Quick Look
- Grade Level:
- 6 (6-8)
- Time Required:
- 2 hours 30 minutes
(can be split into three 50-minute sessions)
- Expendable Cost/Grp
:
Although no charge or fee is required for using TeachEngineering curricular materials in your classroom, the lessons and activities often require material supplies.
The expendable cost is the estimated cost of supplies needed for each group of students involved in the activity.
Any reusable equipment that is necessary to teach the activity is not included in this estimate; see the Materials List/Supplies for details.
- US $35.00
- Group Size:
- 2
- Activity Dependency
Activity dependency indicates that this activity relies upon the contents of the TeachEngineering document(s) listed.:
- None
- Subject Areas:
- Physical Science
- Science and Technology
Summary
Students use engineering design principles to construct and test a fully solar powered model car. Several options exist, though we recommend the "Junior Solar Sprint" (JSS) Car Kits that can be purchased with direction from the federal government. Using the JSS kit from Solar World, students are provided with a photovoltaic panel that produces ~3V at ~3W. An optional accessory kit also from Solar World includes wheels, axles and drive gears. A chassis must be built additionally. Balsa wood provides an excellent option though many others are available. The testing of the solar car culminates in a solar race between classmates.Engineering Connection
Building and testing a solar car combines aspects of electrical and mechanical engineeering.
Pre-Req Knowledge
Students should have completed the lesson "From Sunlight to Electric Current."
Learning Objectives
After this activity, students should be able to connect a solar photovoltaic panel to a motor and a run the motor forwards and backwards.
More Curriculum Like This
Students learn how the total solar irradiance hitting a photovoltaic (PV) panel can be increased through the use of a concentrating device, such as a reflector or lens.
Students learn how the sun can be used for energy. They learn about passive solar heating, lighting and cooking, and active solar engineering technologies (such as photovoltaic arrays and concentrating mirrors) that generate electricity.
Students learn about the daily and annual cycles of solar angles used in power calculations to maximize photovoltaic power generation. They gain an overview of solar tracking systems that improve PV panel efficiency by following the sun through the sky.
Looking at transportation and the environment, students learn that some human-made creations, such as vehicles, can harm the natural environment. They also learn about alternative fuels and vehicles designed by engineers to minimize pollution. The associated hands-on activity gives students a chance...
Educational Standards
Each TeachEngineering lesson or activity is correlated to one or more K-12 science,
technology, engineering or math (STEM) educational standards.
All 100,000+ K-12 STEM standards covered in TeachEngineering are collected, maintained and packaged by the Achievement Standards Network (ASN),
a project of D2L (www.achievementstandards.org).
In the ASN, standards are hierarchically structured: first by source; e.g., by state; within source by type; e.g., science or mathematics;
within type by subtype, then by grade, etc.
Each TeachEngineering lesson or activity is correlated to one or more K-12 science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) educational standards.
All 100,000+ K-12 STEM standards covered in TeachEngineering are collected, maintained and packaged by the Achievement Standards Network (ASN), a project of D2L (www.achievementstandards.org).
In the ASN, standards are hierarchically structured: first by source; e.g., by state; within source by type; e.g., science or mathematics; within type by subtype, then by grade, etc.
NGSS: Next Generation Science Standards - Science
-
Design, build, and refine a device that works within given constraints to convert one form of energy into another form of energy.
(Grades 9 - 12)
More Details
Do you agree with this alignment?
This standard focuses on the following Three Dimensional Learning aspects of NGSS:Science & Engineering Practices Disciplinary Core Ideas Crosscutting Concepts Design, evaluate, and/or refine a solution to a complex real-world problem, based on scientific knowledge, student-generated sources of evidence, prioritized criteria, and tradeoff considerations. At the macroscopic scale, energy manifests itself in multiple ways, such as in motion, sound, light, and thermal energy.Although energy cannot be destroyed, it can be converted to less useful forms—for example, to thermal energy in the surrounding environment.Criteria and constraints also include satisfying any requirements set by society, such as taking issues of risk mitigation into account, and they should be quantified to the extent possible and stated in such a way that one can tell if a given design meets them. Energy cannot be created or destroyed—it only moves between one place and another place, between objects and/or fields, or between systems.Modern civilization depends on major technological systems. Engineers continuously modify these technological systems by applying scientific knowledge and engineering design practices to increase benefits while decreasing costs and risks.
Common Core State Standards - Math
-
Display numerical data in plots on a number line, including dot plots, histograms, and box plots.
(Grade 6)
More Details
Do you agree with this alignment?
International Technology and Engineering Educators Association - Technology
-
Modeling, testing, evaluating, and modifying are used to transform ideas into practical solutions.
