Capture the Sun!
Time: 20 Minutes
Objective: To understand that solar energy can be captured.
Arizona College and Career Readiness Standards AZ.K.RI.10: Actively engage in group reading of
informational and functional texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, with
purpose and understanding.
Supplies:
Soda pop can
Aluminum foil
Rubber band
Scrap of newspaper
Sunshine!
Discussion: Solar energy is the heat and light that comes from the sun. Solar energy is renewable;
every day the sun rotates the Earth dispersing heat and light. People around the world harness the
Sun’s energy to boil water, heat homes, and generate electricity. In Gila Bend, Arizona there is large
solar power plant that uses parabolic mirrors to capture the sun to make energy for our homes and
businesses.
Try the following experiment to learn how it works!
1. Wrap a piece of aluminum foil, shiny side up, over the bottom of the soda can.
2. Keep the foil in place with the rubber band
3. Gently press the foil to smooth it out across the can bottom
You have just made a parabolic mirror! Go outside and aim your mirror (the bottom of the can) toward
the sun. Now slowly move a small strip of newspaper in front of the mirror. Observe what the reflected
light does on the paper. Do you see the focal point? What happens to the brightness when you pass
the dark and light areas of the newspaper in front of the mirror? What do you think a much larger
parabolic mirror would be able to do with the sunlight it captures?
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