Fuels and PV Cells

White board which asks "For its mass which fuel will give me the most energy? Image description under Featured Image Description Heading.
Learning Goals

Learning Goals:

  1. Students explore the conservation of mass in chemical reactions by observing and modeling combustion reactions and exploring the essential question/phenomena, “is all fire the same?”
  2. Students will use information resources and a 3D model of a PV cell to understand how solar modules generate electricity. “How do PV cells make electricity?”
  3. Students will construct circuits to explore PV modules and variables involved in powering devices.
  4. Students evaluate, revise, and justify the energy resources suggested on an emergency preparedness supply list.
Materials List

Handouts

Classroom Supplies

  • Large whiteboards
  • Whiteboard markers

Group Supplies (3-4 per group)

Inquiry of Combustion

  • 1 Candle
  • 1 Glass jar
  • 1 Small can of Sterno (gel denatured ethanol)
  • 1 Can of camp fuel (propane or a mix of butane, isobutane, and propane
  • Appropriate burner for fuel can type
  • 3 Metal containers of the same size to heat water (recommend: small, shallow backpacking pans)
  • 3 Thermometers
  • 1 Timer
  • 3 Ring stands with rings and clamps

Powering Small Loads with a PV-Module

  • Sunlight or 250-500W halogen shop lights
  • 1 Mini battery-powered radio
  • 2 Alligator test leads
  • 1 Solar module
  • 1 Multimeter
  • Additional loads (battery operated toys, LEDs, fans, etc.)

Modeling Solar Cells (per model)

  • 2 Ziploc extra small square containers
  • 24 Marbles in two colors
  • 10-12″ 1/2″ OD, 3/8″ ID clear vinyl tubing
  • 1 Tbsp seed beads or glass granules
  • Strong clear packing tape
  • Hot glue gun with glue
  • Drill with 2 bits (one slightly larger than the beads, one 1/2″)
  • Scissors

Important Links

Next Generation Science Standards

Next Generation Science Standards

Performance ExpectationHow is this Assessed?
MS-PS1-2: Analyze and
interpret data on the
properties of substances before and after the
substances interact to determine if a chemical
reaction has occurred.
Students will compare and contrast properties of fuels and water in the context of survival settings before and after interactions to classify processes as physical or chemical changes.
MS-PS1-5: Develop and use a model to describe how the total number of atoms does not change in a chemical reaction and thus mass is conserved.Students will analyze chemical reactions for combustion reactions, both mathematically and with manipulatives, to illustrate that the same atoms exist before and after the chemical change(s) occur.
Featured Image Description

Photo of a white board taken at a slight angle and cropped so not all the text is visible. The top has the question “For its mass, which fuel will give me the most energy?” On the left you can see the words “of propane, sterno, candles + two others. On the right “Hypothesis: I think that”
Farther down on the left: “all fuels + time them, figure out answer” next line “putting the fire under a thing of” next line “, seeing which fueled fire crates” next line “precipitation / less water left” Under that “fuel (candle,” with an arrow pointed up to “parafin”, “sterno,” with an arrow pointed up at “Ethenol” “comp fuel)” with an arrow pointed up and to the right to “butane, isobutane, propane” Under that is “Energy (amount of energy per gram” with an arrow pointing down to “time it takes to reach a certain temp or set time, see how hot it gets (water)” On the left is a table “Sterno Before: 223.1 After: 222.” text is cut off. Below that: “Candle Before137.9 now: 137.2” Below that: “Stove Before: 598.9 After: 592.9” In the middle is a drawing of a canister with an arrow pointing left towards it labeled “Water (measure temp) To the left are the number 1.0, 0.7 and 7 in a stack. Below is a lot of text that is hard to read and cut-off.

Lesson 3 of 5 / Time: 4 periods of 80 mins

Students will return to the phenomena of energy resources to support safety, health, and comfort in an emergency situation. They will distinguish between how common materials provide energy and develop an understanding of how the atomic and molecular structure of the resource differs and leads to different optimal applications of the resource in an emergency situation. Students will evaluate, edit, and justify the items on an emergency preparedness supply list as a summative assessment.

Chemical Differences in Emergency Energy Sources

Download Lesson