Instruction Manual

Manual No. 012-08428A

Energy Transfer

Solar

Model No. ET-8593

Energy Transfer Solar Model No. ET-8593

Table of Contents

Equipment List........................................................... 3

Introduction ............................................................. 4

Equipment Description .................................................. 4

Equipment Setup ..................................................... 5-6

Suggested Experiments ................................................. 7

Experiment 1: Solar Heating and the Greenhouse Effect .......................................................... 7-8

Experiment 2: Solar Constant (Advanced Lab) ....................................................................... 9-10

Sample Data/Results...................................................11

Appendix A: Temperature/Resistance Conversion Table ............12

Appendix B: Technical Support ....................................... 13

Appendix C: Copyright and Warranty Information .................. 13

2 ®

Model No. ET-8593 Energy Transfer - Solar

Energy Transfer - Solar

Model No. ET-8593

Equipment List

2

1

3

4

Included Equipment

1. Solar Box , 10.75 x 8.25 x 2.50”

2. Plastic Cover, 11.0 x 8.25 x 1.25”

3. Aluminum Plate, 6.50 x 9.0”, 85 g

4. Cable assembly

*Use Replacement Model Numbers to expedite replacement orders.

Additional Equipment Required

PASPORT

™

Xplorer or a laptop computer

DataStudio

®

software

Temperature Sensor or Thermistor Sensor or Ohmmeter/Multimeter

Piece of cardboard (1 ft. square)

A computer

Replacement

Model Number*

648-08412

650-065

648-08413

514-08366

PS-2000

Various

(See PASCO catalog)

PS-2125 or CI-6527A

(For ohmmeter, see

PASCO catalog.)

NA

NA

3 ®

4

Energy Transfer - Solar Model No. ET-8593

Introduction

The Energy Transfer-Solar box (ET-8593) can be used for demonstrating the concept of solar heating, including the greenhouse effect.

Equipment Description

a) Plastic Cover

The clear, plastic cover snaps onto the Solar box and acts as insulator to isolate and trap air inside, reduce convection currents, and demonstrate the greenhouse effect. The cover is very transparent to visible light but not infrared light.

b)Aluminum Plate

The aluminum plate is painted a non-reflective flat black that absorbs light very well. The hot aluminum plate re-radiates in the far infrared region, and thus the heat energy is trapped under the cover.

The reverse side of the aluminum plate is not painted. The plate can be flipped inside the box to study differences in solar heating and/or cooling between the aluminum and black surfaces. The aluminum plate can be removed to measure its mass. The white, plastic knob also serves as an indicator for the sun’s angle. When the sun is perpendicular to the aluminum plate, no indicator shadow appears on the plate.

c) Solar Box

The Solar Box holds the aluminum plate and plastic cover. On the side of the box is a rod clamp for mounting the box to a rod stand. When mounted to a rod stand, the box can be adjusted to the sun’s angle.

d) Thermistor

Inside the Solar Box is a 10K thermistor for measuring temperature.

The thermistor cables are not removable from the box. The thermistor contact (metal lug) is fastened in the center, on the underside of the aluminum plate. The side jacks on the Solar Box allow you to connect a Temperature Sensor or ohmmeter to the thermistor.

Note: The thermistor’s temperature range is -35 o

C to +135 o

C (242,800 to 265 ohms).

®

Model No. ET-8593

Equipment Setup

Note: A rod stand is required for adjusting the Solar Box to the sun’s angle.

1. Remove the thumbscrew on the aluminum plate. Place the thermistor lug underneath the center hole on the aluminum side of the plate. Insert the thumbscrew through the hole. On the black side, put the shadow indicator over the screw and tighten (See Figure 1).

thumbscrew thermistor cable thermistor lug

Figure 1: Thermistor position

2. Place the aluminum plate inside the Solar Box, with the black side face up. (Note: Keep the thermistor contact on the underside of the plate.)

