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Although the manufacture of solar panels is done in a strict quality controlled environment, for experimental purposes you can build your own solar panel to see how the sun’s energy can be converted to electricity. While the most efficient panels are made with silicon, you can build your own solar panel by using cuprous oxide, a material known to cause light to be turned into electricity. You probably cannot go into a store an buy cuprous oxide but you can duplicate it on a thin sheet of copper.

You will need about one square foot of thin copper plate, two alligator clips and short leads of wire, a wide mouth glass jar, tap water and salt. The use of a voltmeter, capable of measuring extremely small amount of electricity will be needed to see the end result. To build your own solar panel you will need an electric stove or hot plate on which to heat the copper sheeting. Place the copper sheet on the burner and turn it on high and let it sit there for about 30 minutes.

As it heats, you see the plate turn colours and the heat will show the outline of the heating coil beneath the plate. As it becomes warmer it’ll start to turn dark till the whole sheet has a black coating. After the whole sheet is black, switch off the burner and let it sit to chill for roughly 20 mins. As it cools the black cuprous oxide coating will start to pop off the sheet, leaving a thins coating of red on the copper. This red coating is wanted to build your own solar cell, and while the bulk of the black can be washed off under running water, it shouldn’t be brushed clean.

Using the alligator clips, connect the copper sheet to one the top of one side of the glass jar. Attach another clean copper sheet to the other side of the jar. Mix about two tablespoons of salt into hot tap water, making sure it dissolves and then pour it into the jar. Be careful the water does not get on the alligator clips. The two copper sheets should be under water with about one inch left exposed at the top of the car to build your own solar panel.

Scrupulously place the whole contraption in the daylight, either in front of a window or carry it outside and reveal it to the sun. Using the voltmeter connect the leads to the 2 alligator and you can see the meter indicate the tiny quantity of power being generated by daylight, establishing you managed to build your own solar cell.

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