How does ice affect solar cell output?

Morgan Dutrow11th GradeBellwood-AntisHow does ice affect solar cell output?ProblemHow well do solar panels work when ice accumulates on them?

I chose this experiment because ofA recent ice stormThe green movement

ResearchThe amount of light absorbed by panel could reduce several ways

Gamma RaysGamma rays and visible light are both on the electromagnetic scale.

HypothesisAs the ice gets thicker the amount of light absorbed by the solar panel and turned to energy will decrease exponentially.

Experimental DesignVariableThickness of ice

Experimental Group0.5 cm, 1 cm, 2 cm, 2.5 cm, 3 cm, and 3.5 cm

Control 0 cm (no ice)

MaterialsSolar panelRingstandMultimeterTupperwareWater FreezerRuler Light bulb Socket Procedure-making the ice thicknessI had to make sure the ice was uniform.

Tried several methods:

Stiff plastic with lining

Flexible Tupperware with lining

Flexible Tupperware without lining

Procedure-testing the panels

Set up equipment

Place ice on panel

Record Volts and Amps

Repeat steps 1-3 for all other trials of different thicknesses

Find Power = V * i

Note: This is not where my experiment occurred.Control VariablesLightDistanceSame bulbRoomTemperatureLocationExternal lightSolar panelSame one used for all testsMaterialsSame used for all tests

Raw Data

Power

Averages of Power

Initial AnalysisNote: Some error bars are too small to be seen.In-depth AnalysisConclusionSince the R value is the closest to 1 for the exponential line of best fit, I accept my hypothesis that the amount of light absorbed will decrease exponentially as the thickness of the ice increases.Improvements and ExpansionShouldve used a larger graduated cylinder.

I should have used thicker ice.

I could use snow since my area gets a lot of snow.

Bibliographyhttp://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/energy/solar-cell.htm

http://www.epa.gov/radiation/understand/gamma.html

http://library.thinkquest.org/27356/p_index.htm

http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/light/U12L2c.cfm

http://www.greenenergyohio.org/page.cfm?pageId=57

Sheet1Trial 1Trial 2Trial 3WithoutWithWithoutWithWithout WithmLThicknessVoltageCurrentVoltageCurrentVoltageCurrentVoltageCurrentVoltage CurrentVoltage Current1000.50.490.10.480.080.50.10.490.080.50.10.490.0820010.490.10.480.070.490.10.480.070.50.10.480.0730020.490.110.480.070.50.110.480.070.50.110.480.064002.50.490.110.470.060.50.110.480.060.50.110.480.0650030.490.110.470.060.490.10.470.060.50.10.470.056003.50.490.110.470.060.50.110.470.050.50.110.480.06Trial 1Trial 2Trial 3WithoutWithWithoutWithWithout WithAverage WithoutAverage WithmLThicknessPowerPowerPowerPowerPowerPower0.550.530.0490.05221000.50.0490.03840.050.03920.050.03920.04950.03890.00057735030.00046188022001.00.0490.03360.0490.03360.050.03360.04900.03360.000577350303002.00.05390.03360.0550.03360.0550.02880.05450.03200.00063508530.00277128134002.50.05390.02820.0550.02880.0550.02880.05450.02860.00063508530.00034641025003.00.05390.02820.0490.02820.050.02350.05150.02660.00258907960.00271354636003.50.05390.02820.0550.02350.0550.02880.05450.02680.00063508530.00290229790.0522Thickness0.50.01060.01080.01080.01071.00.01540.01540.01640.01572.00.02030.02140.02620.02262.50.02570.02620.02620.02603.00.02570.02080.02650.02433.50.02570.03150.02620.0278

Sheet2Average WithThicknessPower0.5500.0389333333ERROR:#DIV/0!0.50.03840.03893333330.000461880210.03360.0336020.03360.0320.00277128132.50.02820.02860.000346410230.02820.02663333330.00271354633.50.02820.02683333330.0029022979Trial 1Trial 2Trial 3

cmVAVAVA00.490.110.490.110.490.110.50.480.080.490.080.490.0810.480.070.480.070.480.0720.480.070.480.070.480.062.50.470.060.480.060.480.0630.470.060.470.060.470.053.50.470.060.470.050.480.06

