Download Weather Station - Smithsonian Store

Ages 8 and up
SMITHSONIAN
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C"H~OotKIfoNrG~
il~rA~RuDn~eSr
~a;leaPars.
Weather
Station
rDear
Customer,
NSIis the manufacturer of this kit. Wehope you enjoy our WeatherStation. If you find that we have madean error or
if something is missing or.damaged, let us knowso that we can correct the problemfor yo.a. Please include the following:
Date of Purchase
Purchase Price (please include sales slip)
Name of item
Brief description of the pr.)blem
Place of Purchase
Model number
Donot return the kit to the store whereyou purchased it, or contact the Smithsonian. The7will not have replacement parts!
Send all correspondence to: Natural Science Industries
910 Orlando Avenue, West Hempstead, NY 11552-3942
Attn: Quality Control Department
YOURSET INCLUDES THE FOLLOWINGITEMS:
Wind Cups.
Anemome:er
13
WeatherStation
Case
Thermometers
Weather Vane
Arrow
Weather Vane
Post
Rain Gauge
r
Cloud
(’hart
Rain Gauge
Holder
¯~ 2002 Smithsonian® Institution
¯~3 MMllNatural Science Industries,
Ltd3A’est l-le~npstcad, NY11552-3942
Data
Sheet
Everyday we experience weather. Our current
weather conditions determine everything from our
clothing to our food and shelter. Understanding
weatheris critical to us, yet it remainsmysterious
anddifficult to forecast. So, whatis weather?
the Sunheats our water. Th,.~waterevaporates,rises,
cools, and condensesinto rain or snow.This water
cycle is continuous.
The resulting effects of the atmosphere, Sun and
water vapor determine your local weather. This
Basically, weatheris the condition of the air around measuring is called forecasting, or rather, a
us. It is what weare experiencingright here, right combination of these measurements can lead to
now.Is it raining, do weneedan umbrella,a sweater, forecasting. Howaccurate is your forecaster? Let’s
a coat? Canwego swimmingtoday? Will we be able try taking somemeasurements.
to plant seeds? In makingthese decisions, we may
listen to a weatherforecast. Butwhatdoesit take to Proper Recording Methods
for Keepinga Log Book
determinethe weather?
Somegoodrules to follow:
The key ingredients of weather are the atmosphere,
Recordthe time.
the Sun, and water vapor.
Takereadings at the sametime every day.
Atmosphere
is the blanket of air that surroundsthe
Themorereadingsyou take, the better.
Earth. Weatheroccurs in the lowest layer of the.
Besure to give yourselfat least I 0 minutesto
atmospherecalled the troposphere. The troposphere
record your findings properly. Leavetime for
extendsabout 10 miles in the sky.
drawingclouddiagrarr s, andto take note of
This air is stirred into motionby the unevenheating
special conditions.
of our Earth by the Sun. Think of the seasons and
Double-check
your figures.
howthe Sun’s rays beat directly onto the Earth’s mid
Checkyour local weatherforecast, note and
latitudes and at an angle at the poles. Wherethe
recordanysimilaritie.,, or differencesand
Sun’s rays are moredirect and daylight is long, the
also your ownthough~s as to whythere is a
ground and air above receive muchmore solar heat
difference.
than the polar regions wheresunshinehits the Earth
at an angle, spreadingthe available heat over much
Youmayalso want to k~:ep a companionscrap
larger areas for a shorter periodof time.
bookandfill it with newspaper
articles about
alarming weatherreports, weathermap
Watervapor is the gaseous form of water found in
examples,weatherguide keys, photographs,
the Earth’s atmosphere. Watervapor is formedwhen
andthe like.
Theweatherstation case can be placedon a table top or mountedto a fence. See tile backof the case with
the 2 holes to hookit onto a fence. Havean adult help youput 2 screwsor 2 nails ma fence to hangthe case.
THERMOMETER
Use suction cup
locatedat the back
to hang thermometer
on your window.
~ plug
ANEMOMETER
To assemble,snap the
end of each wind cup
into the slots at the top
of the anemometer.
~a
rro,~
station case.
post
stake
RAIN GAUGE
Turn holder upside
downto create a stake
for the rain gauge.The
stake can be placed
into the ground.
Anemometerand
WeatherVane can
be pluggedinto the
WEATHERVAN E
Toassemble,pull ~he
plug out of the top
of the post, place zrrow
ring on top and secure
with plug.
The Earth’s temperature measures between -60... and
130... E The amount of sunlight that reaches the
Earth’s surface determines temperature.
As
mentioned earlier, the more direct ~he rays and the
longer the day, the warmer the temperature. The
heat index, altitude, cloud coverage, and wind chill
each play a role as well.
The heat index combines the effects of heat and
relative humidity. Whenit is very hot and humid
outside, perspiration blankets your body. Because it
is so humid, your perspiration cannot evaporate
quickly enough to" keep your body cooled down.
