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STEM story - Ages 7-9

How Does a Solar Panel Make Electricity?

Vern and Broccoli Man follow the sunlight

8 pages • read your way

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Vern and Broccoli Man stand beside a small solar panel, motor, and insulated leads in the Wonder Lab

Page 1

How does a solar panel make electricity?

Vern and Broccoli Man have a sunlight-powered mystery to solve.

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Broccoli Man shades a connected solar panel while Vern watches the stopped yellow spinner

Page 2

No sun, no spin?

When Broccoli Man shades the panel, the yellow spinner slows and stops.

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Vern points at a solar panel and motor while Broccoli Man listens to his prediction

Page 3

Vern's prediction

Vern wonders whether the panel stores sunlight inside.

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Vern and Broccoli Man connect a solar panel to a tiny motor and face it toward bright window light

Page 4

Let's test it

They connect two insulated leads and turn the panel toward the window.

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A connected solar panel in bright window light powers a tiny motor with a spinning yellow fan and no battery present

Page 5

A surprise!

The spinner turns even though there is no battery inside the panel.

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Vern traces the complete solar-panel circuit while Broccoli Man points to the panel's cell pattern and sunlight rays

Page 6

Vern revises his idea

Light gives energy to tiny moving charges inside the solar cells, making an electric current.

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Vern and Broccoli Man observe a safe low-voltage solar panel and motor activity while a card shades the panel

Page 7

Try it safely

With a grown-up, shade and uncover a matching low-voltage solar kit while watching the spinner.

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Vern and Broccoli Man smile beside a complete solar-panel circuit with sunlight rays and a spinning yellow motor fan

Page 8

Remember the sunlight's journey

Sunlight gives the panel energy, current reaches the motor, and the motor changes electricity into motion.

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