The Angle of the Sun's Rays

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 is...

High schoolers use principles of geometry to measure the circumference of the Earth. In this applied geometry lesson, students use mathematics to determine scientific information. They make measurements, calculate the central angle, and...

Young scholars study what makes Earth warm and explore how different locations on the planetreceive different amounts of solar energy based on the intensity of the sun's rays. They calculate light intensities and compare the amounts of...

In this science worksheet, students look for the answers that are related to the concept of insolation and measuring different angles.

Students examine the relationships between angle of incidence and energy. They describe how the angle of insolation varies in one day, in one year, at different points in the Earth. Finally, students propose the placement of solar...

High schoolers explore the optimum angle for orienting a solar collector relative to the rays of incoming sunlight. They review equinoxes, solstices, and various locational ideas before students investigate using meters, light sources,...

Students study elevation of the Sun above the horizon and the angle of the rays and their heating power.

Students measure and calculate the angle of the sun. They compare the leaf types on the north and south to compare the effects of the sun on the type of vegetation. They complete the activities inside the classroom or on a trip to a...

Ninth graders explore how Aristarchus used the position of the half-full Moon to estimate the distance to the Sun, and how he made a great error, but still figured out that the Sun is much larger than Earth.

Students trace the beginning of the heliocentric theory of the solar system--the idea that the solar system revolves around the Sun--to an observation by the Greek astronomer Aristarchus, which convinced him that the Sun was much bigger...