Solar Energy
| Site: | GoLabs |
| Course: | Planetary Rover |
| Book: | Solar Energy |
| Printed by: | Guest user |
| Date: | Sunday, 22 December 2024, 10:18 PM |
Description
Students will investigate and describe solar energy and its uses.
1. Getting Started
Describe what you already know about light.
What do you already know about light? Why is light important for life?
2. Solar Energy on Earth
Energy is the capability to do work or cause change. There are many different types of energy and one of the most important sources of energy for Earth is the sun. Today you are going to investigate a type of radiant energy called solar energy.
Research the following questions about solar energy. What is solar energy? Where does it come from?
- Solar Energy - http://www.goo.gl/JCW7w6
- Renewable and Alternative Energy: Solar Energy -- http://extension.psu.edu/natural-resources/energy/solar-energy
- About Energy - http://www.explorit.org/science/energy.html
- Why Light Matters: Energy - http://www.light2015.org/Home/WhyLightMatters/Energy.html
- Photosynthesis - http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/tdc02.sci.life.stru.photosynth/photosynthesis/
- Food Chains - https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/ecology/intro-to-ecosystems/a/food-chains-food-webs
What is solar energy? Where does it come from?
How does the sun provide energy for animals and plants on Earth? Explain in detail and provide examples.
How do humans use solar energy? Provide several examples.
3. Solar Energy in Space
Much of the solar energy that reaches earth is visible light. Now you will research how solar energy is used and needed in space including on the Mars rovers, the International Space Station, and in planning for colonization of Mars.
- The Rover’s Energy -- http://mars.nasa.gov/mer/mission/spacecraft_rover_energy.html
- http://mars.nasa.gov/mer/technology/bb_power.html
- Solar Arrays -- https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/elements/solar_arrays.html#.V83eO5grK00
- Anatomy of the Space Station -- http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/assembly/component_view.pdf
- International Space Station Electrical Power System (Page 50) -- http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/np-2015-05-022-jsc-iss-guide-2015-update-111015-508c.pdf
- Mars One: Mission Feasibility (Solar Panels) -- http://www.mars-one.com/mission/technical-feasibility
- Missions for Mars: What’s for Dinner? -- http://www.space.com/12919-nasa-mars-astronaut-space-food.html
- Space Farming Yields a Crop of Benefits for Earth -- http://www.nasa.gov/feature/space-farming-yields-a-crop-of-benefits-for-earth
How do the Mars rovers use and need solar energy?
How is solar energy used and needed on the International Space Station?
How will solar energy be used and needed if Mars is colonized?
4. Application
Using the information you just researched in addition to your background knowledge, what do you want to investigate about the light levels on P-3141? What questions do we need to answer?
In the next lesson, you will design an experiment to answer a question about light on P-3141.