For our second DIY badge, the little voyagers will be creating a weather station. learning how to keep records and make observations, as well as try a little weather predicting!
This first project is one part of our weather station -- a barometer.
In theory, when the weather changes, the air pressure changes, too. Higher pressure means fair weather, while lower pressure indicates a change is coming! Like rain!
This is an easy-to-build, basic barometer. We aren't measuring precise air pressure, just noting the changes for our "norm," the rubber band/blue water line.
What You Need to Make One:
Glass bottle (about 12oz.)
Glass jar (about 18oz.)
Rubber Band
Water
Food Coloring
Saralina will be helping out with this project:
Pour enough water into the jar so that when the bottle in inverted,
the end is below the water.
Add food coloring -- This makes the water level easy to see.
Stir it around to blend the coloring with the water.
Invert the bottle so the top is in the water.
Put the rubber band around the jar and move it down to the water level.
Try to make it line up evenly right on the water line. This will be your "norm."
NOTE: If it is raining while you build this, your "norm" might be low. We had rain the next day, so the pressure may have been on the low side when we made it.
Tip the jar and bottle slightly to let air out of the bottle. You should see a bubble come up.
And finally, pick a location that does NOT receive direct sun. Put it in an out-of-the-way shady spot, but one where you will be able to check it often, especially if you live in one of those places where, "If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes and it will change."
* * * * *
Keep watch for a weather progress report; the little voyagers have been vigilant in their weather recording duties!
* * *
CREDITS: Photographs taken by little voyager, Rosetta. She is quite the budding photographer!
No comments:
Post a Comment