Solar Energy Investigation 1 – Sun Tracking

Part 1 – Shadow Play Main Ideas/Content The Sun – The Sun is a star that is the source of most of the energy on Earth. – Energy from the Sun reaches us as heat and light. – Moonlight, as well as wind, are caused by the Sun. – The Sun also contributes to the water cycle and the formation of fossil fuels.

Part 1 – Shadow Play – People collect solar energy and use it to heat homes, run machines, cook food, etc. It is also used to power spacecraft. – The Sun is made up mostly of hydrogen, but also helium. – Scientists measure the Sun’s light, heat, and radio waves from Earth using telescopes and satellites; they use space probes in space.

Part 1 – Shadow Play Shadows – Shadows are created when any type of light shines. – Opaque objects, like bodies, block light from the Sun, creating a shadow behind the object. – Shadows have two different levels of darkness. – Shadows created by artificial light change more than shadows created by sunlight. – Shadows change during the day because the position of the Sun changes.

Part 1 – Shadow Play Vocabulary Words – Spectrum – pattern of colors that make up the Sun’s light – Radiation – energy particles – Shadow – the dark area created by an object that stops light – Orientation – a position or arrangement in relation to another position or location – Umbra – darker area in the middle of a shadow – Penumbra – lighter area around the edges of the shadow