Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Coating Glass Plates
• Method 2 of 3: Assembling Solar Panels
• Method 3 of 3: Activating and Testing Solar Cells
• Tips
• Warnings
• What do you need

Solar cells convert the sun's energy into electricity, much like plants convert it into food through photosynthesis. Solar cells operate on the energy of the Sun, which moves electrons in semiconductor materials from orbits close to the nuclei of their atoms into higher orbits where they can conduct electricity. Commercial solar cells use silicon as a semiconductor, but here's a way to make a solar cell out of more affordable materials to see for yourself how it works.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Coating Glass Plates

1. 1 Take 2 glass plates of the same size. Slides the size of a microscope slide are ideal.
2. 2 Clean both surfaces of the plates with alcohol. Once the plates have been cleaned, they can only be gripped by the edges.
3. 3 Determine the conductive side of the plate. Do this by touching the surface with the pins of the multimeter. Once you have established which side of each plate is conductive, place them side by side, one plate with the conductive side up and the other with the conductive side down.
4. 4 Secure the plates with duct tape. This will hold the plates in place for the next step.
   • Place the tape along the long side of each plate to overlap one millimeter (1/25 inch) from the edge.
   • Place 4 to 5 mm (1/5 in.) Tape on the outside of the conductive side of the plate.
5. 5 Apply titanium dioxide solution to the plates. Dispense 2 drops on the conductive sides of the plates, then spread the titanium dioxide evenly over the surface of the plate. Allow the titanium dioxide to completely cover the plate with the conductive side down.
   • Before applying the titanium dioxide solution, you may first want to coat the plates with tin oxide.
6. 6 Remove the tape and peel off the plates. You will now work with them in different ways.
   • Place the plate, conductive side up, on a hotplate overnight to burn off the titanium dioxide.
   • Clean the titanium dioxide from the bottom conductive plate and store it in a place where it will not collect dirt.
7. 7 Prepare shallow dishes filled with paint. The colorant can be made from raspberries, blackberries, pomegranate juice, or red hibiscus tea petals.
8. 8 Soak the bottom coated titanium dioxide plate in the stain for 10 minutes.
9. 9 While the first plate is soaking, clean the other plate with alcohol.
10. 10 Ring the cleaned plate to find its conductive side. Mark this side with a plus sign (+).
11. 11 Apply a thin layer of carbon to the conductive side of the cleaned plate. You can do this by drawing with a pencil on the conductive side or by applying graphite grease. Cover the entire surface.
12. 12 Remove the stain plate from the stain bath. Rinse it twice, first with deionized water and then alcohol. Blot dry with a clean cloth after rinsing.

Method 2 of 3: Assembling Solar Panels

1. 1 Place the carbon coated plate on the titanium dioxide plate so that the coatings are in contact. The plates should be slightly offset, about 5 millimeters (1/5 inch). Use clips on the long edges to hold them in place.
2. 2 Apply 2 drops of iodine solution to the coated sides of the plates. The solution should completely cover the plates. You can open the clamps and gently lift one of the plates to spread the solution over the entire surface.
   • The iodine solution will allow electrons to flow from the titanium dioxide plate to the carbon-coated plate when the element is exposed to a light source. This solution is called an electrolyte.
3. 3 Wipe off excess solution from the exposed parts of the plates.

Method 3 of 3: Activating and Testing Solar Cells

1. 1 Attach crocodile clips to the exposed parts of the plates on either side of the solar cell.
2. 2 Connect the black lead of the multimeter to the crocodile connected to the titanium dioxide plate. This plate is the negative electrode on the photocell or the cathode.
3. 3 Connect the red lead of the multimeter to the crocodile connected to the carbon-coated plate. This plate is the positive electrode on the photocell or the anode. (In the previous step, you marked it with a plus sign on the non-conductive side.)
4. 4 Place the solar panel next to the light source with the negative electrode facing it. In the classroom, you can put it near the lamp. In a home setting, another light source, such as a spotlight or the sun itself, can be substituted.
5. 5 Measure the current and voltage generated by the solar cell with a multimeter. Measure before and after the element is exposed to light.

Tips

• You can also make a solar cell by using 2 small sheets of polished copper and placing 1 of them on a hot plate for half an hour until the copper turns black. Let it cool and peel off the black divalent oxide coating, but leave the red copper oxide underneath; it will serve as a semiconductor.You will not need to cover the copper sheet with anything to obtain conductivity, and you will use a salt water solution as the electrolyte.

Warnings

• Coated glass plate solar cells or semiconductor copper sheets cannot produce large amounts of energy on their own. Silicon is used in semiconductors because it is more efficient than any of the materials used in this article. However, individual silicon solar cells are collected in solar cells.

What do you need

• Glass plates (e.g. microscope glass)
• Alcohol (ethanol recommended)
• Deionized water
• Voltmeter / multimeter
• Transparent tape
• Petri dish or other shallow dish
• Electric cooker (1100 W if possible)
• Titanium dioxide solution
• Tin oxide solution (optional)
• Lead pencil or carbon grease
• Iodine solution
• Crocodile clips