Information on How to Build Your Own Solar Cells
- 1). Cut the copper flashing in half with the metal shears into two evenly matched rectangles. Set one aside and one directly on the electric stove's burner.
- 2). Turn the burner on at its highest setting and let the copper flashing cook until the stove's coil has been glowing uniformly red for a half-hour. During this time, the copper will first change colors and then develop a crusty black shell of cupric oxide.
- 3). Turn off the burner and allow the copper to cool to room temperature (about 20 minutes). Small flakes of cupric oxide will pop off during this time, revealing the reddish cuprous oxide layer beneath.
- 4). Clean the biggest remaining chunks of cupric oxide off the metal by gently scrubbing it (once it's completely cooled down). You don't want to scrub too hard, or you'll damage the cuprous oxide beneath.
- 5). Bend both the treated and untreated copper plates into semicircles that fit the inside of the jar and insert them. Make sure they aren't touching.
- 6). Mix two tablespoons of salt into enough tap water to fill the jar to 1 or 2 inches below the tops of the metal plates. Be very careful not to get the tops of the plates wet.
- 7). Carry your solar cell into an area of bright, consistent light. Connect the negative lead from the ammeter to the treated copper plate, and the positive to the untreated copper plate. Solar energy will be shown as movement of the ammeter's needle.
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