SOLAR ENERGY

Shadow Play

• QUESTION: 1. What is a shadow?

2. What do you need in order to have a shadow?3. Do you have one all the time?4. How does your shadow look at different times of the day?

• HYPOTHESIS: If. . . Then. . . Because. . .

Shadow Play

• PROCEDURE/PLAN

2 pieces of chalk

STEPS:

Go outside

Trace inside of shadow.

Trace around the feet.

Record name and time.

Shadow Play

• RESULTS:

What was proven in the investigation? (include length and time) (graph)

• CONCLUSION:

Did the investigation support your hypothesis? (What have you learned?)

Shadow Play• VOCABULARY: shadow – dark area created when an object blocks the sun light orientation – a position or arrangement in relation to another position or location.

• CONTENT/INQUIRY How did you create a shadow when you were outside? How did your afternoon shadow compare to your morning

shadow?

Why did your shadows change shape and orientation?

Shadow Tracking

• QUESTION: Can you use a shadow to predict the

position of the Sun?• HYPOTHESIS: If. . . Then. . . Because. . .

Shadow Tracking

• PLAN/PROCEDURE: Materials: 1 Shadow tracker sheet 1 cardboard sheet 1 golf tee tape and glue chalk and pencil compass

Shadow Tracking

• PLAN/PROCEDURE: a. Place the tracker on level ground in the

sun. b. Use a compass to orient the tracker

north-south. Draw a chalk line around it. c. Observe the shadow cast by the golf

tee. Mark the tip of the shadow with a dot. d. Write the time by the dot. e. Repeat the process every hour.

Shadow Tracking

• RESULTS: (graph)

(What was proven in the investigation?)

• CONCLUSION:

(Did the investigation support your hypothesis?)

Shadow Tracking

• VOCABULARY: compass – an instrument used to determine direction.

(magnetic north) sun – a star around which Earth and other planets

revolve (provides heat, light and energy) direction – the path or line which something moves or

points

Shadow Tracking

• CONTENT/INQUIRY Did every group get a similar pattern?

What would happen if we went out tomorrow and did the same thing?

How can you tell where the Sun is by looking at a shadow?

Why did the shadows change as the day progressed?

Thermometer in Sun and Shade

• QUESTION: How does the thermometer act when placed in the sun,

then in the shade?

• HYPOTHESIS: If… then… because…

• PLAN/PROCEDURE: Materials: 2 Thermometers

Thermometer in Sun and Shade

2 cardboards sheets 2 Thermometer in Sun and Shade sheets tape pencils• Procedure: 1. Move quickly to the sunny area and sit in a line on the

ground with your cardboard in front of you and your partner.

2. Take a thermometer reading every minute for 5 minutes. (I will call out when the readings are to be taken.)

3. Move to the shady location and repeat the procedure.

Thermometer in Sun and Shade

• RESULTS: (graph) (What was proven in the investigation?)

• CONCLUSION: (Did the investigation support your hypothesis?)

Thermometer in Sun and Shade

• VOCABULARY:

thermometer –

a tool to measure temperature

elapsed time –

the difference between a starting time and an ending time

Thermometer in Sun and Shade

• CONTENT/INQUIRY: At what elapsed time was the temperature

the highest? The lowest?

What happens to the temperature outside when the Sun goes down?

What did you observe about temperatures in sunlight and shade?

Heating Earth Materials

• QUESTION:

What will happen when the Earth materials, sand, dry soil, wet soil, and water, are placed in the sun? In the shade?

Will the temperature change be the same in all materials?

• HYPOTHESIS

If…then…because…

Heating Earth Materials

• PLAN/PROCEDURES: Materials: sand, soil, water, cardboard sheet,

containers, pencils, Earth Materials in Sun and Shade sheets

Procedures: Put equal amounts of each material in a

container.

Heating Earth Materials

Add a thermometer.

Take the containers outside and place them in the shade for 5 minutes.

Record the starting temperature.

Set the containers in the sun.

Record the temperature every 5 minutes for 20 minutes.

Set the containers in the shade.

Record the temperature for another 20 minutes.

Heating Earth Materials• RESULTS: (graph) (What was proven in the investigation?)

• CONCLUSION: (Did the investigation support your hypothesis?)

