Sun Angle vs Solar Car Speed Science Fair Projects

Sun

The sun is the key element in a solar energy project. You can manipulate the sun indirectly by waiting to collect data at different times of the year or the day.

Power House Experiments Science Kit	SCG-125 Snap Circuits Green Alternative Energy	Solar Cars & Vehicles Experiment Kits	Solar Energy Science Fair Projects Kits
Age 12 and up	Ages 10 and up	Grades 3rd thru 12th	All ages

Objectives/Goals

The objective is to determine if the angle of the sun affects the speed of the solar car. I believe that the higher the angle of the sun is, the faster the speed of the solar car will be.

Methods/Materials

The angles of the sun were measured and recorded every hour from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Then a solar car was tested and recorded six times every hour from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. under different angles of the sun at the same start and finish line with a certain distance of twenty feet between.

Results

The angles of the sun were 25, 35, 45, 55, and 65 degrees at 8 a.m., 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m., and 12 p.m. The solar car did not moved at 25 degrees, and the average speeds of it were 11.6 seconds at 35 degrees, 9.6 seconds at 45 degrees, 9.1 seconds at 55 degrees, and 8.7 seconds at 65 degrees. The results showed that the speed of the solar car ran faster when the angle of the sun was higher.

Conclusions/Discussion

My conclusion is that the angle of the sun has an important role in the speed of the solar car: the higher the angle of the sun is, the faster the speed of the solar car will be. 3rd party contributor