3. Snap the bottom and top tabs of the clear, plastic cover onto the

Solar Box. (See Figure 3).

4. Using the thermistor cable, connect the Temperature

Sensor (or Thermistor

Sensor) to the two jacks on the side of the Solar Box

(Figure 2). If a Temperature

Sensor is not available, connect an ohmmeter to the side jacks.

5. Use the rod clamp (on the side of the Solar Box) to mount the base of the

Solar Box to a rod stand

(Figure 3).

6. Adjust the angle of the box such that the sun's rays enter the box perpendicularly. Use the white knob indicator as a guide.

Figure 2: Connecting the thermistor cable

Figure 3: Mounting the

Solar Box to a rod stand

Energy Transfer - Solar

® 5

Energy Transfer - Solar Model No. ET-8593

Note: If there is no shadow on the plate, the sun’s rays are perpendicular to the plate.

7. Plug the Temperature Sensor into a PASPORT Xplorer. To take a temperature reading, click the Start button on Xplorer. (Note: The

Xplorer data can later be uploaded into DataStudio and viewed in a

DataStudio graph display.)

OR

If you are using an ohmmeter (instead of a Temperature Sensor), turn on the meter and take a resistance measurement. To find the temperature, use the resistance-to-temperature conversion chart in

Appendix A.).

OR

If you are using a laptop and a temperature probe, plug the

Temperature Sensor plug into a USB port on your laptop computer.

Launch DataStudio and click the Start button to collect data.

WARNING: To avoid burns or bodily injury, when heating the box, do not overheat the box

(above 100 o C) and do not touch either side of the aluminum plate or the thermistor contact.

CAUTION: Overheating the box may permanently damage the thermistor and the plastic lid. The thermistor’s maximum temperature capacity is

135 o C.

6

®

Model No. ET-8593 Energy Transfer - Solar

Suggested Experiments

Experiment 1: Solar Heating and the Greenhouse Effect

Equipment Required

Energy Transfer - Solar (ET-8593)

Rod Stand (ME-9355)

Piece of cardboard

Temperature Sensor (PS-2125) or Thermistor Sensor (CI-6527A) or an Ohmmeter/Multimeter

PASPORT Xplorer (PS-2000) or laptop computer

Temperature vs. Resistance

Chart (See Appendix A)

DataStudio Software

Part I: Solar Heating

1. Mount the box with plate to a rod stand, such that the Sun's angle is perpendicular to the aluminum plate and the white plastic knob has no shadow. Keep the black side of the aluminum plate facing up (See

Figure 4).

Figure 4: Setup for Solar

Heating Experiment

2. Use a PS-2000 Xplorer or a laptop computer for data collection. Set the sample rate in either Xplorer or DataStudio for 2 Hz.

3. Have a piece of cardboard available to shade the box while setting up.

4. In DataStudio, click the Start button to begin data collection and remove the cardboard shade.

5. With the plastic cover on, take a run of data in DataStudio. Let the box heat until the temperature levels off. (The approximate duration is 10 to 30 minutes, depending on the outside temperature and the intensity of the sunlight.)

CAUTION: Overheating the box may permanently damage the thermistor and the plastic lid. The thermistor’s maximum temperature capacity is

135 o

C.

® 7

Energy Transfer - Solar Model No. ET-8593

Note: Watch the angle of the sun. The angle of the sun must be 90

degrees to the box while you are collecting data. You might have to adjust the angle of the box during the run.

6. Repeat step 5 with the plastic cover off.

Analysis

1. Look carefully at both curves at the start of the run. The slope (rate of heating) for the uncovered box should be larger than for the covered box. Why?

2. Which has the highest final temperature, the covered box or the uncovered box?

WARNING: To avoid burns or bodily injury, when heating the box, do not overheat the box

(above 100 o

C) and do not touch either side of the aluminum plate or the thermistor contact.

