Design a Weather Station
This material can be used to fulfill partial requirements for the Green Star and the Watercraft Badge
You can build your own weather station for your Pack with a few easy to find parts.
- Nail a ribbon to the top of a pole. Use a compass to determine the wind direction.
- Rotate the anemomoter opposite to the wind direction before taking a reading
- Nail a clothes pin to the pole (through the spring) and clamp on a light plastic container top. The amount of the rotation gives an indication of the wind speed
- Nail on the hygrometer as per the design directions below
- Attach a thermometer
- Tape on a metal can with a ruler inside as the rain/snow gauge
- Log the weather on the weather journal as shown below
- Discuss with the pack the observations
- Bring in some satelite photos and show the pack
- Have the pack predict the next day's weather
Hygrometer Design:
Materials: a scrap piece of wood or flat styrofoam (about 9 inches long and 4 inches wide) a flat piece of plastic (about 3 inches long and 3 inches wide) thin enough that you can cut 2 small nails 3 long strands of human hair (about 8 inches long) a dime glue tape hammer scissors (strong enough to cut plastic).
Cut the piece of plastic into a triangular shape (refer to pictures). Then, tape the dime onto the plastic, near the point. Poke one of the nails through the plastic pointer, near the base of the triangle. Wiggle the nail until the pointer moves freely and loosely around the nail. On the plastic pointer, between the dime and the nail hole, glue the hair strands to the plastic. Position the pointer on the wood or styrofoam base about three quarters of the way down the side.
Attach the nail to the base. The pointer must be able to turn easily around the nail. Attach the other nail to the base about one inch from the top of the base, in line with the pointer. Pull the hair strands straight and tight so that the pointer points parallel to the ground. That is, make sure the point of the pointer is perpendicular to the hair. The hair should hang perfectly vertical and the pointer should point perfectly horizontal. Glue the ends of the hair to the nail. If the hair is too long, trim the ends.
The human hair cells will indicate the level of moisture in the air by expanding and contracting. When their air is moist, the hair will expand and lengthen, making the pointer point down. When the air is dry, the hair will contract and shorten, making the pointer point up. When you make your hygrometer observations each day, you should make a mark to indicate where the pointer points. Over time, you'll be able to see the humidity patterns that will help you forecast the weather.
Date Time:18:35 Time: Time: Time: Time: Time: Time: Time: Temperature 45 Barometric Pressure 30.23 Humidity High Precipitation Type Rain Precipitation Amount 1 cm Wind Direction NW Wind Speed 3 Visibility Clear Cloud Types Overhead Stratus
February 20, 2001
