And no don’t say “cells generate electricity” Yes I know that, but what chemical or whatever process makes it that sunlight is converted to electricity?
I have been wondering this all my life an no matter how much research I do I can’t seem to find the answer, every place just says that some cells inside the panels is what generates electricity, but not how those cells do it
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Light is made out of photons, which are like tiny little energy packets. Atoms are made of protons, neutrons, and electrons, with the electrons on the outside and the protons and neutrons packed into a tiny spot in the center, called the nucleus. When photons hit electrons, the electrons absorb them and their energy increases. The amount of energy the electron has determines how far away from the nucleus it is. If it gains enough energy, it can jump all the way off and be freed from the atom.
Solar cells arrange atoms in such a way that when light hits them, the electrons absorbing the energy from the photons move away from their nuclei and towards wires, which push the electrons inside the wires away. Those electrons push their neighbors away, and so on, all the way through the wire. Electrons moving through wires is what we call “electricity.”
That’s the version for 5-year olds. If you want it explained like you are in college, the wikipedia article is pretty good: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_solar_cells
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