Solar Charger

Project Number: 6

Description: Assemble the pivot, mount the solar cell (B7) on it, and place it in the circuit as shown. Connect the solar cell to the circuit using the red & black jumper wires. Place the circuit so the solar cell is in bright sunlight or near an incandescent light bulb. Set the meter (M6) to the 0.5mA or 50mA setting. The solar cell is charging the battery and the meter is measuring the current. The current depends on the type and brightness of your light source, and how much your battery needs recharging. Adjust the position of the solar cell to make the highest current; in bright sunlight it will be around 10mA. When placed in sunlight or 12 inches from a 60W incandescent light bulb, the solar cell will typically recharge the battery in a few hours. Current will flow into the battery even when it is fully charged. You can't hurt the battery by overcharging with the power sources in this kit.

Snappy: Solar energy is free, abundant, and causes no pollution. However it is difficult to harvest it because even low power solar cells are expensive.