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Updated Solar Energy Lab

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User Generated
Subject
Physics
School
Missouri Baptist University
Type
Homework
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Lab #6: SOLAR ENERGY
Step 1: Fill a cup, adding small equal amounts of blue and green food coloring to the water until it is dark (and
a better absorber of solar energy). Then measure and record the amount of “Water” in your cup.
Volume of water = 400 mL
Mass of water = 400 g
Step 2: Measure the water temperature and record it. Cover the cup with plastic wrap sealed with a rubber band.
Initial water temperature = 
Step 3: Put the cup in the sunlight for 10 minutes.
Step 4: Remove the plastic wrap. Stir the water in the cup gently with the thermometer, and record the final
water temperature.
Final water temperature = 
Step 5: Find the difference in the temperature of the water before and after it was set in the sun.
Temperature difference = 
Step 6: Measure and record the diameter in centimeters of the top of the cup. Compute the surface area of the
top of the cup in square centimeters.
Diameter = 8.90 cm
Surface area of water =


= 62.21 cm
2

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Step 7: Compute the energy in calories that was collected in the cup. You may assume that the specific heat of
the mixture is the same as the specific heat of water. Show your work.
We have:
   

  
   
Energy = 440 cal
Step 8: Compute the solar energy flux, the energy collected per square centimeter per minute. Show your work.
A typical value obtained for the solar energy flux is 1.1 cal/cm
2.
min.
We have:







Solar energy flux = 0.71 cal/cm
2.
min
Step 9: Compute how much solar energy reaches each square meter of the earth per minute at your present
time and location. Show your work. (Hint: there are 10,000 cm
2
in 1 m
2
.) Since there are 10,000 cm
2
in 1 m
2
, the
solar energy flux obtained in Step 8 should be multiplied by 10,000 cm
2
/m
2
. A typical value would be 11,000
cal/m
2.
min.
We have:
 






Solar energy flux = 7,100 cal/m
2.
min
Step 10: Use your data to compute the rate at which solar energy falls on a flat 6-m by 12-m roof located in your
area at the time when you make your measurement. Obtain the answer first in calories per second, then in watts.
Show your work. The area of a 6-m by 12-m roof is 72 m
2
. This is then multiplied by the number of calories per
square meter per minute obtained in Step 9. That quantity is then divided by 60 s/min. A typical value is 1.1 x
10
4
cal/s. Finally, this is multiplied by 4.18 J/cal to give the power in J/s, or watts (W). A typical value is 45,000
W, or 45 kW, which is larger than the power likely to be consumed within the house.
We have:
    
We now have:

 






We now have:


 



Solar power received by roof = 8,520 cal/s
Solar power received by roof = 35,613.6 W
How does this solar power compare with typical power consumption within the house?
This solar power is larger than the typical power consumption within the house.

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Lab #6: SOLAR ENERGY Step 1: Fill a cup, adding small equal amounts of blue and green food coloring to the water until it is dark (and a better absorber of solar energy). Then measure and record the amount of “Water” in your cup. Volume of water = 400 mL Mass of water = 400 g Step 2: Measure the water temperature and record it. Cover the cup with plastic wrap sealed with a rubber band. Initial water temperature = 38.50℃ Step 3: Put the cup in the sunlight for 10 minutes. Step 4: Remove the plastic wrap. Stir the water in the cup gently with the thermometer, and record the final water temperature. Final water temperature = 39.60℃ Step 5: Find the difference in the temperature of the water before and after it was set in the sun. Temperature difference = 1.10℃ Step 6: Measure and record the diameter in centimeters of the top of the cup. Compute the surface area of the top of th ...
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