3.3+Solar+Energy

A simple conceptual model of the inside temperature of a house is developed treating the house as having a lumped heat capacity, an average thermal resistance, and exposed to a constant outdoor temperature. A graphical programming language is introduced and a sequential program is written that calculates heat loss and the decrease in indoor temperature for a home over a 5 minute period. [|Scratch Download Site] ||  || Skills in Scratch are developed that allow recursive programming. This is used to extend the heat loss/temperature model to two hours. One important aspect of passive solar design is accounting for the angle of the sun and how it changes during the year. Students use sketching and drawing techniques to determine the size of windows and overhangs in a passive solar house. NASA Video Showing Sun's Seasonal Movement ||  || The model developed in session 3 is modified to include the effect of passive solar heating.
 * Description || Materials [[file:3.3.00 Passive Solar Home Concepts - Outline.docx]] || N.C. Essential Standards ||
 * **A simple heating model for a home**
 * Lecture: review temperature, heat capacity, conduction**
 * Activity:** Heat capacity of materials. Warm objects are introduced to cups of water at known temperatures. By calculating the increase in water temperature students estimate the heat capacity of different materials. || [[file:3.3.1.1 Heating and cooling a home.pptx]][[file:3.3.1.2 Heat Capacity Activity.docx]] ||  ||
 * **Modeling heat loss in a home – Part 1**
 * Lecture: Introduction to Scratch as a programming language**
 * Activity:** Using scratch to calculate heat loss and temperature change for houses composed of different materials. || [[file:3.3.2.1 Introduction to Scratch.pptx]][[file:3.3.2.2 Scratch Example 1 Addition.sb]][[file:3.3.2.3 Activity - Heat loss calculation in Scratch.docx]][[file:3.3.2.4 Example - Heat Loss Scratch File.sb]]
 * **Modeling heat loss in a home – Part 2**
 * Lecture: Introduction to loops and recursion, simple loop activity**
 * Activity**: Modify house model to run recursively for 12 simulated hours. Student plots temperature change over time and explains the shape of the curve. || [[file:3.3.3.1 Looping and Recursion.pptx]][[file:3.3.3.2 Activity - Recursive heat loss calculation.docx]][[file:3.3.3.3 Example - Heat Loss Scratch File.sb]] ||  ||
 * **Sun Angle**
 * Lecture: Position of the sun in summer and winter, drawing and sketching**
 * Activity:** Using sketching to estimate the window opening for a passive solar home. || [[file:3.3.4.1 Angle of the Sun.pptx]][[file:3.3.4.2 Activity - Sizing windows for a passive solar home.docx]]
 * **Modeling heat loss in a home – Part 3**
 * Lecture: Effects of passive solar heating on indoor temperature, using conditional statements in Scratch**
 * Activity:** Modify house model to include passive solar energy gain during the second half of the simulation. Plot the temperature change over time and explain the shape of the curve; compare it to the curve without passive solar gain. || [[file:3.3.5.1 Branching in a program.pptx]][[file:3.3.5.2 Activity - Recursive heat loss calculation with solar gain.docx]][[file:3.3.5.3 Example - Recursive Heat Loss with Passive Gain.sb]] ||  ||