Solar Cooker Challenge

Today, we tested the standard pizza solar oven! This simple design is comprised of a cardboard pizza box, aluminum foil, black construction paper, tape, and a clear plastic bag.

We used this design to test the question: How long will it take to melt an ice cube?

At Seth Low field, we set up our Solar Cooker ovens and let the sun’s energy do its work! For comparison, 301 closed our box lid to trap the heat, while 302 left the lid open to allow heat to enter.

It turns out that there was not much difference, given these variables! The closed solar oven melted the ice cube in 38.05 minutes, while the open solar cooker melted the ice cube in 38.30 minutes.

We would like students to use this experience to inform their own design choices. Students will now try to create a solar oven that can work more effectively, and beat our melting time! A little friendly, educational competition!

Please make sure your child brings his or her Solar Cooker AND Entry Form to school on May 29th. See the entry form here: solardesignchallenge(1).

Good luck and have fun!

Ms. Marcy and Ms. Sonya

Upcoming Dates:

May 30- Trip to Rab’s County Lanes

May 31st- Friends and Family Day

June 18th- Trip to MOCA