Solar Powered Car
Spero
Solar Powered Car (Lab period)
NJ Core Curriculum Standards
CCS Number
5.1.12.A.2
Topic
5.1 – Science Practices
A – Understand Scientific
Explanations
5.1.12.A.3
5.1 – Science Practices
A – Understand Scientific
Explanations
5.1.12.B.2
5.1 – Science Practices
B – Generate Scientific
Evidence Through Active
Investigations
5.1.12.B.3
5.1 – Science Practices
B – Generate Scientific
Evidence Through Active
Investigations
Empirical evidence is used to
construct and defend
arguments.
5.1.12.C.2
5.1 – Science Practices
C – Reflect on Scientific
Knowledge
Data and refined models are
used to revise predictions and
explanations.
5.1.12.D.1
5.1 – Science Practices
D – Participate Productively
in Science
5.1.12.D.2
5.1 – Science Practices
D – Participate Productively
in Science
Science involves practicing
productive social interactions
with peers, such as partner
talk, whole-group discussions,
and small-group work.
Science involves using
language, both oral and
written, as a tool for making
thinking public.
8.2.12.B.1
8.2 – Technology
Engineering, Education, and
Design
B - Design: Critical Thinking,
Problem Solving, and
Page 1
Description
Interpretation and
manipulation of evidencebased models are used to build
and critique
arguments/explanations.
Revisions of predictions and
explanations are based on
systematic observations,
accurate measurements, and
structured data/evidence.
Mathematical tools and
technology are used to gather,
analyze, and communicate
results.
Design and create a product
that maximizes conservation
and sustainability of a scarce
resource, using the design
process and entrepreneurial
Decision-Making
skills throughout the design
process.
8.2.12.C.3
8.2 – Technology
Engineering, Education, and
Design
C – Technological
Citizenship, Ethics, and
Society
8.2.12.E.1
8.2 – Technology
Engineering, Education, and
Design
E – Communication ad
Collaboration
Evaluate the positive and
negative impacts in a design
by providing a digital
overview of a chosen product
and suggest potential
modifications to address the
negative impacts.
Use the design process to
devise a technological product
or system that addresses a
global issue, and provide
documentation through
drawings, data, and materials,
taking the relevant cultural
perspectives into account
throughout the design and
development process.
What Students Should Know
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Kinematics
Dynamics
Energy
Momentum
DC Circuits
o Series and parallel connections
o Electric potential difference
o Role of a battery (emf)
o Resistance, current, electric potential energy
ISLE
The Engineering Design Process
Solar Powered Car
Spero
Goals of the Lesson
Conceptual
What kinds of
physics that you
know of are involved
in making a solar
powered car?
How do you evaluate
energy needs of a
device and deal with
reducing energy
losses due to work
and heating?
How must circuit
elements be arranged
in a circuit to
function properly?
Quantitative
Be able to calculate
estimates emf of each
solar cell for
powering the car.
Be able to apply
Kirchoff’s Laws to
the circuit for the car.
Using Ohm’s Law as
well as real data for
non-ohmic elements.
What kinds of
engineering
disciplines are
involved in making a
real solar powered
car?
Procedural
Be able to use the
Engineering Design
Process to direct
assembly, testing,
and revising design.
Be able to work with
materials given (be
able to measure
physical quantities
using a multimeter).
Epistemological
How do I know how all
of the different circuit
elements contribute to
the overall circuit?
Be able to work
effectively with
others.
How can I figure out
what types of physics
are needed to make
quantitative
predictions?
How can I improve my
design and make my
device functional and
economical in materials
and energy use?
Implementing ISLE
for application
experiments.
Being able to draw a
circuit diagram from
a real circuit.
Important Details/Connections
Physics Content
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DC Circuits
 Series and parallel connections
 Ohmic and non-ohmic devices
 Kirchoff’s Laws
 Ohm’s Law
Real Life Connections
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Designing and redesigning something based on feedback
Solar powered devices in home
Solar panels on buildings or telephone poles
Defining energy needs and uses
Page 3
Potential Student Difficulties
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Using multimeter to measure several different kinds of values (resistance, electric
potential difference, current).
Understanding the difference between resistance, electric potential difference, and
current.
Thinking locally about a circuit and not holistically.
Representing a circuit in terms of distances instead of electrical connections.
Not understanding how to apply Kirchoff’s Laws or Ohm’s Laws
Difficulty practically constructing the car and car’s circuit
Resources
Environment
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Large work tables for groups of 3-4 students
Room on floor near bright area with lots of sun for cars to run (or smooth
surface outside).
Sunny day 
Equipment
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Multimeters, solar car assembly kits, rulers, tape, straws, scissors, LED’s,
buzzers, copper wires, alligator clips, and switches.
