Heating with sunlight
Set up the heat cell with the Temperature probe attached, but not in its insulating cover. Mark one face of the cell black with a marker or carbon from a burnt candlewick to increase the absorption of energy.
Connect the Temperature probe to your handheld computer. Refer to Technical Hints to connect the Temperature probe.
Start the software for the Temperature probe.
Try focusing sunlight on the heat cell with the Fresnel lens. If there's no sunlight, try focusing light from an incandescent light bulb.
Monitor the temperature with the Temperature probe. Do not heat the cell above 50 degrees Celsius. The aluminum could be too hot to touch safely.
Save your data to the handheld computer.
How fast did the temperature rise? How does this compare to what a battery or a capacitor will do? How many square centimeters of sunlight does the Fresnel lens collect? Record your thoughts in Notes on your handheld computer.
