Solar Cells and Plants Similar To Each Other Eng1150 April 22, 2012 A solar cell is man-made, and photosynthesis is a process used by plants. These two different processes may be different because one is made by humans and the other is a natural process that occurs in plants, but both solar cell and photosynthesis are similar on how these two works. Both requires sun light, plants use organic process but solar cells uses inorganic semiconductors, both helps make the environment better. Solar cells and plants both require sunlight to work. In plants the way they get there energy is through sun light where they have process called photosynthesis where they produce and release oxygen in the air.
The panel that converts light energy into electrical energy is called a Photovoltaic panel. Light energy is not only used industrially and privately, but some of our vehicles run on part solar electric or entirely on solar electric. The light energy is collected through a panel on the vehicle, which is transferred to electrical energy that hits the motor; the motor then converts the electrical energy into mechanical energy, which turns the drive shaft that turns the wheels (kinetic energy). Not all energy transfer is perfect, there will always be a loss of energy in any system. The loss of energy will come from the electrons passing through any wires, released as heat energy.
Photosynthesis is used by plants to harness solar energy while a semiconductor-based solar cell harnesses solar energy which converts in to electricity required by all humans. As we explore our world, I would like to compare and contrast these two systems. In doing so, I will describe: 1. Three ways in which the plant cell and the solar cell are similar to each other. 2.
We are able to harness the sun’s energy and use it to help heat our buildings, our water, and also to produce electricity. There are two main ways that solar energy is used; thermal and electricity. (Figure-2) Figure-2: Types of Solar Energy 1) Thermal: The sun is a source of free heat which can be used in our buildings for heating and hot water. When we use solar heat to its full potential in our buildings, we significantly reduce our overall reliance on fossil fuels. The lower the energy requirement of the building in the first place, the more substantial the contribution from solar heat will be.
The energy needed for photosynthesis comes from sunlight, which is the variable for this experiment. The substance that absorbs sunlight is chlorophyll, which is mainly contained in chloroplasts. This energy is used to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) and water into sugars. This conversion creates the
Energy is not distributed evenly through the ecosystem; lower levels gain more energy than higher ones. Most ecosystems rely on the sun for energy and for the plants (producers) to convert it into energy to be passed along to primary consumers, and from primary consumers to secondary consumers and so on. The producers are autotrophs and photosynthetic organisms that can perform photosynthesis in order to grow. Consumers are heterotrophs and feed on other organisms, be it plant or animal. There is another type of organism that cleans up after the others, and they are called detritivores.
The light energy that I use comes both from the sun and from electricity. The energy from the sun is captured through solar panels that transform it and make it able to power the electric system of my house. The power plant of
Photosynthesis is the process where light energy is converted into chemical energy in the form of glucose. Its overall equation is: 6CO2 + 6H20 + light energy C6H12O6 + 6O2. The process of photosynthesis can be split into two reactions: the light-dependent reaction in the thylakoids and the light-independent reaction in the stroma. During the light-dependent reaction, light energy from the Sun is absorbed by chlorophyll (found in the chloroplasts in the leaf). This causes the excitation of two electrons, and they move to a higher energy level.
However, it is impossible to stop climate change. Climate change is a natural process and is caused by the dynamic system of the earth, sun and cosmos. Greenhouse effect is a natural process and allows the earth to retain its heat and support life forms. The sun emits short wave solar radiation that passes readily through the earth’s atmosphere. Some of the radiation are absorbed, reflected or scattered, while the rest reaches the surface and warms the land and the oceans.
These amazing organisms are capable of capturing the energy of sunlight and fixing it in the form of potential chemical energy in organic compounds.” (Measuring the rate of photosynthesis) “Light is one of the main factors that affects the rate of photosynthesis, which literally means using light to create something new.” (What Are Three Factors That Affect the Rate Which Photosynthesis Occurs?) This experiment was to compare how the Elodea photosynthesized when absorbing different colors of light, and to measure the absorbance from 500 nm of wavelength to 750 nm. Based on three types of pigments that are present in plants: chlorophyll, carotenoids, and phycobilins, it was predicted that both of the rates of photosynthesis and the absorbance of different wavelengths were high under the colors of violet-blue or orange-red, while rates were low under the light color of green-yellow. Materials and Procedures: The materials used for this experiment were as follows: Elodea leaves (that have been kept in the dark), spinach leaves, blender, cheesecloth, spectrophotometer, cuvettes, beakers, large test tube, 5% sodium bicarbonate, Kimwipes, razor blade, tape, 100 mL graduated cylinder, graduated pipettes with rubber tubings, light source, ring stands and clamps, cellpphane paper. In activity 2a, green test tube was clamped to a ring stand, and filled three quarters to the top with 5% sodium bicarbonate.