Solar Energy

The Science of Solar

100

What is nuclear fusion?

A. The process in the Sun that produces huge amounts of energy
B. The process that stores electricity in batteries
C. The movement of electrons in wires
D. The cooling system of the Sun

A. The process in the Sun that produces huge amounts of energy.

200

What are photons?

A. Tiny particles of light that carry the Sun’s energy to Earth
B. Small pieces of metal in solar panels
C. A type of battery used in solar energy
D. Waves that create wind energy

A. Tiny particles of light that carry the Sun’s energy to Earth.

300

What is silicon?

A. A type of battery
B.  Material commonly used to make solar cells. When sunlight hits solar panels, it goes into solar cells made of silicon, which absorb the light  
C. A type of wire used in solar panels
D. A liquid used to cool solar panels

B. The material commonly used to make solar cells. When sunlight hits solar panels, it goes into solar cells made of silicon, which absorb the light .

400

What do moving electrons create?

Heat energy
B. Direct current electricity
C. Sound energy
D. Wind energy

B. the moving electrons create direct current electricity

500

What does the inverter do?

A. Stores electricity in batteries
B. Changes electricity into heat energy
C. Changes electricity into alternating current that can be used in homes and schools

 C. Changes electricity into alternating current that can be used in homes and schools

Energy Storage

100

What are the main methods of solar energy storage?

 battery storage, thermal storage and mechanical storage

200

What is mechanical storage?

A Storing energy in batteries
B. Storing energy as heat
C Storing energy in solar panels
D.Stores energy using moving systems like flywheels, compressed air, or pumped hydro.

D, Stores energy using moving systems like flywheels, compressed air, or pumped hydro.

300

What is thermal storage?

A. A system that stores energy in batteries

B. A machine that produces wind energy

C. A type of storage that keeps solar energy as heat in liquids or solid materials.

D. A device that cools solar panels

C. A type of storage that keeps solar energy as heat in liquids or solid materials.

400

What are batteries?

A. Machines that create sunlight

B.Wires that carry electiricty

C.Devices that store extra solar electiricty as wind energy.

D.Devices that store extra solar electiricty as chemical energy.

D. Devices that store extra solar electricity as chemical energy.

500

How is the energy gathered/created?

Solar energy is gathered from the sun’s radiation using photovoltaic panels or mirrors, converting light into electricity or heat.

What is it used for

100

Where does solar energy come from?

Solar energy comes from the Sun and is a clean, renewable source of power.

200

How can we capture it?

A. Using wind turbines

B. Using batteries only

C.Using solar panels or special collectorrs

D.Using water pumps.

C. We can capture it using solar panels or special collectors.

300

What can these systems do? (Hint: electricity, and what else?)

These systems can make electricity, heat water, and provide energy for buildings and transportation.

400

Give 2 examples of where solar energy is used

Homes, business to create electricity, heat water for daily use, help farms pump water for irrigation, and provide heat for some factories.

Negative & Positive Aspects

100

If solar power does not produce air pollution or greenhouse gases is it a negative or positive aspect?

Positive Aspect

200

What is one Negative Aspect?

• It can be expensive to install at first
• It doesnt produce power at night or during very clody weather (TO use solar energy at night, you need batteries to store the enery, and those batteries can be expensive)
• Batteries to store the energy can cost a lot. 
• Solar panels need enough roof space or land to produce a good amount of energy.
• Making solar panels requires materials and energy, which can cause environmental pollution during the porcess of making them.

300

What is one Posive Aspect?

• Solar power does not produce air pollution or greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change, it is a much cleaner source of energy.
• When homes, buildings, schools etc. use solar panels, they can generate their own electricity, which lowers electricity costs.
• After solar panels are installed, they requiere very little maintenance and the sunlight is free.
• Using solar energy means we rely less on fuels like coal, oil. And natural gas, which are limited and polluting.

400

"Making solar panels requires materials and energy, which can cause environmental pollution" Is it a Negative or Positive aspect.

Negative Aspect.