3. Which curve has a more constant heating rate? Why?

Part II.Solar Heating Comparison: Aluminum vs. Black Surface

Compare the aluminum side up to black side up with the cover on.

Which surface is a better absorber of energy? Look at not only how fast the plate heats up, but collect data long enough to look at the final temperature. The black side should heat up much faster than the aluminum side, but does the black side reach a higher final temperature?

Part III. Cooling Comparison: Aluminum vs. Black Surface

For both sides (aluminum and black), start with the plate hot (Let it sit in the sun), and then move the plate to the shade to watch it cool.

Which surface cools faster? Which is a better emitter of energy? Try cooling both with and without the cover on the Solar Box.

8

®

Model No. ET-8593 Energy Transfer - Solar

Experiment 2: Solar Constant

Equipment Required

Energy Transfer - Solar (ET-8593)

Rod Stand (ME-9355)

Temperature Sensor (PS-2125) or

Thermistor Sensor (CI-6527A)

PASPORT Xplorer (PS-2000) or laptop computer

Measuring tape and scale Piece of cardboard

DataStudio Software

*Note: This is a more advanced lab. Two Temperature Sensors or one temperature sensor and a thermometer are required. You will use one

Temperature Sensor to measure the temperature of the aluminum plate and a second Temperature Sensor (or thermometer) to measure the ambient temperature.

1. Disconnect the thermistor from the plate and measure the mass of the plate. Measure the plate’s size and calculate the area of plate.

2. Cool the plate to 10 o

C to 20 o

C below the outside temperature.

(You can stick the plate in a refrigerator or use an ice cube). Be sure the plate is dry.

3. Place the aluminum plate in the Solar Box with the black side facing up to the sun. Do not use the plastic cover.

WARNING: To avoid burns or bodily injury, when heating the box, do not overheat the box

(above 100 o C) and do not touch either side of the aluminum plate or the thermistor contact.

4. Connect the Temperature Sensor to the side jacks of the box with the supplied cable. (If possible, have a second temperature sensor measuring outside temperature. Note: The second Temperature

Sensor (or a thermometer) must be in the shade for an accurate determination of the outside ambient air temperature.)

5. Recheck the sun’s angle. You might have to adjust the box relative to the sun’s angle during the run. (Note: The angle of the sun relative to the box must be 90 degrees.)

6. In DataStudio, create a graph of temperature vs. time. For the time variable, use seconds (not minutes) on the graph.

CAUTION: Overheating the box may permanently damage the thermistor and the plastic lid. The thermistor’s maximum temperature capacity is

135 o

C.

7. In DataStudio, click the Start button to begin recording (at the default sample rate of 2 Hz.). Heat the box until it is 10 o

C to 20 o

C above outside temperature.

® 9

Energy Transfer - Solar Model No. ET-8593

Analysis a) Find the slope of the line tangent to the curve at outside ambient air temperature. Do not use the Slope Tool. Highlight a small section at outside ambient temperature. At ambient temperature, the heating is only being caused by the sunlight. Below the ambient temperature, the surrounding air is cooling the container. Above the ambient temperature, the surrounding air is heating the container.

slope = = change in temperature/change in time b) Theory for heat flow

Q = mc

∆T

where Q =heat, c=specific heat, and ∆T = change in temperature

Power =

Q

∆ t

= mc

∆

∆

T t

Intensity =

Area

= mc

∆

∆

Area

T t where

∆

∆

T t

is the slope of the graph.

c)Using your slope and the other measured quantities, calculate the intensity of the sun's light.

The intensity (solar constant) at the top of the Earth's atmosphere is about 1400 Watts/m

2

. On a good clear day with the sun high in the sky, you can get over 1000 Watts/m

2

on the surface.

For Further Study: a) Compare the intensity at noon to later in the day.

b) Compare a clear day to a slightly overcast day. c) Compare summer to winter.

