Question

What is the role of a plane mirror and a glass sheet in a solar cooker?

Answer 1

Hint: Here, you are asked the role of a plane mirror and a glass sheet in a solar cooker, meaning what do they do. These two are essential components of a solar cooker. In order to answer this question, you need to look for the working of the solar, on what principles it works on. In order to achieve the working of principle, you need these two components. Figure their roles by analyzing the cooker.

Complete answer:
Solar cooker is a device which uses sunlight as a source of energy instead of gas and electricity to cook food. When the sunlight hits the substance, it makes the molecules of the substance vibrate and eventually, heat is developed. Now, in order to run this process smoothly, a plane mirror and a glass sheet are used.

In order to generate heat in large amounts, you need sufficient sunlight. So, what you do is concentrate the light coming from the sun in the direction where the cooking substance is placed. It is known as the cooking space. To achieve this, plane mirrors are used to concentrate the sunlight. Sufficient amounts can be concentrated by reflecting sunlight on a plane mirror.

Now, it is possible that the heat generated might escape into the atmosphere. To overcome this problem, a glass sheet is used in a solar cooker. A glass sheet is used as a lid. It reduces the process of convection so that the heat does not escape from inside air to the outside air. The glass helps in absorbing the light and thus increasing the heat holding capacity of the solar cooker.

Therefore, a plane mirror is used as a reflector and glass sheet is used as an absorber and isolator.

Note: We have discussed in detail how the plane mirror and the glass sheet contribute in the working principle of the solar cooker. You need to keep in mind the essential role that is played by these two components. Plane mirror is used as a reflector to concentrate the sunlight and a glass sheet is used as an absorber and isolator to absorb sunlight and reduce convection, basically isolating inner air and outer air.