Download Radiant Energy Transformations - Fort Thomas Independent Schools

RADIANT ENERGY
TRANSFORMATIONS
BY: J.C., SPENCER, NICK, AND BRITTNEY
WHAT IS RADIANT
ENERGY?
• Energy transmitted in wave
motion, especially
electromagnetic wave motion
through space
COMES
FROM
==
WHAT IS IT USED FOR?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Electricity
Transportation
Space satilites
Cooking
Pumping water
Purifying water
Heating water (pools)
Heat air
HOW DO WE COLLECT RADIANT
ENERGY?
Through:
• Solar panels
 Basically, when light strikes the cell, a certain
portion of it is absorbed within the
semiconductor material “Silicon”. This means
that the energy of the absorbed light is
transferred to the semiconductor.
 This flow of electrons is a current, and by
placing metal contacts on the top and bottom
of the PV cell, we can draw that current off for
external use.
SUNLIGHT AND SHADE EXPERIMENT
Temp in
Fahrenheit
START
TEMP
5 MIN
10 MIN
15 MIN
20 MIN
IN SUN
68°F
78°F
81°F
82°F
84°F
IN SHADE
70°F
74°F
76°F
76°F
77°F
RADIOMETER
It is a bulb with black and white colored vanes inside
that spins in the light.
The little air molecules bounce around inside the
bulb and hit the colored panels of the vanes. They
bounce off the black harder than the white panels,
making the vanes spin in the direction of the black
vanes.
GLOW TOYS
• A chemical called Phosphor is
added to the plastic of glow
toys.
• Phosphor absorbs radiant
energy and stores the energy.
The stored energy causes the
electrons to become
energized and jump at a
higher level.
• When the radiant energy goes
away and can no longer be
stored the electrons slow down
and release the stored energy,
giving off a glow.
REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS
• Solar panels
• Solar panels are a way of getting energy from a
renewable resource. Unfortunately the energy
absorbed from the light is small. Multiple panels
must be used to get a desired voltage (and solar
panels are expensive), but when enough panels
are used it gives a good amount of electricity to
resident or community using them.
CONCLUSION
• Radiant energy is an excellent source of energy
and in constant supply.
• It works for little things well but is harder to get a big
amount of energy from it because it doesn’t
convert very well (its not very efficient).