Parts of a Solar Light

A solar garden light on its stake, with the light head enlarged and cut open.

Parts of a Solar Light

Name Date

Tap any part to read, rename or leave it out

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
More options

Write the name of each numbered part.Answer key

  1. Solar panel
  2. LED
  3. Rechargeable battery
  4. Ground stake
  5. Light head
  6. Tube
  7. Light sensor
  8. On/off switch

Drawn for this site on 2026-10-01 from plain geometry. Licence: own work.

Each numbered ring is a button. Use the arrow keys to move between them and Enter to choose. Names are read out in Study, and once a part is answered.

Next step Next: the parts of a flashlight

All 8 parts on the diagram

Show the list

Whole light 3

  1. Ground stake The pointed piece at the bottom. It pushes into the soil and holds the light upright. Also called a spike.
  2. Light head The unit on top of the light. It holds the panel, battery, switch, sensor and LED.
  3. Tube The hollow post between the lens and the stake. It raises the light off the ground. Some makers call it a pole.

Inside the head 5

  1. Solar panel It turns sunlight into electricity. By day that electricity charges the battery.
  2. LED The lamp that gives the light. An LED needs far less power than a filament bulb.
  3. Rechargeable battery It stores the day's charge. After dark it powers the LED.
  4. Light sensor It measures the daylight. When it gets dark it switches the LED on.
  5. On/off switch A small switch under the head. It must be set to on before the light will work.

How this list was compiled: Part names checked on 2026-10-01; a name is kept only when two independent sources use it. (1) A maker's instruction sheet for a solar stake light, https://archive.org/details/manualzilla-id-6348296 (Solar panel, light sensor (a sensor switches the LED on when the light level falls below its threshold), rechargeable battery, switch, LED, diffuser, canopy, tube, spike and stake.) (2) A second maker's manual for a solar garden accent light, https://archive.org/details/manualzilla-id-7065071 (Its parts list: light head, ground stake; also solar panel, photocell light sensor, rechargeable battery, battery compartment, lens, top housing.) (3) A third maker's manual for a solar powered garden light, https://archive.org/details/manualsbase-id-613455 (Solar panel on top, solar light head, top cover, switch set to ON, rechargeable battery, LED, pole, ground stake; the light comes on automatically at dusk.) (4) A fourth maker's owner's manual for a solar light set, https://archive.org/details/one-stop-gardens-3-piece-solar-light-set-owners-manual-safety-instructions (Solar panel, switch, AA battery, battery cover, LED, top tube, bottom tube, stake.) (5) A fifth maker's instruction sheet for a solar stake light, https://archive.org/details/manualzilla-id-5732019 (Solar panel assembly, on/off switch, rechargeable battery, post, ground stake.) (6) Wikipedia, English edition, Solar lamp, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_lamp (A solar lamp is made up of an LED lamp, solar panels, a battery and a charge controller.) No maker is named. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-10-01 from plain geometry; own work, no maker's model copied. Licence: own work

How it works

These are the parts of a solar garden light, the kind pushed into the ground along a path. The whole light stands on the left. On the right its light head is enlarged and cut open to show what makes it work.

Read the full guide

The whole light

The light head is the unit on top that holds every working part. Under it a clear lens spreads the light. The tube raises the head off the ground, and the ground stake at the bottom pushes into the soil to hold the light up.

Inside the light head

By day the solar panel on top turns sunlight into electricity and charges the rechargeable battery. The light sensor watches the daylight. When it gets dark, the sensor switches the LED on and the battery powers it through the night. The on/off switch has to be on for any of this to happen.

  • A new solar light often ships with a pull tab in place or its switch set to off. The instruction sheet says which.

Questions and answers

What are the parts of a solar light?

A light head, a tube and a ground stake. The light head holds the solar panel, a light sensor, a rechargeable battery, an on/off switch and an LED, with a clear lens under it.

How does a solar light know when to turn on?

A light sensor in the head measures the daylight. One maker's sheet puts it this way: the sensor switches the LED on when the light level falls below its threshold. Bright lamps nearby can keep it off.

What kind of battery is in a solar light?

A rechargeable battery. One light set read for this page takes a single AA-size cell in each light. The solar panel charges it during the day and it runs the LED after dark.

What is the stake on a solar light called?

The ground stake, or spike. It is the pointed piece that slides onto the bottom of the tube and is pushed into the soil.

More quizzes

Show 6 more

Browse Science Quizzes