| Making the solar mirror is simple. The
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| | time to create a mirror surface on it.
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| materials you need are:
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| | This is where potato chip bags come in
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| · A rotating platform on top of which a
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| | handy. It's a cheap way to make a shiny
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| container can rotate
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| | reflective surface.
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| · Plaster-of-paris (roughly 2.5 litres
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| | Clean out the inside of the chip bag with
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| or 2500 mL)
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| | detergent. Then cut pie shaped pieces out
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| · A container with inside diameter
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| | of it and glue them onto the surface of
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| roughly 10.5 inches
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| | the dish, shiny side up. This will create
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| · A large potato chip bag (with shiny
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| | the mirror surface.
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| metallic surface on the inside)
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| | When the sun is out, orient the dish so
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| The liquid plaster-of-paris will be
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| | that it directly faces the sun. The focal
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| placed inside the container, and the
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| | point will be roughly 5 inches from the
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| container will be made to rotate about
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| | bottom. You can test this by moving your
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| its center at roughly one revolution per
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| | finger along the space above the center
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| second. Due to the nature of the physics,
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| | of the dish until you feel the hot spot.
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| this will cause the surface of the
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| | That's your focal point. It can get very
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| plaster-of-paris to form a parabolic
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| | hot so be careful. Using a digital
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| shape. Upon hardening, the plaster will
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| | kitchen thermometer I measured a
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| retain this shape.
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| | temperature of over 200 degrees Celsius!
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| To make the rotating platform you may
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| | This is a small-scale example of
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| have to get creative. One way is to get
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| | concentrated solar energy. Clearly,
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| an old turntable and place the container
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| | there's serious potential for future
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| on top, or use a motor-gearbox-pulley
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| | energy needs.
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| combination to rotate the container at
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| | If you would like to see pictures of the
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| one revolution per second.
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| | parabolic dish with explanation included,
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| Once you've made the plaster shape, it's
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| | then feel free to visit the link below.
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