Make your own Weather Measuring Instruments

This week at school is Science and Technology Week and with the Grade 6 and 7 pupils I have been making instruments for measuring the weather.

Now gentle reader, I am sharing them with you. A fun little project for all the family.

An anemometer is a device for measuring the velocity or the pressure of the wind, and is one instrument used in a weather station. The term is derived from the Greek anemos meaning wind.

 

How to make a simple Anemometer

Mark the centre of two drinking straws.

Tape the two straws in the form of a + sign.

Push a straight pin through the centre.

Enlarge the pinhole with a sharp pencil. (Be careful!)

Cut four egg cups - one of a different colour.

Tape one cup to the end of each straw.

Use the straight pin to attach the straws to a pencil eraser.

Voilà! An anemometer!  Take it outside to watch it spin.  Count the number of revolutions per minute (by watching the odd-colored cup).  As a more advanced project, you could measure the circumference in meters, multiply that by the number of RPM's (Revolutions per Minute) and divide by 60 to get the wind velocity in meters/sec. 

Did you know that Google is great for conversions.  Just type this (example) in the search bar:

12m/s in km/hr

and see what you get!