Sheet3

Sheet1Trial 1Trial 2Trial 3WithoutWithWithoutWithWithout WithmLThicknessVoltageCurrentVoltageCurrentVoltageCurrentVoltageCurrentVoltage CurrentVoltage Current1000.50.490.10.480.080.50.10.490.080.50.10.490.0820010.490.10.480.070.490.10.480.070.50.10.480.0730020.490.110.480.070.50.110.480.070.50.110.480.064002.50.490.110.470.060.50.110.480.060.50.110.480.0650030.490.110.470.060.490.10.470.060.50.10.470.056003.50.490.110.470.060.50.110.470.050.50.110.480.06Trial 1Trial 2Trial 3WithoutWithWithoutWithWithout WithAverage WithoutAverage WithmLThicknessPowerPowerPowerPowerPowerPower0.550.530.0490.05221000.50.0490.03840.050.03920.050.03920.04950.03890.00057735030.00046188022001.00.0490.03360.0490.03360.050.03360.04900.03360.000577350303002.00.05390.03360.0550.03360.0550.02880.05450.03200.00063508530.00277128134002.50.05390.02820.0550.02880.0550.02880.05450.02860.00063508530.00034641025003.00.05390.02820.0490.02820.050.02350.05150.02660.00258907960.00271354636003.50.05390.02820.0550.02350.0550.02880.05450.02680.00063508530.00290229790.0522Thickness0.50.01060.01080.01080.01071.00.01540.01540.01640.01572.00.02030.02140.02620.02262.50.02570.02620.02620.02603.00.02570.02080.02650.02433.50.02570.03150.02620.0278

Sheet2Trial 1Trial 2Trial 3Average WithWidthPowerPowerPower0 (Control)0.0500.0530.0490.03893333330.00046188020.50.0380.0390.0390.03893333330.000461880210.0340.0340.0340.0336020.0340.0340.0290.0320.00277128132.50.0280.0290.0290.02860.000346410230.0280.0280.0240.02663333330.00271354633.50.0280.0240.0290.02683333330.0029022979

Trial 1Trial 2Trial 3ControlThicknessVoltageCurrentVoltageCurrentVoltageCurrentVoltage Current0.50.490.10.480.080.490.080.490.0810.490.10.480.070.480.070.480.0720.490.110.480.070.480.070.480.062.50.490.110.470.060.480.060.480.0630.490.110.470.060.470.060.470.053.50.490.110.470.060.470.050.480.06

Sheet3

Sheet1Trial 1Trial 2Trial 3WithoutWithWithoutWithWithout WithmLThicknessVoltageCurrentVoltageCurrentVoltageCurrentVoltageCurrentVoltage CurrentVoltage Current1000.50.490.10.480.080.50.10.490.080.50.10.490.0820010.490.10.480.070.490.10.480.070.50.10.480.0730020.490.110.480.070.50.110.480.070.50.110.480.064002.50.490.110.470.060.50.110.480.060.50.110.480.0650030.490.110.470.060.490.10.470.060.50.10.470.056003.50.490.110.470.060.50.110.470.050.50.110.480.06Trial 1Trial 2Trial 3WithoutWithWithoutWithWithout WithAverage WithoutAverage WithmLThicknessPowerPowerPowerPowerPowerPower0.550.530.0490.05221000.50.0490.03840.050.03920.050.03920.04950.03890.00057735030.00046188022001.00.0490.03360.0490.03360.050.03360.04900.03360.000577350303002.00.05390.03360.0550.03360.0550.02880.05450.03200.00063508530.00277128134002.50.05390.02820.0550.02880.0550.02880.05450.02860.00063508530.00034641025003.00.05390.02820.0490.02820.050.02350.05150.02660.00258907960.00271354636003.50.05390.02820.0550.02350.0550.02880.05450.02680.00063508530.00290229790.0522Thickness0.50.01060.01080.01080.01071.00.01540.01540.01640.01572.00.02030.02140.02620.02262.50.02570.02620.02620.02603.00.02570.02080.02650.02433.50.02570.03150.02620.0278

Sheet2Trial 1Trial 2Trial 3WidthPowerPowerPowerStdev0 (Control)0.0500.0530.0490.002080.50.0380.0390.0390.0004610.0340.0340.034020.0340.0340.0290.002772.50.0280.0290.0290.0003530.0280.0280.0240.002713.50.0280.0240.0290.0029

WidthAverage PowersStdev0 (Control)0.0510.0020.50.0390.00010.0390.00020.0340.0032.50.0320.00030.0290.0033.50.0270.0030.0268333333

Trial 1Trial 2Trial 3ControlThicknessVoltageCurrentVoltageCurrentVoltageCurrentVoltage Current0.50.490.10.480.080.490.080.490.0810.490.10.480.070.480.070.480.0720.490.110.480.070.480.070.480.062.50.490.110.470.060.480.060.480.0630.490.110.470.060.470.060.470.053.50.490.110.470.060.470.050.480.06

Sheet3