(Grades 6 - 8)
More Details
Do you agree with this alignment?
-
Troubleshooting is a problem-solving method used to identify the cause of a malfunction in a technological system.
(Grades 6 - 8)
More Details
Do you agree with this alignment?
-
Use tools, materials, and machines safely to diagnose, adjust, and repair systems.
(Grades 6 - 8)
More Details
Do you agree with this alignment?
State Standards
North Carolina - Math
-
Display numerical data in plots on a number line, including dot plots, histograms, and box plots.
(Grade
6)
More Details
Do you agree with this alignment?
North Carolina - Science
-
Recognize that energy can be transferred from one system to another when two objects push or pull on each other over a distance (work) and electrical circuits require a complete loop through which an electrical current can pass.
(Grade
7)
More Details
Do you agree with this alignment?
-
Understand forms of energy, energy transfer and transformation and conservation in mechanical systems.
(Grade
7)
More Details
Do you agree with this alignment?
-
Analyze the nature of moving charges and electric circuits.
(Grades
9 -
12)
More Details
Do you agree with this alignment?
Materials List
JSS-KIT and JSS-ACC (solar car and accessory kit): The Junior Solar Sprint (JSS) kit and accessory kit may be bought separately from Solarmade with the following materials:
- solar panel
- 2 axles
- 4 wheels (sized to fit axle)
- driving gear (sized to fit axle)
- electric, DC powered motor
- different gears for motor
- drill with bits is also needed to help size gears to fit axles
Chassis materials:
- balsa wood – flat 4x 8 inch boards and ½ x ½ inch pieces
- wood glue
- paints for decoration
- paint brushes
- utility knives
Introduction/Motivation
Cars are intrinsically exciting to many students. Solar-powered cars are even more so. Very little is required to motivate students to engage in this project. Discussing solar car competitions in which college students participate and providing some statistics about those solar cars and the challenges they face can be a good way to introduce this activity.
Vocabulary/Definitions
axle: The supporting shaft on which a set of wheels revolves.
chassis: The frame that holds the body and motor of an automobile together.
conductor: A material that allows electricity to move through it easily. That is, it is a material with low electrical resistance, one in which a fairly small voltage will produce a fairly large current.
current: Movement of electrons.
photovoltaic cell: A semiconductor device that converts the energy of sunlight into electric energy.
voltage: Designates "electric pressure" that exists between two points and is capable of producing a flow of current when a closed circuit is connected between the two points (can also be considered with the analogy of elevation: just as a hill will have water flow down it, a voltage will have current flow in the direction from high to low).
Procedure
Direct students to construct their cars in the following manner:
- Set up the car body (chassis).
- Add the axle and wheels.
- Add the motor.
- Then mount the solar panels.
- Once the vehicle is completed, begin testing (weather permitting).
- The activity culminates in a race!
Also consider the following:
- While using the materials listed above, give students the freedom to choose their own designs.
- Photovoltaic cells do not deliver nearly as much power to a motor as a battery does. Keep your solar cars light.
- Judge where your motor should go BEFORE you add it to the body.
- Make sure your panels point towards the sun and that they are steady.
Worksheets and Attachments
Safety Issues
- A drill may be needed to bore out the holes for the gears and wheels. Only instructors should do this. A nail just smaller than the axle may also be used to bore out the holes if necessary.
- Glue should not be ingested.
- Use of utility knives should be supervised.
Troubleshooting Tips
If the motor is running backwards, reverse the wires.
If acceleration seems to be quite slow or the motor is not producing enough torque to get the car moving from rest, change the gear ratio.
Investigating Questions
- How can the power created by the solar cells be maximized? (A possible answer: The sun light should be striking the surface of the solar panel at about 90 degrees.)
- How can acceleration be maximized? (Work with gear ratio.)
Assessment
Questions: Ask students to answer the following questions in writing in order to gauge their comprehension:
- Did the angle of the solar panel affect the performance of your car? Why?
- How does the sun power your car? Please explain each step.
- As a class, create a histogram of the solar car results. Discuss the distribution, and what factors affect how fast each solar car travels.
Activity Extensions
If the teacher is interested, students may use these kits to compete in the Junior Solar Sprint competition sponsored by the National Renewable Energy Laboratories.
Contributors
Rahmin Sarabi; Roni PruczCopyright
© 2014 by Regents of the University of Colorado; original © 2004 Duke UniversitySupporting Program
Techtronics Program, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke UniversityAcknowledgements
This content was developed by the MUSIC (Math Understanding through Science Integrated with Curriculum) Program in the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University under National Science Foundation GK-12 grant no. DGE 0338262. However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policies of the NSF, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.
Last modified: November 2, 2018
Comments