Heating Earth Materials• VOCABULARY: earth material – a nonliving substance that makes up or comes from the

earth. energy transfer – the change of energy from one form to another (light to

heat), or the movement of energy from one object to another (air to soil)

heat sink – material (water) that can absorb a large amount of heat

for its volume and release the energy slowly. solar energy – energy from the sun

Heating Earth Materials

• CONTENT/INQUIRY Which material heated up the most in the sun?

The least? Which materials cooled down the fastest and

which the slowest? What properties are shared by the earth

materials that heated up and cooled down the most?

What would happen to the temperature change of the sand if you added water to it?

Solar Water Heaters

• QUESTION: How do you use hot water? Which do you think uses the most water? How is the water heated? *How could solar energy by used to heat

water?• HYPOTHESIS: If…then…because…

Solar Water Heaters

• PLAN/PROCEDURE: Materials: 2 cardboard sheets, 2 Solar Water

heaters sheets, 2 containers - ¼ liter, 1 white plastic circle, 1 black plastic circle, 2 thermometers, (lids if necessary)

Procedure: 1. After assembling of the containers:

Solar Water Heaters

• PROCEDURE: (con’t) 2. Have teams add 100 ml of water to their water

heaters. 3. Measure and record the starting temperature

of the water. 4. Go outside. 5. Announce the start of the first 5-minute period. 6. Have the air monitor announce the air

temperature for all teams to record. 7. Record temperatures every 5 minutes for 20

minutes.

Solar Water Heaters

• RESULTS: (graph)

What was proven in the investigation?

• CONCLUSION:

Did the investigation support your hypothesis?

Solar Water Heaters

• VOCABULARY:

absorb –

to take up, soak in, or capture. (Black plastic absorbs the Sun’s energy.)

reflect –

to bounce back (White plastic)

solar collector –

a material used to capture solar energy in a water heater or other device

Solar Water Heaters

• CONTENT/INQUIRY:

What is it about the black plastic that caused the water to heat up the most?

What could have caused the solar water heater with the lid to heat up more than the open solar water heater?

Surface-Area Effect

• QUESTION: What factor or variable are you

investigating? What variables need to be controlled so

that you can make a fair comparison of the effect of surface area?

What other materials do you need?• HYPOTHESIS: If…then…because…

Surface-Area Effect

• PLAN/PROCEDURE:

Materials:

2 cardboard sheets, tape, 2 plastic collectors, 2 large zip bags, 1 syringe, 1 liter container of water, 2 thermometers

Procedure:

1. Set up the water heaters.

2. Plan for recording.

Surface-Area Effect

• Procedure: (con’t)

3. Record the temperature before going outside.

4. Move outside.

5. Collect data; record temperature every 5 minutes for 20 minutes.

6. Return to class.

Surface-Area Effect

• RESULTS: (graph)

What was proven in the investigation?

• CONCLUSION:

Did the investigation support your hypothesis?

Surface-Area Effect

• VOCABULARY: surface area – the total surface of an object• CONTENT/INQUIRY: 1. Is there a relationship between the surface area of a

collector in a solar water heater and the temperature of the water?

2. What would you change in your water-heater design to make the water even hotter?

3. What effect does the surface area of a solar collector have on the rate and amount of temperature change in a solar water heater?

Solar Houses

• QUESTION:

How do you think your orientations might affect how warm the house gets?

• HYPOTHESIS:

If…then…because…• PLAN/PROCEDURE:

Materials:

journals, solar houses, pencils, 1 thermometer, 1 Space heating sheet

Solar Houses

• PROCEDURE: 1. construct house 2. Orientation of the houses 3. Record starting temperature; open the left wall

of their solar houses, wait in the shade for 1 minute, and record the temperature of the air in their houses.

4. Move houses to the sun, wait for time to be call, (every 5 minutes) and record temperature.

5. Return to the shade and record temperature. 6. Return to class.

Solar Houses

• RESULTS: (graph)

What was proven in the investigation?

• CONCLUSION:

Did the investigation support your hypothesis?

Solar Houses

• VOCABULARY: space heating – the transfer of heat energy to air in an enclosed

space Orientation – the direction of an object in relation to another

object (2nd) Greenhouse effect – the heating of a closed space when light energy

enters, is transformed into heat, which is unable to disperse, resulting in heat buildup.

Solar Houses

• CONTENT/INQUIRY:

How did orientation affect space heating of the solar house?