Chemistry and Physics Faculty Books and Book Chapters
Chapter 1: Physics Overview of Solar Energy
Book Title
Natural and Artificial Photosynthesis: Solar Power as an Energy Source
Document Type
Book Chapter
ISBN
978-1-118-16006-0
Publication Date
10-2013
Editors
Reza Razeghifard
Keywords
Light, Photosynthesis, Photovoltaic Effect, Physics, Solar Energy, Sun, Thermodynamics
Description
Undoubtedly the most important factor in the study of solar energy is the sun, the local star and the gravitational stake to which the earth is tethered. The standard theories of particle physics and cosmology describe the Big Bang as the moment of creation of space, time, matter, and energy. In thermodynamics, the universe is divided into two parts, the system under consideration and its surroundings. All exchanges between system and surroundings are done across a boundary, the real or effective surface separating the two. In the photovoltaic effect, like in the photoelectric effect, light energy is absorbed by electrons, but, unlike in the photoelectric effect, the electrons are not ejected from the semiconductor. The photosynthetic mechanism absorbs light energy by using pigments, especially chlorophyll (Chl) molecules. Photosynthetic organisms only need 1% of the solar spectrum to provide enough biomass and oxygen to support life on earth.
Publisher
John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
City
Hoboken, New Jersey
Disciplines
Physics
NSUWorks Citation
Castano, Diego. (2013). Chapter 1: Physics Overview of Solar Energy. In Reza Razeghifard (Eds.), Natural and Artificial Photosynthesis: Solar Power as an Energy Source .