Question

where do the light energy goes from the solar cooker?

Answer 1

Our atmosphere obtains its heat through conduction with the Earth's surface. In the solar oven, conduction occurs when the hot black construction paper comes into contact with the oven bag. Convection -‐ In both the solar oven and the atmosphere heat circulates due to convection.


Solar cooking is done by means of the suns UV rays. A solar cooker lets the UV light rays in and then converts them to longer infrared light rays that cannot escape. Infrared radiation has the right energy to make the water, fat and protein molecules in food vibrate vigorously and heat up.

Answer 2

Solar cooking is done by means of the suns UV rays.

A solar cooker lets the UV light rays in and then converts them to longer infrared light rays that cannot escape. Infrared radiation has the right energy to make the water, fat and protein molecules in food vibrate vigorously and heat up.

It is not the sun’s heat that cooks the food, nor is it the outside ambient temperature, though this can somewhat affect the rate or time required to cook, but rather it is the suns rays that are converted to heat energy that cook the food; and this heat energy is then retained by the pot and the food by the means of a covering or lid.

This occurs in much the same way that a greenhouse retains heat or a car with its windows rolled up. An effective solar cooker will use the energy of the sun to heat a cooking vessel and efficiently retain the energy (heat) for maximum cooking effectiveness.

Hot Pot solar cooker

Solar Panel Cooker

Parabolic solar cooker

Solar Parabolic Cooker

Solar Box Cookers

Solar Box Cooker

How solar cooking works can best be explained through the following mental diagramming of the process as well as the above images.

First, you would need a darkened or blackened pot with a lid. This can be a pot such as a cast iron Dutch oven, a black enameled roasting pan such as a chicken or turkey roaster or any pot that you might blacken on the outside with a non-toxic, weatherproof paint.Dark surfaces become very hot; they heat up more quickly than shiny surfaces.

Then you will need to obtain a clear transparent covering such as a large glass bowl or a durable plastic oven cooking bag.This will be used for retention of heat and will also allow the rays of the sun to be able to penetrate to the darkened cooking pot and food,thus raising the cooking temperatures and preventing the heat from escaping.

Next you will need a material that will reflect extra sunlight towards the cooking apparatus so as to concentrate the suns rays. This is usually accomplished in the form of some type of reflecting surface such as mirrors, aluminum foil and buffed tin or sheet metal. With the help of a reflecting surface you will be able to increase the temperatures and to cook the foo