Converting light into motion with a solar cell with ADM3

Principle

Solar energy can be converted into electrical energy with the help of a solar cell. This is a very important form of energy both in the household and in industry, because it can easily be converted into other forms of energy, such as heat, light or mechanical energy (movement). In the experiment, a small electric motor is powered by a solar battery. The experiment consists of two parts. In the first part, electrical power and work are measured simultaneously under different lighting conditions so that the relationship between the two quantities can be demonstrated very clearly and evaluated quantitatively. At high light intensity and long illumination duration, solar cells heat up and their power is reduced. This effect can be shown in the second part.

Benefits

• Part of a system solution - easily expandable for further experiments
• Simple teaching by using the demo board physics
• Clear test execution by using ADM3 multimeters

Learning objectives

• The students investigate the electrical power and work on energy conversion on a solar cell.
  The students observe the loss of power on solar cells that heat up.