alternative energy experiment · alternative energy experiment what is alternative energy? goal: to...

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY EXPERIMENTWhat is alternative energy?

GOAL: To design and build the most efficient and economical alternative energy source to power ZIS.

ROLE: You are part of a team of engineers with a company. You have been asked to submit a detailed proposal supported by data. Your job is to win the contract to power ZIS. Your proposal will be submitted on a blog.

AUDIENCE: Your clients are the board of directors and Peter Mott. The judges of your proposal will be the science teachers and 8th grade students.

POSSIBLE EXPERIMENTS

Build a very efficient wind turbine (produces electricity) in order to power the school so we can move away from fossil fuels. Identify and test the variables of your wind powered turbine in order to maximize the energy produced.

1.

Build a very efficient solar panel array (sun makes electricity directly when hitting the panel) in order to power the school so we can move away from fossil fuels. Identify and test the variables of your solar panel array in order to maximize the energy produced.

2.

Build a very efficient thermal solar panel (sun heats up liquids which can be used to heat the school or provide the school with hot water) in order to move away from using fossil fuels. Identify and test the variables of your thermal solar panel in order to maximize the energy produced.

3.

BLOG

CREATE a blog

INCLUDE on your blog the following:

The power point that you used to teach the grade 5 students.

Alternative energy experimentThursday, March 25, 2010

9:48 AM

Alternative energy project

The power point that you used to teach the grade 5 students.1.

What alternative energy are you investigating, how does it work, and how does it help solve the problem of climate change?

2.

A video showing the alternative energy in action in real life (NOT your mini version of the alternative energy).

3.

What experiment are you are doing (what are you investigating)?4.

What is your hypothesis5.

What is your data6.

Photos of your experiment7.

Periodic updates on how the experiment is going8.

A presentation of your experiment and what you found out. This will be in the form of a video taken with a flip camera and uploaded to you tube. Do not video yourself, just the experiment.

9.

The video will be instead of a lab report so be sure to include the following:What are you trying to find out (what are you investigating)?a.

What are the variables (standardized, independent, dependent)in your experiment?b.

How did you do the experiment?c.

What were your results?d.

What was your conclusion?e.

What were the errors?f.

How could you have improved the experiment?g.


MY PARTNERS WERE:

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY PROJECT REQUIREMENTS

CHECKLIST FOR BLOG:

The power point that you used to teach the grade 5 students.1.

What alternative energy are you investigating?2.

How does your alternative energy work? 3.

How does it help solve the problem of climate change? USE the internet, Max Axiom (Renewable Energy), and brainpop (solar energy, wind power) to help you do this research for questions 3 and 4.

4.

A video showing the alternative energy in action in real life (NOT your mini version of the alternative energy).5.

What experiment are you are doing (what are you investigating)?6.

What is your hypothesis7.

What is your data8.

Photos of your experiment9.

Video of experiment-see below10.

CHECKLIST FOR VIDEO:

What are you trying to find out (what are you investigating)?1.

What are the variables (standardized, independent, and dependent) in the experiment?2.

How did you do the experiment?3.

What were your results?4.

What was the conclusion?5.

What were the errors?6.

How could you have improved the experiment?7.

SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATION

LEVEL OF ACHIEVEMENT (POINTS) DESCRIPTOR

Excels

Able to use a wide range of scientific language appropriately

Can present detailed and complex information accurately

Can communicate even the more difficult ideas effectively

Advance Able to use a range of scientific language appropriately

Can present information accurately

Can communicate ideas effectively

ProficientAble to use scientific language appropriately

Can present information fairly accurately

Can communicate simple ideas effectively

EmergingScientific language is used but not always appropriately

Information presented is not always accurate

Alternative energy project requirementsFriday, August 12, 2011

2:51 PM


Emerging Information presented is not always accurate

Ideas are not always communicated clearly


Build a very efficient wind turbine (produces electricity) in order to power the school so we can move away from fossil fuels. Identify and test the variables of your wind powered turbine in order to maximize the energy produced.

