Published: Jul-2026 | Category: Fun With Science
How much heat can you capture from sunlight using a cardboard box, reflective foil, insulation and a transparent cover?
In this practical investigation, students build and test a simple solar oven, then use a temperature sensor to measure how the temperature inside the oven changes over time. It is a hands-on way to explore reflection, absorption, insulation, heat transfer and the greenhouse effect, all using a simple classroom-friendly setup.
Watch the Solar Oven experiment on YouTube
A solar oven uses energy from the Sun to produce heat. Instead of using electricity, gas or a flame, it captures sunlight and converts that energy into thermal energy inside an enclosed space.
The design used in this investigation is built from simple materials, including a cardboard box, aluminium foil, black paper or foam, a transparent cover and insulation. Each part has a specific role:
Together, these features allow the oven to warm up steadily when placed in direct sunlight.
This investigation is more than a simple build-and-test activity. It brings together several important areas of physics and environmental science in one engaging practical.
Students can see how sunlight is reflected, absorbed and converted into heat, then measure the results using live temperature data. This makes the solar oven a useful introduction to renewable energy, sustainable design and energy efficiency.
Solar ovens also link well to real-world discussions about clean energy, emergency cooking, off-grid living and the use of simple technology in places where fuel or electricity may be limited.
This investigation allows students to:
Students begin by building the solar oven and placing a temperature sensor inside. The oven is then positioned in direct sunlight so the reflective foil can direct more light into the box.
As sunlight enters the oven, the black surface absorbs the light energy and converts it into heat. The transparent cover helps trap warm air inside, while the insulation slows the loss of heat to the surroundings.
The temperature is recorded every five minutes for 30 minutes. Students can then repeat the investigation, calculate an average temperature and use their results to draw a graph of temperature against time.
Optional food samples, such as chocolate or marshmallows, can be placed inside the oven so students can observe physical changes as the temperature rises.
In the example results from the worksheet, the temperature inside the solar oven rises steadily throughout the investigation, reaching around 48 °C after 30 minutes.
At this temperature, chocolate can begin to soften and melt, while marshmallows may become warm, soft and sticky. This gives students a visible result alongside the temperature data, helping connect the graph to what they can see happening inside the oven.
Students can then consider questions such as:
Using a Data Harvest temperature sensor with EasySense allows students to collect real data as the solar oven warms up. Instead of relying only on observation, they can watch the temperature change over time and compare different designs using graphs.
This supports practical data-handling skills, including:
The result is a practical that combines creativity, engineering and scientific measurement in a way that is easy for students to understand.
Although this activity uses a simple model solar oven, the same principles are used in real solar cookers around the world.
Solar ovens can be useful where electricity or fuel is limited, and they also provide a clear example of how renewable energy can be used directly. They are often discussed in relation to emergency cooking, camping, outdoor learning and sustainable technology.
For students, this makes the practical a valuable bridge between classroom physics and real-world problem solving.
Once students have tested the basic design, they can improve the oven and compare results. Possible design changes include:
Students can also test which foods are affected by the temperature reached. Chocolate, butter and marshmallows provide simple visual changes, while bread or cheese can be used to discuss why some foods need higher temperatures to cook properly.
This Solar Oven practical is available as part of Data Harvest's Practical Explorer collection of free science investigations.
Explore Practical Explorer and download the free worksheet
The Data Harvest Wireless Temperature Sensor is ideal for measuring temperature changes in practical science investigations, including heat transfer, insulation, cooling curves and environmental monitoring.
In this solar oven experiment, it allows students to measure the rise in temperature inside the oven and produce a clear temperature-time graph for analysis.
Learn more about the Wireless Temperature Sensor
The Solar Oven experiment is a simple, memorable way to explore energy transfer using everyday materials. Students build a working model, collect temperature data, observe real changes and think about how design improvements can increase efficiency.
It is a practical investigation that links physics, sustainability and engineering, while giving students a clear understanding of how sunlight can be captured and converted into useful heat.
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