Lesson Description
Today we are going to be making solar powered cars! So what you are going to do first is
take a look at the materials I have for you, then I want you to take one of each of these items
back to your table with a multimeter and take any measurements you think necessary (by this
point you should know what to measure and why). Before you make these measurements you
will need to know what will be in your circuit. You need to design the circuit that incorporates 2
LED’s as headlights and a buzzer and switch as a car horn. You are allowed up to 3 solar panels
for your car. Remember the wheels need to turn and all the other components must work as well.
You will put the entire circuit together only after doing all quantitative calculations and
predictions and after making the body of your car.
If at any time you need to make extra measurements, feel free to do so. I want to see you
writing out what you are doing in the Engineering Design Steps. That means you will need a
preliminary picture of your car as well as a preliminary circuit diagram. If you make changes to
the design, do not erase what you had; simply draw your revisions on an attached paper.
Do not forget to write down any assumptions you are making when doing calculations
and if you think these assumptions are okay to make.
For teacher: Students will need to draw a correct circuit diagram with all solar panels in
series like batteries (knowing their collective emf from multimeter measurements). Need all
circuit elements wired in parallel, with the buzzer and switch in series with each other. Students
must know resistances of all circuit elements and will probably assume that LED’s are ohmic,
even if they know they aren’t. This is fine, they will then need to revise their math when their
circuit does not work as planned. Student will probably assuming that the solar panel is ideal,
having no resistance of its own. Students should use Kirchoff’s Loop rule and Ohm’s Law in
order to predict whether electrons will flow and the circuit will work as planned. For the LED’s,
because Ohm’s Law does not apply, any students confused as to what to do should be hinted that
they can use the multimeter to figure out raw data (a.k.a. the potential difference across an LED
to use in the Loop Rule).
At the end of the period we are going to be testing the cars and you will need to submit
your group’s calculations and designs to me. I will grade them and hand them back tomorrow.
You will have the opportunity for homework after tomorrow to revise your plans, both
qualitative and quantitative, once you know if your car works or not.
Time Table
Clock Reading
During Lesson
Period 1
0-5 minutes
Title of Activity –
Connection to Goals
Goals and viewing
materials
5-25 minutes
Multimeter measuring
25-45 minutes
Building Car Body
45-65 minutes
Calculations for circuit
65-80 minutes
Building Circuit
80-85 minutes
Testing Cars
Students Doing
Listening to teacher,
going up to see
materials available.
In groups measuring
resistances of all
elements in circuit.
Building body of the
car with instructions of
the manual. Not
putting together circuit
yet.
Trying to
quantitatively predict if
their circuit will work
using Loop Rule,
Ohm’s Law, and data
from multimeter
readings.
Building circuit with
materials, making sure
all fits on the car.
Testing their cars
either outside or in a
very sunny spot in the
classroom.
Teacher Doing
Giving goals for the
day, handing around
materials.
Helping students
measure and make
sense of what circuit
is needed.
Helping students with
difficult tasks like
any cutting needed.
Helping students
knowing what
physics to use.
Helping students
build circuit
according to their
diagram (do not
correct diagram if
wrong).
Recording
observations of
student performance.
85-90 minutes
Cleaning Up
Cleaning up.
Cleaning up, handing
out homework.
Formative Assessments
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Are students able to use the multimeter?
Do students know what to measure in order to complete the task?
Can students agree on a circuit design?
Is the circuit design appropriate?
Are students explicitly acknowledging assumptions they are using? (directly ask students
if not written down)
Do students know what physics to use for quantitative predictions? (explain to your
friend…)
Can students follow instructions in manual to build the car body?
Does the car work?
o Does it move? Do the lights shine? Does the buzzer sound?
Homework
Homework
1st Night:
I want this posted on our blog with every person contributing their opinion on the matter.
Each post should include:
 If you were really going to build a solar powered car, what obstacles might
you run into that we have no discussed in class? Something possibly not
related to physics.
 What part of the ISLE cycle does building this car fit into? Does it fit in any
one place?
 How does this job fit into the engineering cycle process? Are we skipping any
steps? (Be specific, list the steps and the corresponding work you did today.)
And separately on a paper to hand into me:
 Did your design work according to the plan you developed?
 What adjustments did you make? Why? (Be specific.)
 Do you think real engineers make mistakes or ever need to redesign
something?
 What did you learn?
 How did you learn it?
 What still remains unclear?
 If you were the teacher what would you have done differently to help students
understand?
2nd Night:
Revise your design if your car did not work as planned. Include new drawings, circuit
diagrams, and predictions with calculations. Hand this in individually, but you may work with
your group or others from class.
Give a brief discussion of where you went wrong, if you were wrong, and what you did
to improve your design.
If your car worked in class, give a brief discussion of what you could do as an engineer to
improve your design or its efficiency.
How does this project impact your thinking on energy use? Do you feel more motivated
not to investigate other forms of energy like solar power or nuclear power? Is this an important
issue?