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Engineering with Renewable Energy: Solar Water Pumping Activity

4 girls sit in a circle on grass with two plastic tubs. Each tub has a graduated cylinder one has a clear plastic tube coming from the top. Next to the girls is a paper with small solar panels connected together.
Learning Goals

Learning Goals:

  1. The students will be able to learn what a solar cell looks like and how light energy triggers the cell to release negative charges to move toward the positive side, creating power as it moves from one side to the other. Students will be able to arrange four panels into the correct order to create power for an object and interact with a 3D model of a module to understand how the electricity to power the fan is created.
  2. The students will be able to experiment with solar panels (angle, direction) to power a small fan/LED light/circuit board. Students will be able to identify the best position/angle for maximum power.
  3. Students will apply scientific ideas to design and test a solar powered water pump that moves water at the fastest rate. Students will experiment and build understanding of parallel and series wiring and how energy moves in these circuits.
Materials List

Handouts

Classroom Supplies

Part 1

  • Individual Solar Module, 2 Volt, 500mA
  • 3D Module (built from handout)
  • Styrofoam board, 1/5″ thick
  • Reflective pattern poster board
  • Clear glass stones
  • Colorful beads
  • Cardboard
  • Duct tape
  • Wires to connect to the appliance being powered

Part 2

  • 24 Individual solar modules, 1.5 Volt, 500 mA
  • 8 Solar powered fans
  • 8 LED lights
  • 8 Circuit boards – light, music
  • 16 Solar modules, 3 Volt
  • 2 Work lamps (if sun is not available)

Labs 1 and 2

  • 64 Solar cells, 0.5 Volt
  • 8 Small DC water pumps
  • Roll of electrical tape
  • 16 Plastic tubs
  • 16 Timers
  • 8 Graduated cylinders
  • 6 Packages of adhesive Velcro

Important Links

Next Generation Science Standards

Next Generation Science Standards

  • NGSS 4-PS3-2. Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents.
  • NGSS 4-PS3-4. Apply scientific ideas to design, test, and refine a device that converts energy from one form to another.
  • NGSS 4-ESS3-1. Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived from natural resources and their uses affect the environment.

Time: 2 hours (Four 30 minute periods)

Students will learn that energy from a renewable resource can be converted to electrical energy to do work by engineering a water pump system powered by the sun. They will compare the volume of water pumped by different designs and graph data collected and use the data to evaluate their designs. The students will be able to learn what a solar cell looks like and how light energy triggers the cell to release negative charges to move toward the positive side, creating power as it moves from one side to the other. Students will be able to arrange four panels into the correct order to create power for an object and interact with a 3D model of a module to understand how the electricity to power the fan is created. The students will be able to experiment with solar panels (angle, direction) to power a small fan/LED light/circuit board. Students will be able to identify the best position/angle for maximum power. Students will apply scientific ideas to design and test a solar powered water pump that moves water at the fastest rate. Students will experiment and build understanding of parallel and series wiring and how energy moves in these circuits.

 

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