thesun

=__**THE SUN**__=

 The sun is a star in the middle of our solar system. Every planet in our solar system revolves around the sun. Without the sun our planet could not exist. Without the energy, heat, and light then nothing on this planet would be able to survive. The sun has been around now for about 4.5 billion years. The sun reaches an average surface temperature of 6000ºc. The mass of the sun is equal to that of 332,830 Earths. Where the Earth takes 24 hours to make a full rotation (one earth day), the sun can take anywhere from 25-36 days for a whole rotation to occur. It is made up of 92% hydrogen and about 8% helium, along with minimal amounts of oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, neon, iron, and many other elements.

Solar cells: media type="youtube" key="qYeynLy6pj8?fs=1" height="385" width="480"

__**1.How does the sun affect our everyday lives?**__ If the sun one day was to disappear all life on earth would end. The sun is the key to all life on Earth. The sun is our source of heat, energy. plants need the sun to grow. Plants grow through a process called photosynthesis. The food chain would collapse if plants disappeared because a food chain is like a tower take away the base and it comes crashing down. Plants also are the key to oxygen. Plants convert the carbon dioxide into oxygen. __**Cancer** __  **Although the sun is the thing that keeps us alive, it can also end up killing us. The sun has been proven to cause skin cancer and lesser effects such as thickening and thinning, texture changes of the skin. This happens by repeatedly exposed skin in the sun. This is most commonly seen in the head, neck, face, tips of the ears, hands, forearms, shoulders, back, chests of men, and the back and lower legs of women. **     __**Energy** __ [|__http://www.darvill.clara.net/altenerg/solar.htm__]
 * solar cells
 * [[image:https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/OKRwOS2lkS5bdiFaR_36HPScQUm_YKbODgsHCJpzjOecUCJnp91Qbp7bRMqKbOoZvVvIWQWxtGsLmBNjMe9sRNyr7ykLaR4f1O9XQuRkOSeC2SPL9w]]
 * solar furnaces
 * [[image:https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/DdaD4ri_wTrZq9fYk20_gGyMAHFASlWXUzQriG-LR0HnX5aVMM1-ps_MPfczcyMXueD_QIKCcLB2ip-ZUUWTGQBtfUfyO3Nnv2gAVPfxok5GtwY8Tw]]
 * solar water heating
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[[image:https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/P5bYJIxpoB8Wiff7pwNrAKjQjArXRMn7hdvlAtcDSicjc7LVPXjoLHbEVUQ_fVANW8CmWShEoGojy8oJwp2DmSItIv5AK-6fX2PzwZKkj8R6HBXiZA]]
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; line-height: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">__Life__

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">sun is the key to life because without light plants can no grow and without plants living organisms would have no food.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; line-height: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">__Gravity__

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The suns gravity keep Earth from wondering through space. If we were to wonder into space we.would collide with asteroids and meteors and may eventually collide with another planet of sun. If you weighed 100 kg on Earth, you would feel like you weighed 2,800 kg if you tried to walk on the surface of the Sun. The sun gravity keeps all of the planets around us from colliding into each other. <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">


 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; line-height: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">__Heat__

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Without the suns heat we would freeze to death. Without the suns heat we would be the same temperature as it is in space. The temperature in space is approximately 2.725 Kelvin. That means the universe is just shy of three degrees above absolute-zero – the temperature at which molecules stop moving. That’s almost -270 degrees Celsius, or -455 Fahrenheit. <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The sun releases light. Light is the key to life. Without life we would of never existed. If the sun was to disappear we would run out food because plants require light because plants use photosynthesis. The suns light also supplies us with solar energy.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; line-height: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">__Light__

<span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; margin: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">__**2.How have humans harnessed the sun? What types of applications are we now using energy from the sun?( Think houses, cars, large commercial buildings) Give specific examples of different solar options.**__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; margin: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">__**Solar Energy**__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0pt 0px; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline;">In order for solar panels to work they must absorb the suns energy.To get this energy, the sun must give off photons. Photons are tiny packets of energy that the sun is made up of. Photons are known as elementary particles which are not known to have any substructure; that is, it’s not known to be made up of smaller particles. Every minute, enough photons hit the earth to meet the world’s energy demand for a whole year. Photovoltaic panels or solar panels consist of many solar cells. These solar cells are made up most commonly of silicon. Each cell has both a positive and a negative side to create an electric field, just like a battery. Photons are absorbed into the cell through the positive side, and their energy forms electrons. The electrons move to the bottom of the solar panel and exits through the connecting wire. When the electrons flow through the connecting wire, it is known as electricity. <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; margin: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">__**How have we harnessed the sun?**__ <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; margin: 0pt 0px; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">People today have used the sun in many ways to make life more efficient in the harsh economy today. We use solar energy to power everything from cars to houses. This will lower pollution levels and save people tremendous amounts of money on gas and hydro electricity. One of the most important uses of solar energy would have to be the Mars Rover. NASA sent a rover to Mars codenamed <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> //Spirit// <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">, in order to determine if life is sustainable on Mars. The only possible way for <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">//Spirit// <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> to be able to be powered, is through solar energy because there’s obviously no electricity on Mars. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">//Spirit// <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> has a solar panel which absorbs the energy from the sun, giving it power and communication to the NASA headquarters. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; margin: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">__**What do we use daily that uses solar powered energy?**__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0pt 0px; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline;">On the planet Earth today, we use solar powered energy for many important things. A common thing you will see that involves solar energy is a solar powered vehicle. These vehicles have large solar panels on their roof and absorbs a huge amount of photons to power them.this saves huge amount of money and energy for those who own vehicles. <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">

