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Solar Cars

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Learning Goals
  1. The students will understand the basic concept of solar energy.
  2. They will understand how solar energy can be produced via a solar panel.
  3. The students will understand the physics that describe how a solar panel works; in particular silicon and its band structure.
  4. The students will build a working solar car.
Materials List

Classroom Supplies

  • Solar Car Kits (recommended)
  • Floodlights (minimum 75 W)

Important Links

2 class periods

This lesson appears as a part of the following:
– Clean Transportation Implementation Toolkit

This is a teacher recommended lesson from Boston University.

In this unit from Boston University, students learn the physics of how a solar panel produces electrical energy and about Silicon and its electronic band structure. They will also learn about other materials that are commonly used to make electronic devices.

The solar car is a great way for the students to get hands on knowledge on how a solar panel can produce electricity. They will realize that this power can be utilized as a renewable energy source. They will understand the advantages and disadvantages of using photovoltaic as an energy source in automobiles. From this, they will then think about what solar energy can be best used for.

 

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