Grade and Chapter Name: Grade 5- Amazing Energy
Things You Will Need:
1. Solar panel
2. LED
3. Toy motor
4. Plastic fan
5. Sound buzzer
Set Up:
1. Identify positive and negative terminals of the solar cell by looking at the signage on the back on the cell.
a. The + sign indicates positive terminal and – sign indicates negative terminal.
b. The red colour wire is connected to the positive terminal and black colour wire is connected to the negative terminal.
Set up 1:
2. Identify positive and negative terminals of the LED:
a. In an LED, the longer lead is the positive and the shorter lead is the negative.
3. Connect the positive terminal of the solar cell to the positive lead of the LED. Connect the negative terminal of the solar cell to the negative lead.
4. Place the solar panel in the sun. You will see the LED starts glowing.
5. Covering the solar panel with your hand will cause the LED to stop glowing.
Set up 2:
6. Identify positive and negative terminals of the buzzer:
a. In a buzzer, red wire is used for the postitive lead and black wire for negative lead.
7. Connect the positive terminal of the solar cell to the positive lead wire of the buzzer and the negative terminal solar cell to the negative lead wire.
8. Place the panel in the sun and the buzzer will start buzzing immediately.
9. As the power requirement for the buzzer is very low, it sometimes buzzes even when the solar panel is kept indoors in reflected light instead of direct sunlight.
Set up 3:
10. Identify the positive and negative terminals of the toy motor
a. The red colour wire is connected to the positive terminal and black colour wire is connected to the negative terminal
11. Lastly, attach the plastic fan to the toy motor’s axle and connect the solar cell to the positive and negative leads of the toy motor.
12. Place the solar cell panel in sun light and you will see the fan spinning.
Observe:
Observe closely the structure and components of the solar cell.
Concept:
This experiment demonstrates the conversion of energy from one form (solar energy) to another (light, sound and wind energy).
The solar panel captures photons from the sunlight and converts them into electrons of electric current. Solar energy is converted into electrical energy by the solar cell panel.
The electrical energy from the solar cell is converted into mechanical energy using the toy motor, wind energy using the fan, light energy using the LED and sound energy using the buzzer.
Related Topics:
Importance of environmentally friendly energy like solar energy.
Working of a ceiling fan- how a motor drives the blades of the fan to rotate.
Try This:
Place the solar cell panel under a tube light and check if it works.
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