<span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0pt 0px; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; margin: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">__**3.Extension - Discuss the implications of solar power adoption. Why wouldn't we want to adopt solar power? What industries would be impacted if we did? How would that affect your life?**__

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">//pros://
 * >no pollution
 * >renewable
 * >available in remote locations (ex: Mars rover, International Space Station, etc...)

cons: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline;">__**<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What industries would be impacted? **__ <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"> World Energy Sources  <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
 * very expensive
 * requires lots of space
 * doesn’t work at night, and doesn’t work ell in clouds or pollution
 * must be in open light, cannot be in shade

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In 2004, less than one percent of the world’s energy came from solar power. If solar power were to gain widespread adoption, many industries would be affected, particularly the industries of coal, gas, oil, as they’re currently the most widely used electricity source.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">__//How would that affect your life?//__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If solar power were to gain widespread adoption, it’s impact would greatly depend on whether or not it replaced all other forms of power. If it did, a few problems would occur. Solar power is only available during the day, so there would be no electricity at night, when the streetlights are on, which takes up a colossal amount of energy. This could be easily remedied with the use of solar batteries, which would store the power until a time that it could be used. By fixing one problem, you create another: the issue of disposing these batteries after they’ve been depleted. While adopting solar power would be beneficial to the environment, at it’s current stage, it is not the most efficient of generating electricity.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.2in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">__**4.How does the sun impact you, versus a person who lives in Beijing, versus someone who lives in Prague?**__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The sun helps us in many different ways. It gives us heat, it gives us light, and we can even use it to tell time. Some of the effects of the sun are shown through the seasons. The temperatures depend on how the rays of the sun hit the Earth. At the equator of the Earth, the sun hits the ground directly, While at latitudes away from the equator, the sun hits the ground more indirectly Other places around the world show the seasons differently. They show this because of how close to the equator they are. Canada, Beijing, and Prague are all in the Northern Hemisphere so our seasons have about the same effects. Sudan on the other hand, is close to he equator. Because it is so close, it is very hot there. in the winter months, the temperature goes up to 34 <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">**°** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">F.

<span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The sun shines for different hours in different places, it just depends on how close it to the equator it is. Latitudes furthest away from the equator have more changes in daylight hours since the north and south poles, depending on whether it is summer or winter, are pointing further away or closer to the sun because of the tilt. Closest to the equator have less change.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Throughout the year, day length is 12 hours at equator. At the Poles, day length varies from none to 24 hours. At points in between, day length will be somewhere in between. The closer a location is to the Equator, the more even the day length is, not varying much from twelve hours all year. At high latitudes, the day length is very long in the summer, and very short in the winter.

__**<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-size: 14pt; font-style: normal; margin: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What types of power compete with the power of the sun? Are these options sustainable? What is the best option for an energy source? **__ <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- GEOTHERMAL -BIOMASS -HYDRO -WIND -SOLAR

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are 5 types of power that compete with sun. They are Geothermal, Biomass, Hydro, Wind, and Solar power. Geothermal is a form of energy that is found in the earth. Electricity generation power plants require water or steam at very high temperature (300° to 700°F). Geothermal power plants are generally built where geothermal reservoirs are located within a mile or two of the surface. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Biomass is another form of power that competes with the sun. We use biomass energy to provide heat, and is used in the form of making gas.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hydro is one form of power we use. It is created by water in dams and waterwheels. It is used all over the world because it is easy, and very good for the environment. We use hydro power to heat our houses and light them <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Wind power is a ever growing source of power. It is because efficient it is. Also, its clean and very green. We also use this to heat and light our houses.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Solar power is a very popular form of energy. However it would not work without the sun. Therefore, this is not a type of energy that competes with the sun, because it uses it.


 * <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.2in; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0pt; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">How does the Sun affect our everyday lives?
 * <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.2in; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0pt; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">The sun serves a role in our daily lives. How does the sun impact you, versus a person who lives in Beijing, versus someone who lives in Prague?
 * <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.2in; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0pt; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">How have humans harnessed the Sun? What types of applications are we now using energy from the sun? (Think houses, cars, large commercial buildings.) Give specific examples of different solar options.
 * <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="direction: ltr; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.2in; margin-top: 0pt; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">What types of power compete with the power of the sun? Are these options sustainable? What is the best option for an energy source?
 * <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.55in; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0pt; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">Example key words: Radiation, electromagnetic spectrum, conduction, convection, advection, heat sink, albedo, heat capacity.

<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.2in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; padding: 0px;">Resources: <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.2in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px;">[] <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.2in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px;">[] <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.2in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px;">[] <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.2in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px;">[] <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.2in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px;">[] <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.2in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px;">[] <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.2in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px;">[]
 * <span style="direction: ltr; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.2in; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0pt; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: middle;">Extension - Discuss the implications of solar power adoption. Why wouldn't we want to adopt solar power? What industries would be impacted if we did? How would that affect your life?