© Sandrine New
To study the weather, meteorologists record and analyze data. It is possible to become an amateur meteorologist without spending a fortune on measuring instruments in constructing its own weather station and taking note of his actions.
This series of articles show how to build some instruments for measuring weather station. While not extremely accurate, of course, these instruments may nevertheless be used to measure weather conditions and to provide time to come.
Most instruments are simple enough to be built with children - sometimes with a little help - for a project to do at home or at school.
This article speaks of instruments used to measure air temperature and atmospheric pressure, or thermometers and barometers.
1) Measuring Air Temperature (Building a thermometer)
The air temperature is measured with a thermometer. The thermometer should be placed outside in a protected and shaded, as the north face of a building - in the Northern Hemisphere, face south to the Southern Hemisphere). An alternative would be to place the thermometer in the bottom of an airtight container to serve as a weather station.
course, it is easy and not too expensive, buy a thermometer, but it can be fun and instructive to build one.
must:
- a glass bottle (like a bottle milk)
- ink, dye or other
- a drinking straw
- paw shape
- white cardstock
- glue
Instructions:
1. Fill the bottle with colored water.
2. Insert the straw into the bottle and keep it upright with the leg) model.
3. Glue the cardstock to the straw to better see the variations in water level.
Explanations:
When the air temperature rises, the water level in the straw is also increasing. And vice versa. To improve the thermometer, it is possible to benchmark on paperboard by comparing with a "real" thermometer.
2) Measure Pressure atmoshere (Build a barometer)
Atmospheric pressure is measured in millibars millibars or using a barometer.
Changing the air pressure helps to predict the time to come. A pressure drop is usually a looming depression - an area of low pressure - which tends to bring clouds and precipitation. In contrast, pressure increases normally announces an area of high pressure synonymous with time cleared or remains stable and beautiful. The barometers are
very sensitive to the slightest climatic variation, it is better to keep them inside to get a more reliable reading. Better to avoid it, too, placing them near a window, because these instruments are sensitive to both temperature and air pressure.
Here is a selection of three models of barometers.
Model A:
must:
- a long narrow plastic bottle
- a plastic bowl or other container large enough
- 2 elastic
- cardboard
- Water
- a rule
Instructions:
1. Cut a strip of cardboard approximately 2.5 cm wide and graduated in using the rule. Attach along the bottle with rubber bands so that the graduations begin at the top of the bottle. Alternatively, the rule can be glued directly on the bottle.
2. Fill the bottle with water to 3 / 4 bowl and almost entirely.
3. By closing the bottle with your hand to prevent the water to escape, return and place in bowl with its mouth under water. Remove your hand and leave the bottle in the basin. Note the water level in the bottle.
Explanation:
The water level in the bottle rises and falls with the air pressure exerted the basin. When the pressure increases, the water level in the bottle augment. When the pressure decreases, the water level of the bottle down.
Model B:
This barometer works exactly like its predecessor, it is only a little more sophisticated and at a smaller scale.
must:
- a plastic or glass container with straight sides (or a measuring cup cooking)
- a rule of 30 cm
- scotch
- a clear plastic tube 30 cm long
- chewing gum
- Water
Instructions:
1. Place the rule in the container and tape against the wall.
2. Tape the plastic tube the lond of the rule (above) by placing the tip about 1 cm from the bottom.
3. Fill the container with water halfway. Sucked into the plastic tube, like a straw until it is half filled with water. Trap water in the tube by closing the opening with chewed gum.
4. Note the water level in the tube as indicated by the rule.
Explanations:
The water level in the tube changes with variations in pressure exerted on water in the container. When the pressure air increases, the air pushes harder on the water in the container, and more water is sent into the tube: the water level rises. When the pressure exerted on the water container decreases, part of the water trapped in the tube spring and the measured level drops.
Model C:
must:
- a jam jar or a small coffee can
- a piece of balloon or plastic film
-
of Scissors - a big rubber band
- glue (which does not attack plastic) or tape
- a drinking straw
- a piece of cardstock
- tape or tacks
- a red pen and a blue or black pen
Instructions:
1. Stretch the balloon / plastic film on top of the jam jar and hold it in place with elastic. This cover must be tight, and should not pass air.
2. Put a drop of glue (or use tape) in the center of the ball and press one end of the straw above, by placing it horizontally. 2 / 3 of the straw must be on the pot.
3. Tape or pin up the cardstock on a wall (or other vertical surface) and place the free end of the straw against the cardboard.
4. Mark the location of the straw on the map. Make a red mark corresponding to the horizontal position of the straw and the dim card every 5 mm in black or blue, above and below the central red mark. Write "high pressure" at the top of the box and "low pressure" below.
Explanation:
When the air is pressure (high pressure) on the surface of the ball, it makes its concave surface and the free end of the straw rises. A low pressure, however, inflates the balloon surface, and the free end of the straw down.
Sources:
Hamer, Martyn, Smelly Science, Paragon, London, 2000
http://www.fi.edu/weather/todo/todo.html
M ake Y o O wn W eather S tation
http://www.miamisci.org/hurricane/weathertools.html
Weather
tools
http://www.meteorologic.net/construire-sa-station-meteo .
php
http://ecolecentreferte.free.fr/projet-meteo/Le-projet-meteo.htm
0 comments:
Post a Comment