In this lesson, students explore solar energy by calculating the peak sun hours needed for solar panels using algebra. They apply their calculations to real-world data to assess the feasibility of using solar power in their area and predict whether their homes could be powered by solar panels based on their findings.
Inquire: Students work through a practice problem and discuss what they already know about solar energy.
Investigate: Students learn background information about solar energy, then use algebra to calculate the amount of peak sun hours needed to make a solar panel effective, and compare their calculated values to real-world data to determine if this amount of sunlight is possible in their area.
Inspire: Students make predictions and discuss if they think their home could be powered by solar panels using the calculations from class as evidence.
