Influence of surface on the absorption of solar energy

In this experiment a white tent in the desert will be simulated by means of a white absorber plate which is exposed under a halogen lamp for 5 minutes. The temperature difference before and after the irradiation is compared to that of a black absorber plate. The outcome of this is that the white plate absorbes less solar energy and thus heats up less.
The students should apply the results on practical examples, for instance the white tent of the bedouins and the black skin of the polar bear.

Benefits

• Experiment is part of a complete solution set with a total of 17 experiments for Renewable Energy Basics and Heat energy
• Safe experimentation: the lamp is protected against touch, the housing is well ventilated with the aid of holes and is only slightly heated
• Stable setup by using the optical bench

Tasks

1. Why do the bedouins live in white tents?
2. This experiment examines how black and white absorber plates behave under irradiation by a halogen lamp.

Learning objectives

• Heat absorption of different surfaces