change the output? Emerging engineers find out! Demonstrate for your class how they can angle a straw to match the angle of light rays coming from a source. Then turn them loose to experiment with the...
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Junior Solar Sprint Series: Electrical Power
Through scientific inquiry, middle schoolers discover how to arrange solar cells in order to produce electricity. This activity is intended to prepare learners to be able to design and construct solar cars. As with other resources...
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Photocells II: The Photoelectric Effect in Photocells
It's not easy to find fabulous physics lesson plans, but School Power Naturally has put together a series of them. In this particular lesson, high schoolers learn about the structure and functioning of photovoltaic cells. They construct...
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Series or Parallel?
Emerging electricians extend mental models of light bulbs and resistors in series and or in parallel circuits to include the connection of photovoltaic cells in arrays. They investigate open circuits, using a DC voltmeter, a light...
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Solar Car Races: Build and retrofit for speed
If you have solar car kits for your junior high schoolers, they can experiment with photovoltaic cell angle, light intensity, and aerodynamic design to discover what makes their car move more quickly. This is a classic activity to use...
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Using Photovoltaic Cells and Systems
This interesting document suggests nine different activities for shedding light on photovoltaic cells. A bit of background information is furnished for you, as well as many, many resource links. Listed for each activity are a learning...
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Solar Cell Simulation
Students study photovoltaic technology. In this photovoltaic technology lesson, students simulate a photovoltaic system. Students discuss how to simulate a cloudy day.
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How Photocells Work
Give small groups of physical scientists tokens that represent electrons in a photovoltaic cell. They play a dice game in which they move the tokens around, representing the flow of electrons through the p-n junction of a semiconductor...
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Allocating Energy from a Photovoltaic System
How much electricity do you use in a day? Physics fanatics calculate their energy use by consulting a chart of the watts required to run typical household appliances. They compare power to amounts of electric energy used or generated....
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To Go Solar or Not to Go Solar!
Middle schoolers imagine that they are on a panel to consider if a solar energy system would be advantageous to a new school as it is being built. They read the included handout and then each play a role as a participant in a community...
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Series or Parallel?
Physics classes that are studying electricity connect photovoltaic cells into both series and parallel circuits. Inquiry and critical thinking come into play as learners try to determine which circuit is more productive. They associate...
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Maximum Power Point
Students investigate energy using a photovoltaic cell. In this electricity lesson plan, students collect data from current-voltage and power-voltage curves to determine if photovoltaic systems have an advantage over conventional electric...
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Photovoltaics and Solar Energy
Learners experiment with photovoltaic cells and determine the energy use of their appliances. In this renewable energy lesson plan, students calculate the energy emitted by a photovoltaic cell through an inquiry-based lab. They keep...
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Hinode Satellite Power
In this Hinode satellite worksheet, students find the area of the solar panels that cover the Hinode satellite to provide power. They determine the amount of power produced by the solar cells and if it is enough to keep all the...
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IMAGE Satellite and Solar Cells
In this IMAGE satellite and solar cells worksheet, students calculate the surface area of the satellite in order to determine how much electrical power can be generated by the solar cells.
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Satellites and Solar Cells
For this satellite and solar cells worksheet, students determine the electrical power generated by the solar cells on the IMAGE satellite. Students solve 3 problems including finding the usable area of the satellite, determining the...
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Cosmic Rays and Solar Cells
In this cosmic rays and solar cells worksheet, students read about how cosmic rays damage the electrical output of solar cells over time on satellites. Students use a graph of the solar power output compared to the year for the SOHO...
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Optimization
In this optimization of satellites learning exercise, learners read about the Octagonal IMAGE satellite and solve 4 problems related to the size and shape of the satellite and the solar cells used to power the satellite. Students find...