Solar powered oven

Make an economic and environmentally friendly oven for roasting poor little marshmallows. Create a solar-powered oven that uses light from the Sun to warm food.

The Questacon Science Squad performs science shows in the Sydney metropolitan area. This is one of the many activities the Questacon Science Squad offers on its website to encourage young people to engage in science. Find out more at http://sciencesquad.questacon.edu.au

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• questacon
• science
• squad
• demonstration
• museum
• centre
• center
• education
• reflection
• heat
• energy
• irradiation
• black
• body

[Shiori09cute]

Will plastic covers be any good? The ones you use for covering books?

[QuestaconNSTC]

@Shiori09cute We have not used plastic book covers before. If the plastic book covers are clear and similar in thickness to overhead transparencies, they could work. Science is all about coming up with ideas and testing those ideas. You have come up with an idea, now you just have to test your idea to see if it works.

[QuestaconNSTC]

@Shiori09cute (continued) Perhaps you could compare the effectiveness of the two materials by conducting the activity the first time using plastic book covers and the second time using overhead transparencies. Have fun experimenting!

[Shiori09cute]

@QuestaconNSTC @QuestaconNSTC I see.

I don't think I have anything else that's transparent besides these plastic book covers at home, but I would if I were to see anything else in stores I might try to.

One question though, should I have the plastic book covers in double layer in both sides of the box cover? I think they're a bit thicker than those plastic sheets.

[QuestaconNSTC]

@Shiori09cute Because we don’t know much about the plastic book covering to which you are referring, it is difficult to answer this question. Perhaps you should conduct the experiment more than once. You could use a single layer the first time and a double layer the second time and test to see which provided a better result.

[QuestaconNSTC]

Can you use a mirror instead? It is difficult to determine which item you would like to replace with the mirror.

From the nature of the activity, I am assuming that you’d like to use a mirror in place of the aluminium foil on the underside of the square flap. We have not tested the activity using a mirror. A mirror should work, because a mirror reflects light (which is the purpose of the aluminium foil). Please let us know the results of your experiment!

[QuestaconNSTC]

Any clear plastic will work for this activity. Overhead transparency sheets work really well.

For more information on this activity, please visit our website at Questacon.edu.au and follow the links via On Tour Programs - Sydney Science Squad - Activities - Solar Powered Oven.

[callofdutydudes2]

chocalate num num num num num

[isabelzoe1997]

where do u get the clear plastic sheets???

[hosseingoly]

can you use a mirror insted?