Question

What is the principle of a solar cooker?

Answer 1

Hint: We know that a solar cooker is a simple cooker which uses the energy due to sunlight which acts as heat to cook food which is kept inside the solar pot of the solar cooker. The principle of the solar cooker is the same as that of the solar cell which is as discussed below.

Complete answer:
A solar cooker is a relatively inexpensive low tech device which directly converts the heat due to solar energy for cooking. It works under the following principle, first the sunlight is concentrated to a region by using small reflecting mirrors, this energy is then used by the cooker by the process of conduction. The heat energy which is trapped by the cooker is used to cook the food kept inside it.

Additional information:
Also note that it takes a long duration of time to cook using this solar cooker as compared to the normal mode of cooking and is hence not used often. Yet, there are regions around the globe where solar cookers are used as an alternative to the normal cooking or regions where gas and other fossils are not available for cooking.

Note: A solar cooker can be made easily by the simple items available at home and can be a fun activity to try. However, remember to use the black paint as much as possible, since black can absorb all the radiation of the sun. Also, it is important to reduce any loss in energy by isolating the air inside the cooker from the air outside the cooker.