How Things Work

solar-panel-model

Form and Function: Solar cells, which make up solar panels, use the sun to create electricity. But how do solar cells, or solar panels, do that? Solar cells produce electricity by using the photoelectric effect. The photoelectric effect is light being used to push electrons, which frees them from the surface of a solid, except, there must be enough light to push the electrons. Inside a solar cell, there are two thin layers of silicon crystal- they are placed on top each other like a sandwich. Both top and bottom layers have been treated to have unstable atoms, the top wants to get rid of an electron and the bottom wants to gain an electron. This creates a reaction that encourages the electrons to move in the silicon crystal when the solar panel is exposed to light to make electricity; however, before that electricity can be used, it must go through an inverter to convert the direct current electricity that the solar cells create to alternating current that a house uses.

Social Implications: The social implications of solar cells will vary depending on the area. For example, in a colder region where there is a lot of rain and little sun, a solar panel may be useless, whereas, in a warmer area, the solar panel would get a lot of sun and be a great energy source. Another implication could be the price. Solar cells are usually sold in panels or in a solar array and for some people to want them \ installed on their house, it would be a lot of money being spent all of a sudden, typically being around $19,500. Since the price is pretty high, developing countries might not be able to afford it, so it may not be beneficial to all countries. Although the prices for a solar array to be installed on homes have been dramatically decreasing, they are still quite pricey but once they are installed, energy and be produced by whoever owns them for free. Also, these solar panels are not all “invincible”, many parts of the panels need to be replaced. For example, an inverter would require to be replaced in about 10 to 15 years; however, many companies offer a roughly 25-year warranty for homeowners who would like to buy and install an array installed on their home. There is even the chance of being paid back by companies, if the solar system on their house produces extra energy, they can get money by selling the extra energy.

Ethical Implications: The higher demand for solar panels have lead to a decrease in solar panel prices. This is good for the earth as we are making more environmentally friendly energy, but for the people working in factories that produce energy, it may not be. There would be a decline in people working in factories that use non-reusable energy if solar power increased and because a primary source of energy.  Solar panels are very useful and can create a lot of energy, especially during peak sun hours, especially if they are installed facing the right way. According to the Pecan Street Research Institute, houses with solar panels facing the west produced up to 49% more energy than panels facing toward the south. A rise in solar power being used also affects our surroundings and us. With less pollution, the air becomes better quality and the risk of respiratory issues from pollution becomes lower.

Environmental Implications: By using solar cells, it will help the environment by a lot. Solar cells run solely on the sun’s energy and do not need gas or other polluting resources, which lessens pollution and helps the environment.  Especially over time, if more buildings continue to add solar panels, there could be a drop in fuel prices and air pollution. In addition to the drop in fuel prices and pollution, it could also affect public health and the food that people eat. The global warming being caused today is raising food prices and encouraging water shortages, with solar panels being installed, this would no longer be such a big problem as the world starts to cool down.

Reflection: The model most definitely turned out better than we thought it would have. I would have liked it if we could’ve found a way to not let each layer of the model to be floppy or to dangle toward one side, if it were firmer. I think the questions were rather well answered. My partner and I worked together very well and combined ideas thoughout the project. We kept in contact even outside of school which was very convenient for if one of us wanted any changes to be made.

Partner: Rose

 

 

 

 

Science App Review

Define/Discover:

I need to find an app that will help me throughout my science 9 courses. Is this app 100% free? Will it help explain anything that I do not understand? Would I be able to use it beyond my science 9 class? Is it available on both computers and phones? Will it work without Wi-Fi?

Dream:

If I could find an app that can answer any questions and that I can use for as long as I need to, I would have a reliable source to help me throughout the year. I could go straight to the app to help me understand anything that I don’t. If the app does not require Wi-Fi, I could still work on my school work while I am away if I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.

Design:

I will search google and the play store and read other reviews online about each app and decide which one is the most helpful. Another thing I will be looking for is what the app provides and how helpful it will be for me if I don’t understand something. Hopefully, this app does not require Wi-Fi all the time or at all.

Deliver:

The app that I chose is Khan Academy. It is a free app available on Android, Apple and Windows stores for everyone to download and online as a website. It provides video lessons on a variety of subjects, including science, for a variety of levels. Another feature the app provides is practice questions to make sure that you understand what you just learned. You can download “your list”, which you need to add your own lessons to, to keep learning even when you don’t have Wi-Fi.

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This is the app running on my surface, it also works in tablet mode. You can see it divided into 3 sections; learn, new & noteworthy and downloaded videos.

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Here is the website. This page is the progress page, which is the homepage for people who have created an account.

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Top left: The website version of the biology page. Top right: This is the physics page in the app showing all the videos. Bottom left: This is a page that shows all the video lessons in this category in the app.

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The left is the app version of a video lesson and the right is the website version of the video lesson.

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Here is what the practice questions page looks like on the website. I believe that there are no practice questions available on the app version.

Debrief:

This is a wonderful and simple app/website to use for if you ever need help with school work or even if you want to learn by yourself. It’s amazing how this app can help you all the way to college or university tests, such as the MCAT. This is definitely an app that is 100% free, can explain anything you don’t understand, use beyond the science 9 class and use without Wi-Fi. However, I wish it was possible to have the practice question on the app as well because it wouldn’t be much use only watching the videos and not practising what you just learned to show that you understand it. I also wanted more subjects to be available, such as social studies or English, which I think would render the app to be even more useful.