Build A Solar Cell For Your Home
Solar panel manufacturing is done in a very strictly controlled environment, but it is possible to build a solar cell for experimental purposes. Trying to build a solar cell is an interesting way to see how the energy of the sun is converted to electricity. Many of the most efficient panels are constructed with silicon. To build a solar cell, you can use cuprous oxide. This material is known to turn light into electricity. While you may not be able to walk into just any store and buy this material, it is possible to duplicate it with a thin sheet of copper.
If you are planning to build a solar cell, you should purchase a glass jar with a wide mouth, one square foot of copper plating, two alligator clips as well as some short leads of wire. You will also need tap water and salt for the process. In order to measure energy and see the end result, you should also try to access a voltmeter. To build a solar cell, you will need access to something to heat the copper sheeting, such as a hot plate or electric stove. Begin by placing the copper sheeting on the burner. Heat it on high for about thirty minutes.
The plate will change colors as it heats, and it will show the outline of the heating coil at first. This step is important when you want to build a solar cell. As the sheeting gets hotter and hotter, it will darken. Eventually all the copper will have a black coating. Once it has turned black, turn the burner off and allow it to cool for at least twenty minutes. Be careful, as it will stay hot for some time. As it cools, the black coating of cuprous oxide will begin to come off. This will leave a thin, red coating on the copper. This coating is also needed to build a solar cell. So, while you can rinse the black off under running water, you should not attempt to brush it completely clean.
Build A Solar Cell Using Salt Water
Connect the copper sheet to one side of the glass jar with your two alligator clips. Attach a second, clean copper sheet to the other side of the jar. Take some hot tap water and mix around two tablespoons of salt into it. Make sure the salt has dissolved completely before pouring it into the jar. Be careful to keep your alligator clips dry. The two sheets should be submerged under the water with around one in exposed when you are attempting to build a solar cell.
Take your entire setup and place it in the sunlight. You can either put it in front of a window or take it outside for more direct sunlight. Connect the voltmeter to the setup using the leads and two alligator clips. The meter will indicate the amount of power that is being generated, proving that you can build a solar cell.
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