Harness the power of the Sun and join Twing on a fun adventure to help bring electricity back to the island in the Twin App!
Here’s a Preview of What You’ll Learn!
Renewable vs. Non Renewable Energy
Before we learn about solar energy, we first need to now the term renewable energy! Renewable energy is energy from sources that are naturally replenishing, including carbon neutral sources like sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, and geothermal heat. These clean energy sources are available in unlimited supply!
Separately, forms of energy like oil, natural gas, coal, and nuclear energy are nonrenewable and can be depleted. Oil, natural gas, and coal are collectively called fossil fuels and a major problem with fossil fuels, aside from their being in limited supply, is that burning them releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Rising levels carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is the main cause of global warming and climate change.
Solar Energy & How Can We Use it
Solar power is energy from the sun that is converted into thermal or electrical energy. Solar energy is the cleanest and most abundant renewable energy source available. Solar technologies such as solar panels can harness this energy for a variety of uses, including generating electricity, providing light, and heating water, and more!
Understanding the Sun & Solar Panels
The Sun has multiple layers like a walnut! Just like a walnut, the Sun has a kernel in its center, which we call the core! This is where energy is created. The energy produced here is transmitted to the other layers of the Sun.
The energy in the core is transmitted through energy packets called photons! Photons are the basic units of light. Once photons leave the Sun and reach the earth, we can use solar panels to capture them and convert the energy into thermal and electrical energy!
Fun Facts!
- The core of the Sun is around 15.6 million degrees, or equivalent to 100 billion tons of dynamite exploding every second!
- Did you know that it takes a long time for a photon to travel from the core to reach the surface? In fact, it takes hundreds of thousands of years!
- Renewable sources of energy and technology can help save our planet from climate change!
Learn more on Twin App!
You’ve learned a ton about the Sun and solar energy! Learn more in the Twin App and help Twing bring electricity back to the island in our adventure titled “Harness the Sun.”
Also, be sure to complete the activity “Make a Sun Model” in the adventure or here on our website!
Twin App is an educational app that kids can play educational games on. Inside we have Trivia, DIY projects, and Adventures that have many learning games for kids. Both the Twin App and Twin Science Kits teach STEM (Science,Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) & Arts subjects and 21st century skills.
