Thirteen Ed Online - RESEARCH LOG

Research Log

Solar Energy: Become a Sun Chef!

Using Internet research, answer the questions below on a separate sheet of paper. Include sketches where appropriate.

Use these Web sites for your research:

What Is Solar Energy?
http://www.eere.energy.gov/RE/solar.html

Roofus' Solar Home
http://www.eere.energy.gov/roofus/

Energy Quest-Energy Education from the California Energy Commission
http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/

The Sun's Joules
http://learningteam.org/htmls/sunsjoules.html

Pizza Box Solar Oven
http://www.nrel.gov/business/education/pizzabox.html

Solar Cooking
http://home.earthlink.net/~drduggee/solar.htm

The "Minimum" Solar Box Cooker

http://www.reachoutmichigan.org/funexperiments/agesubject/lessons/accessone/minimum.htm

1. Find and record the following information about the sun. Note the sources of your information.

Distance from the Earth.

Expected life span of the sun.

Speed at which sunlight travels.

How long it takes sunlight to reach Earth.

2. Define the following terms:

absorption

conduction

convection

radiation

greenhouse effect

glazing

reflector

transmission

insulation

3. Describe items that demonstrate absorption, reflection, and insulation of the sun. Sketch examples.

4. List several devices that generate enough heat energy to cook food.

5. Describe factors that causes sunlight intensity to vary in different places around the world.