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Designing Solar Farms Using Trigonometry

SecondaryYear 10MathematicsMeasurementEnvironmentalEnergySustainabilityEconomicIndustry, Innovation and InfrastructureJob Ready

Summary

Learning intentions:

Students will...

  • understand how to apply trigonometry to real-world contexts by investigating the optimal direction and tilt angle for solar panels and exploring how these factors impact energy efficiency in a solar farm design.

Success criteria:

Students can...

  • calculate unknown side lengths and unknown angles in right-angled triangles using trigonometry
  • apply trigonometric principles to determine the height of objects using their shadow lengths and the sun’s angle of elevation in order to design a small-scale solar farm layout that maximises energy efficiency by selecting the appropriate direction and tilt angle for the panels.
  • apply mathematical reasoning to a real-world context and communicate findings

Lesson guides and printables

Lesson Plan

Sample Worksheet

Student Worksheet

Sample Worksheet

Teacher Content Info

Sample Worksheet

Visual Explainer

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Lesson Details