Can we cook while on the Moon?
While we might have to bring just about everything with us when we establish a habitat on the Moon, one thing we won’t need is solar energy. There may be no atmosphere, no climate nor weather on the Moon, but that all means it DOES make it an ideal place to collect solar energy. The majority of the Moon is exposed to sunlight constantly, except briefly during a rare lunar eclipse. If that energy could be harnessed, we could use it to power most everything in our habitat…including that most important device that helps us cook our food – an oven!
The Challenge: Your mission is to design and build a solar cooker to cook your own food simply using a few household materials.
DAY 1
Procedure: Using the instructions provided, construct your solar cooker.
Draw and Label your solar cooker:
Using a digital thermometer, your teacher will come and take the temperature of your cooker every minute for 10 minutes. Record the temperature in data table 1.
Data Table 1:
Time / Cooker Temperature / Time / Cooker Temperature1 minute / 6 minutes
2 minutes / 7 minutes
3 minutes / 8 minutes
4 minutes / 9 minutes
5 minutes / 10 minutes
Record any observations of your food while it is cooking. These observations will help to determine which cooker design allows for quicker cooling. Record your observations in data table 2.
Data Table 2:
Time / Food Observation / Time / Food Observation1 minute / 6 minutes
2 minutes / 7 minutes
3 minutes / 8 minutes
4 minutes / 9 minutes
5 minutes / 10 minutes
FOR DAY 2: Now that you see how to build the solar cooker, with your group and using the same materials, design a new solar cooker that will improve the cooking time.
DAY 2
Procedure: Using your group’s new design, construct your solar cooker.
Draw and Label your solar cooker:
Using a digital thermometer, your teacher will come and take the temperature of your cooker every minute for 10 minutes. Record the temperature in data table 1.
Data Table 1:
Time / Cooker Temperature / Time / Cooker Temperature1 minute / 6 minutes
2 minutes / 7 minutes
3 minutes / 8 minutes
4 minutes / 9 minutes
5 minutes / 10 minutes
Record any observations of your food while it is cooking. These observations will help to determine which cooker design allows for quicker cooling. Record your observations in data table 2.
Data Table 2:
Time / Food Observation / Time / Food Observation1 minute / 6 minutes
2 minutes / 7 minutes
3 minutes / 8 minutes
4 minutes / 9 minutes
5 minutes / 10 minutes
Analysis:
1)Did your solar cooker have an increase in temperature compared to the basic design from DAY 1? Write in the difference.
2)List strengths of your design:
3)List weaknesses of your design:
4)How would you improve your design even further?