My Solar Oven
By Nathan Varnell
Objective and Hypothesis
My objective was to see if I could cook
S’mores using a solar oven to harness the
Sun’s energy.
My hypothesis was “I can cook with a
solar oven as long as the necessary
conditions exist”.
What I Used
In this project the materials that I used
were: a recycled pizza box, black
construction paper, aluminum foil, heavy
plastic laminate, non-toxic glue, tape,
scissors, a ruler, a black marker, and two
straws.
What I Did
To make my solar oven I first measured and
drew out a one-inch border on the top of the
pizza box. Next, I created a flap by cutting along
three of the sides that I had drawn, leaving one
of them uncut. I then folded the uncut side back,
and glued aluminum foil onto it.
What I Did [continued]
After I put on the foil, I took the laminate and
tightly sealed it onto the opening that I made,
creating an oven window. Next, I lined the
bottom of the pizza box with aluminum foil,
then carefully placed and glued a sheet of black
construction paper onto the foil.
What I Did [continued]
I carefully put two S’mores in the oven
and placed it outside with the flap angled
towards the sun.
Finishing Touches. . .
Finally, I took two straws and used black duct
tape to secure them as props to keep the oven
flap open, helping to direct sunlight into the
oven. I left the oven outside for about an hour
or two, occasionally checking on the progress.
Conclusion
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Objective: To cook S’mores with a solar oven.
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Reasons it did not completely work for me:
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Cooler outdoor temperatures, lack of direct sunlight, plastic laminate might have been too
thick, and I might not have had the oven at the proper angle to reflect the sun’s rays into the
oven. Also, heat may have escaped from certain parts of the oven.
Hypothesis answer:
-
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I did not completely achieve this. It only made the marshmallows stick to the chocolate as
they both softened slightly from the heat in the oven.
I believe that my hypothesis could still be correct as long as the conditions needed for
success existed.
The things that I would change are:
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A) Conducting this experiment when there is more direct sunlight.
B) Conducting this experiment in warmer outdoor conditions.
C) Finding a thinner plastic laminate.
D) Finding a better angle towards the sun.
E) Taping up the edges of the pizza box to keep heat from escaping.