Solar cars
Science and technology
In this hands-on STEM incursion, students explore how solar cells tranform light energy into electrical energy to power a solar car. Working in small teams, they build solar-powered cars, testing, troubleshooting, and experimenting with ways to improve speed and performance. The incursion culminates in a fun solar car race, followed by a reflection on the energy transformations that make their cars run.
Stage 2 syllabus outcomes
- Students question, plan and conduct scientific investigations, collect and summarise data and communicate using scientific representations (ST2-1WS-S)
- Students describe the characteristics and effects of common forms of energy, such as light and heat (ST2-8PW-ST)
Stage 3 syllabus outcomes
- Students plan and conduct scientific investigations to answer testable questions, and collect and summarise data to communicate conclusions (ST3-1WS-S)
- Students explain how energy is transformed from one form to another (ST3-8PW-ST)
- Students investigate the effects of increasing or decreasing the strength of a specific contact or non-contact force (ST3-9PW-ST)
Session details
Each session runs for 75 minutes. Up to 3 sessions (one class each) per day.