Using this Insolation Lab Exercise worksheet, students will examine how the angle of incidence can affect the amount of insolation that Earth receives. Students use solar panels to take measurement and apply the content using their cell phones and chargers. This experiment is ideal for grades 6-8.

Materials Needed

1 Solar panel
1 Multimeter
1 Protractor
1 Textbook (for mounting your solar panel)
1 Lamp attached to ring stand
Poster putty

Setup

  1. Attach your solar panel to the textbook using poster putty. Make sure the edge of the solar panel is touching the binding of the textbook.
  2. Connect your solar panel to the multimeter; black clip to black probe and red clip to red probe.
  3. Set your multimeter to the A (200m) setting.
  4. Make sure the lamp is pointing in a direction that is parallel to the table with the shade touching the table.
  5. Place the textbook 30cm away from the lamp with the binding facing the lamp.

Vocabulary

  • Energy – usable power (such as heat or electricity)
  • Insolation – the amount of solar radiation reaching a given area
  • Milliamp – a measure for small electric currents

Download Worksheet