Simple Solar Project: DIY Reflector & Lens Under $10

[Tom McCurdy]

For a project as in intro to a class I am taking we are making a simple solar reflector (or a transmitting lens). The restrictions are that the materials must cost less than 10 dollars, and no commercial item may be directly used for the reflective or refractive objects. Whatever you build is used to try and melt wax.


My idea was to use tin foil as in the shape of a sphere to reflect the light in the middle, with a black garbage back filled with water to absorb the heat. I was also thinking about using a condom filled with water as a lens.

Any thoughts/ideas?

 

[berkeman]

** Maybe start with a flat, thin mirror, a salad bowl, and some sculptor's clay. Cut the mirror into little pieces, maybe 1cm^2 each, and attach them to the bowl using the clay, and align each to aim at the focus point.

** Or, see if you can find some clear food bowls that are fairly rounded, without too much of a flat base. Then put two under water to fill them up, and use a flat band of rubber (like cut from an inner tube) to seal the edges for long enough to serve as a concave lens.

 

[berkeman]

BTW, this is more of a general physics question, rather than just EE, so I'll go ahead and move it to Intro Physics to get it more views.

 

[Tom McCurdy]

Great Ideas~
Thanks for the advice