Day 3 on the Ranken teacher workshop - solar energy. Great day for solar testing; lousy day to be outside. Temperatures in the high 90's, and probably even hotter on the asphalt with reflector ovens. We baked cookies; our whole area smelled like sugar. We took temperature readings as they "baked" in the sun. The hottest recorded temperature was 190 deg F.
Then we made miniature solar water heaters. They got up to 120 deg within 10 minutes - that's the normal temperature on a regular hot water heater. (This poor teacher is pregnant - due in just 3 weeks!)
Next we tested the voltage in photovoltaic cells, and then hooked them up to motors. The motors were spinning like crazy, since the sun was so bright. Another great day, but hot, hot, hot. Luckily tomorrow we're doing wireless networks in the air-conditioned computer lab.