Here is some equipment you might needAn electrical generator1.

Several paperclips.2.Retort stand, boss and clamp3.A piece of cork4.Fan5.Vernier go-link 6.Vernier Potential difference probe7.Blu-tack8.Card9.

How to make the blades.

Partially open the paperclips and stick them into the piece of cork.1.

Wind TurbineFriday, December 04, 2009

3:03 PM


Stick the blades on to the paperclips by using some blu-tack. 2.


You are now ready to stick your blades onto the generator. You can also hold the generator up by using the retort stand with boss and clamp.

3.

Connect the generator to the vernier potential difference probe.4.


You can now connect the vernier probe to your tablet. Turn on the fan and collect results.

5.


VARIABLES

There are lots of variables in this experiment. Your job will be to test each variable and then make the best wind turbine possible to maximize the energy produced.

Here is a list of some variables you might want to test:

What is the best number of blades to maximize energy output?(a)What shape of blade gives the maximum energy output? (b)What is the best angle the blades need to be at to maximize energy output?(c)What type of material does the blade need to be made from to maximize energy output?

(d)

What length do the blades need to be to maximize energy output?(e)What weight do the blades need to be to maximize energy output?(f)

You might be able to think of other variables that you would like to test. Alternative energy project

You might be able to think of other variables that you would like to test.

Good luck


Here is some equipment you might need.

Card board tube1.

Straws with plastic tubing attached. Liquid can pass through this.2.

Build a very efficient thermal solar panel (sun heats up liquids which can be used to heat the school or provide the school with hot water) so we can move away from fossil fuels. Identify and test the variables of your thermal solar panel in order to maximize the energy produced.

Thermal Solar PanelFriday, December 04, 2009

3:52 PM


Aluminium paper3.Black/white paint4.Blu-tack5.Temperature probes6.

How to get results

In this experiment you are going to measure the temperature of a liquid before and then after it has passed through the solar thermal heater.

•

You can set up the equipment as shown below.•


VARIABLES

There are lots of variables in this experiment. Your job will be to test each variable and then make the best solar thermal heater possible to maximize the temperature gain.

Here is a list of some variables you might want to test:

What is the best liquid to use to maximize temperature gain?(a)What type of colour does the cardboard tube need to be to maximize temperature gain?

(b)

What type of colour do the straws need to be to maximize temperature gain?

(c)

What height above the tube do the straws need to be to maximize temperature gain?

(d)




Good luck


Build a very efficient solar panel array (sun makes electricity directly when hitting the panel) in order to power the school so we can move away from fossil fuels. Identify and test the variables of your solar panel array in order to maximize the energy produced.

Here is some equipment you might need:

Solar Panels1.

A lamp, although if it is a sunny day, you might not need this.2.Vernier go-link 3.Vernier Potential difference probe4.Retort stand with clamps5.Mirrors.6.

You can check how much electricity is being made by connecting the solar panel to

the vernier potential difference probe. Sunlight or light from the lamp will not produce electricity.

Solar Panel ArrayFriday, December 04, 2009

3:50 PM


VARIABLES

There are lots of variables in this experiment. Your job will be to test each variable and then make the most electricity possible.Here is a list of some variables you might want to test:

Having more solar panels connected together would produce more electricity, but would doubling the amount of solar panels double the amount of electricity produced. Does it make good value for money to have more panel connected together?

(a)

Would mirrors reflecting light on to the solar panels be a worthwhile idea?(b)


Does the tilt of the solar panel make a big difference. Continually tilting the panels to follow the sun is expensive. Is it worthwhile?

(c)

If you double the light intensity (measure with a light sensor) do you get twice as much voltage?

(d)

If you change the temperature of the solar panel (easiest to cool it down) will this change the voltage produced?

(e)


Good luck


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