Lab: Search for Energy
Purpose:
To distinguish between renewable and nonrenewable resources.
Students were divided into 5 searching groups. Group
1 = Coal, Group 2 = Uranium, Group 3 = Natural Gas, Group 4 = Oil, and
Group 5 = Solar (as seen in the data table below). The entire class had
4 timed search opportunities for their particular energy
source. Throughout each search students noticed that certain resources
were running out faster than others while other
resources
like solar energy were continually being supplied.
(Lightbulb moment
for many
students - OHH
solar energy is renewable and coal, uranium, natural gas, and oil are
nonrenewable).
Table 1: Resources collected each search
|
Search |
Coal |
Uranium |
Natural Gas |
Oil |
Solar |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
|
|
|
|
1. Which resources
were most plentiful?
2. Do you think this represents the actual situation of our planet? YES
or NO Why?
3. Solar energy is harder to pick up, but it has an advantage over fossil
fuels. What is the advantage?
4. Did any group come up with new ways to collect their energy source?
(circle) YES NO
How would this compare to real life? What are some examples of how human's
have improved ways of collecting energy ( faster or cleaner )?
History:
In the 1950's three scientists at Bell Laboratories
Gerald Pearson, Daryl Chapin, and Calvin Fuller developed silicon based
solar cells that turn sunlight into electricity. In 1954 these were used
in the first solar powered batteries.
|| solar collector || notes
|| back ||