10

®

Model No. ET-8593

Sample Data/Results

Experiment 1: Solar Heating

The covered box has the final higher temperature. With the covered box, the greenhouse effect occurs. Light enters the transparent cover, but the infrared light is not re-radiated back out. The infrared light heats the plate. Also, the cover traps the hot air inside the box, isolating and insulating the air.

Energy Transfer - Solar

Experiment 2: Solar Constant

Note: This data was taken late in the afternoon.

Power =

Q

∆ t

= mc

∆

∆

T t

= (0.085 kg) (900 joules/kg/ o

C) (0.361) = 27.6 watts

Intensity = 27.6 watts/0.038 m

2

= 730 watts/m

2

® 11

Energy Transfer - Solar Model No. ET-8593

Appendix A: Resistance/Temperature Conversion Table

28

29

30

31

32

33

22

23

24

25

26

27

16

17

18

19

20

21

10

11

12

13

14

15

7

8

9

4

5

6

Temperature

(Celsius)

0

1

2

3

11,420

10,920

10,450

10,000

9,574

9,166

8,778

8,408

8,058

7,722

7,404

7,098

19,900

18,970

18,090

17,260

16,460

15,710

15,000

14,320

13,680

13,070

12,490

11,940

Resistance

(Ohms)

32,660

31,040

29,500

28,060

26,680

25,400

24,180

23,020

21,920

20,880

4,544

4,368

4,202

4,042

3,888

3,742

3,602

3,468

3,340

3,216

3,098

2,986

Resistance

(Ohms)

6,808

6,532

6,268

6,016

5,776

5,546

5,326

5,118

4,918

4,726

2,878

2,774

2,674

2,580

2,488

2,400

2,316

2,234

2,158

2,082

2,012

1,942

96

97

98

99

100

90

91

92

93

94

95

84

85

86

87

88

89

78

79

80

81

82

83

72

73

74

75

76

77

Temperature

(Celsius)

68

69

70

71

1,341

1,298

1,256

1,216

1,178

1,141

1,105

1,071

1,038

1,006

975

945

Resistance

(Ohms)

1,876

1,813

1,751

1,693

1,637

1,582

1,530

1,480

1,432

1,385

764

742

720

699

679

916

889

862

836

811

787

62

63

64

65

66

67

56

57

58

59

60

61

50

51

52

53

54

55

44

45

46

47

48

49

38

39

40

41

42

43

Temperature

(Celsius)

34

35

36

37

12

®

Model No. ET-8593 Energy Transfer - Solar

Appendix B: Technical Support

For assistance with the ET-8593 Energy Transfer - Solar or any other PASCO products, contact PASCO as follows:

Address: PASCO scientific

10101 Foothills Blvd.

Roseville, CA 95747-7100

Phone: (916) 786-3800

FAX: (916) 786-3292

Web: www.pasco.com

Email: [email protected]

Appendix C: Copyright and Warranty Information

Copyright Notice

The PASCO scientific 012-08428A Energy Transfer - Solar Manual is copyrighted and all rights reserved. However, permission is granted to non-profit educational institutions for reproduction of any part of the 012-08428A Energy Transfer - Solar Manual providing the reproductions are used only for their laboratories and are not sold for profit. Reproduction under any other circumstances, without the written consent of PASCO scientific, is prohibited.

Limited Warranty

PASCO scientific warrants the product to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one year from the date of shipment to the customer. PASCO will repair or replace, at its option, any part of the product which is deemed to be defective in material or workmanship. The warranty does not cover damage to the product caused by abuse or improper use. Determination of whether a product failure is the result of a manufacturing defect or improper use by the customer shall be made solely by PASCO scientific.

Responsibility for the return of equipment for warranty repair belongs to the customer.

Equipment must be properly packed to prevent damage and shipped postage or freight prepaid. (Damage caused by improper packing of the equipment for return shipment will not be covered by the warranty.) Shipping costs for returning the equipment after repair will be paid by PASCO scientific.

® 13