Ask A Scientist© Environmental Science Archive

Author:      lim
What materials would be the most important to construct a solar oven?

Response #:  1 of 1
Author:      mortis
Glass and metal would make good materials for a solar oven.  The glass admits 
short-wave radiation but not long-wave radiation, so heat gets trapped behind 
the glass (like a greenhouse).  It works even better if the glass is curved 
like a magnifying glass lens, because the curved lens captures more light than 
a flat piece of glass.  You can also make it hotter by using a curved piece of 
metal behind the glass, preferably bowl-shaped - this "parabolic" reflector 
concentrates the radiation at a central focal point.  An oven can get very hot 
with this design, maybe hot enough to burn you so watch out!