Check for Understanding

Answer the following questions to see how much you know about the space station’s energy supply problem.

1. What is the space station’s energy source?
   
   The sun.
   
   
2. How does the space station make the electricity needed to power all the station’s systems?
   
   Photovoltaic arrays are made of solar panels wired together to collectively produce more electricity from sunlight. Photons of light from the sun hit silicon atoms in solar panels and transit energy to electrons. The electrons jump and flow toward the negative pole of the PV array. Electrons flowing over a wire is electricity.