Solar cell

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/solar-cell

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the core principle?The photovoltaic effect, enabled by the properties of semiconductor p-n junctions
2. What is the historical milestone?Bell Laboratories developed the first practical silicon solar cell in 1954
3. What is a solar cell and how does it turn sunlight into electricity?A solar cell is a tiny device that uses a special material, usually silicon, to turn sunlight into electric power. When light hits the cell, it knocks electrons loose, and the cell’s built‑in electric field pushes them to create a current.
4. Why do solar cells need a p‑n junction?The p‑n junction creates an electric field inside the cell. This field separates the electrons and holes that are created by sunlight, making them move in opposite directions and produce a usable electric current.

P-N Junction: The interface formed by joining p-type and n-type semiconductor materials, creating an electric field.
Bandgap: The minimum energy required to excite an electron from the valence band to the conduction band in a semiconductor.
Grid Parity: The point at which the cost of electricity from a renewable source, like solar, equals or is less than the cost of electricity from conventional sources.