Bell Ringer
Instructions: Answer the prompt provided by your teacher.
Vocabulary
Instructions: Watch the Science of Solar video and listen for the vocabulary words.
| Word | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear Fusion Reactor | noun: a device that produces energy by fusing (joining) light atoms, like hydrogen, into heavier atoms, like helium | “. . . we don’t have a working nuclear fusion reactor.” |
| Watt | noun: a unit of power equal to one joule per second, used to measure electrical power | “This square meter will receive over a thousand watts of sunlight today.” |
| Solar Array | noun: a group of connected solar panels that generate electricity from sunlight | “Our solar array . . . can turn about 15% of that sunlight into electricity.” |
| Silicon | noun: a chemical element (Si), commonly used as a semiconductor in solar panels and electronics | “A solar panel is essentially two layers of silicon . . .” |
| Positively-Charged | adjective phrase: having fewer electrons than protons, resulting in a net positive electrical charge | “One layer is positively-charged and one is negatively charged, like the batteries we made earlier.” |
| Negtively-Charged | adjective phrase: having more electrons than protons, resulting in a net negative electrical charge | “One layer is positively charged and one is negatively-charged, like the batteries we made earlier.” |
| Electron | noun: a subatomic particle with a negative charge; main carrier of electricity | “[The] Sun strikes the layers, [and] excites electrons between them . . .” |
| Wavelength | noun: the distance between one wave peak and the next in a series of waves, like in light or sound | “You remember the light comes in different wavelengths along the spectrum from infrared to ultraviolet.” |
| Spectrum | noun: the range of different wavelengths of light, from infrared (long) to ultraviolet (short) | “You remember the light comes in different wavelengths along the spectrum from infrared to ultraviolet.” |
| Efficient | adjective: doing something well without wasting time, energy or resources | “We can make panels nearly three times as efficient at capturing energy by adding more layers…” |
| Affordable | adjective: inexpensive; reasonably priced | “If we could figure out more affordable storage to smooth out this curve and more affordable panels…” |
| Intermittent | adjective: occurring at irregular intervals; not continuous or steady | “[Clouds and night] make solar’s output intermittent which can be a challenge to handle in an electricity system.” |
| Generator | noun: a machine that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy | “They concentrate it with mirrors, [and] heat water to make steam which turns a generator . . .” |
Quiz
Instructions: Circle the correct answer based on what you learned in the Science of Solar video.
Q1. How does the Sun produce light and heat?
- electromagnetic waves
- combustion
- nuclear fusion
- electricity
Q2. What is the biggest challenge of using solar energy to generate electricity?
- intermittency
- panel cost
- storage
- transmission
Q3. Which of the following accurately describes how most silicon-based solar panels function?
- The full spectrum of light heats water between two layers of silicon.
- The full spectrum of light excites electrons between two layers of silicon.
- A narrow band of the spectrum of light excites electrons between two layers of silicon.
- Heat from the sun excites electrons between two layers of silicon.
Q4. Which of the following accurately describes how mirrored solar panels function?
- Mirrored panels bounce light waves through a silicon filter to excite electrons.
- Mirrored panels store light until it converts into enough heat to excite electrons.
- Mirrored panels concentrate light to create heat that generates steam from water.
- Mirrored panels reflect light into a battery that stores it for later use.