An anemometer is an instrument for measuring wind force and velocity/speed.
This project Will require the assistance of an adult.
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What you need:
plastic eggs halves or plastic cups
empty thread spool, (1 1/2" diameter)
four 1/8" dowels, (7" long)
one 3" long piece of tubing (1/4" diameter)..
we used a pencil, you could recycle an empty
pen casing or ?...)
a washer
plastic tape (electrical tape)
broomstick
glue
ruler
marking pen
drill
What you do:
Make 4 marks symetrically around the spool.
Have your grownup drill 1/8" holes at the marks stopping short of the center hole.
Mark the egg halves or cups about 3/8" in from edges, 2 per cup/symmetrically.
Your grownup drills holes in cups through tape or melts the holes w/heated awl.
(make these holes slightly less than 1/8".)
Fit cups snugly onto the dowel ends.
The open ends of the cups must be at right angles to the ground and
with each one facing so that they catch the same wind.
Glue the joints where the cups and dowels connect.
Fit the tubing or adapted pencil through the spool. It should spin freely.
Your grownup drills a hole into the broomstick end for the tubing.
Install the tubing/egg cup construct (with the washer between) into the broomstick.
Push the other end of the broomstick into the ground.
Apply colored tape to one cup. This will help you to visually track the spin.
There are several projects you can do with this.
One is to count the revolutions per/ on different days and record this.
You could make a graph.
You could calibrate this device. Can you think how?
* Here's an interesting site
The Beaufort Wind Scale
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On April 7th 2010, Kathy emailed and gave us the link to this page about the Beaufort Scale which is used by seamen and coastal observers to estimate wind speed:
http://www.actiondonation.org/articles/beaufort-wind-scale.html
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Make a Rain Gauge
What you need:
- A large mouth jar with straight sides
- Ruler
- Paper and pens
- Rainy days!
What you do:
Tape the ruler to the outside of the jar.Place the jar outside.
Make a chart to track the rain level each day. You can plot a graph.
(Mark inches on one side and days of the week on the adjacent side of your paper.)
Weather Sayings:
- Red sky at morning sailor take warning, red sky at night sailor's delight.
- Red sy at night shepherds delight. Red sky in morning shepherds take warning.
- Never cast a clout till May is out. (Captain Urchy)
- If cows are sitting down then rain is on the way.
- Gullywasher (a lot of rain by bcluv)
- When the stars begin to huddle the earth will soon be a puddle. (Insomniduck)
- Halo around the sun or moon rain or snow soon. (Insomniduck)
- A year of snow a year of plenty. (Insomniduck)
- Rainbow in the morning gives you fair warning. (Insomniduck)
- Clear moon, frost soon. (Insomniduck)
- Mares Tails and mackerel scales make tall ships take in their sails. (Insomnduck)
- It's raining cats and dogs.
