Energy & Environment
How does a solar panel work?
Sunlight gives electrons energy to move. A closed circuit lets that moving charge become electric current.
Your SimpleSci lab
Getting the moving parts ready…
Someone had to figure this out
Electrical + materials engineer
Electrical and materials engineers design solar cells that capture more light, waste less energy, and last a long time.
Your turn: If you could improve one part, what would you change and why?
Find this interesting? Maybe you should be an electrical or materials engineer when you grow up!
1. Sunlight carries energy
Sunlight arrives in small packets of light energy called photons.
2. The solar cell helps direct the moving charges
Most solar cells are made from silicon. Layers inside the cell help guide electric charges toward the wires.
3. Light gives electrons energy to move
When the cell absorbs light, some electrons gain enough energy to move through the material.
4. A closed circuit lets current flow
When there is a complete path through wires and a device, electric charges can flow. That flow is called electric current.
5. Many cells make a solar panel
One solar cell makes only a small amount of power. Many cells are connected together to make a panel, and many panels can form a larger solar array.
6. An inverter makes the electricity useful at home
Solar panels make direct current, or DC. An inverter changes it into alternating current, or AC, which homes and the power grid use.
4 · Quiz
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