A solar panel of area 10 cm ^2 is exposed to sunlight having an average intensity of 50 W cm ⁻² . If the total energy received by the panel is 3 10^5 J , what is the duration of this exposure in minutes?

Step-by-step solution

The total energy E received by a surface is given by the product of intensity I , area A , and time t : E = I A t Given: I = 50 W cm ⁻² A = 10 cm ^2 E = 3 10^5 J First, calculate the total power received by the panel: P = I A = 50 W cm ⁻² 10 cm ^2 = 500 W Now, substitute the power into the energy equation to find the time in seconds: t = E P = 3 10^5 J 500 W = 600 s Finally, convert the time from seconds to minutes: t = 600 60 minutes = 10 minutes Answer: 10