The higher the humidity, the higher the heat index is
in relation
to the actual temperature. Lower
humidity means dryer air which allows perspiration
to evaporate, cooling your body down. With low
humidity~ the heat index would be lower than the
actual temperature.
Altitude plays a role as well. On average, for every
100 f~et of altitude, the temperature drops 1°. This
may be one reason why your recorded temperature
is different from the local weather stations, manyof
whichare located on top of hills.
Clouds can also affect temperature. They can serve
as a blanket,
warming the Earth. On a warm
cloudy day, you may find the temperature slightly
higher than on a cloudless day.
The wind chill factors in temperature and wind
speed help to explain not how cold it is, but how
cold it feels.
Measuring Temperature
In 1714, Gabriel Faarenheit invented the first
modemthermometer. As the mercury heats up it
expands, when it cools down it contracts. This
expansion and contraction
can be measured in
degrees of either Fal-renheit (°F), Centigrade
Celsius (°C), and Kehin. Thermometers should
placed in a shaded area about 5 feet above the
ground, allowing air to flow around the device.
Note: Most thermomet.~rs contain m~rcury, which is
poisonous. Therefore, the thermometer used in your
kit uses alcohol instead.
Using the thermometer~in this kit:
Place the thermometer in
an open area that gets an
equal amount of light and
shade. You can place one
thermometer on the inside
of your window and the
other on the outsid,, ¯ of
your window so that .you
can measure indoor and
outdoor temperatures. Record on your data sheet the
temperature in d.e~rees
Fahrenheit to the nearest
tenth of a degree.
No~th pole
~,../)
:...:!~
i~.~:
~:~..:’:,:"
ii~
/
Equato/
///~
~/~
EARTH
South pole
The Equatoris the hottest place
The North and South Poles are
on Earth. The sun ~s" rays hit more the coh,’est places on Earth. At the
directly around the Equator
poles, t, te heat f~m the sun ~ rays
creating higher temperatures.
,wread ,~ver a wider area.
Relati,’e Humidity
Apparent temperature is the combination of heat and
humidity. To find apparent temperature, measure both
humidity and heat levels and see which curved line they
meet on the chart. Here are the dangerous zones:
140
100
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
130
120
°130
Extremelyhot - Heatstroke danger.
~ 110
~100
MI05
Very Hot - Heatstroke possible.
Heat cramps
and heat exhaustion likely.
°
.
90
Ill-lot - Heat cramps and heat exhaustion
possible.
Air is stuff, and all stuff is affected by gravity.
As air gets closer to Earth it becomes more
dense (there are more molecules bunched
together) and this effect increases in pressure.
As air climbs higher, such as on top of a
mountain, the air becomes thinner and
decreases in pressure.
90
# 8O
70
Measuring Air Pressure
In 1643, Italian scientist Eva-agelista Torricelli
invented the very first device for measuringair
pressure. He called this device a barometer.
Today, barometers measure in "inches of
mercury" but you can laake your own
barometer and record the rise and fall of air
pressure.
Air pressing down on the Earth is called
To make your own Barometer
atmospheric pressure or air pressure. Heat and Supplies needed:
humidity can change air pressure. Simply put,
Rain Gauge(supplied in this kit)
lighter humid air rises creating lower air
Balloon
pressure (low-pressure
system), which
Rubber Band
generally means cloudy, rainy weather. When
the air is dry, it cools and creates higher air
Glue
pressure (high-pressure system), ensuring
Drinking Straw
sunny, dry and calm weather.
Tape, Scissors
~bber
band
glue this end
/
cut this end
of strawto
a point
i. Cut the neck off a balloon
and stretch the rest tightly
over the top of your rain
gauge. Place a rubber band
around the balloon to hold
it in place.
l~htch what happens to
your barometer when a
storm approaches’.
to backof
IVeatler
1-- Scale
Stationt,ped
Case
2. Withadult supervision, cut one end of a straw into a point.
Glue the other end to the balloon on top of the rain gauge.
3. Cut this 5" scale out of the instruction manual,(or make
photocopyof it). Tapethe scale to the back of the Weather
Station case.
4. Place your barometer next to the scale. As the air pressure
rises, the straw will moveup. As the ai~ pressure falls, the
straw will movedown.
Scale
Wi~d Direction
Differences
in both temperature and the
moving of air from high to low pressure areas
creates wind. Weather conditions depend on
which direction the wind is coming from.
If the winds are coming from:
The south-warm and pleasant
The southwest--moist and warm
The north -cold
t
The¢aSt"brrrr.
Thenortheast
or Nor?easter-high
wind~and
heavyrain
Usingyourweather
vaneto
measure
winddirection:
Wind directioncan be measuredusing a
weather vane and a compass.Using the
compasslocatedon the top of yourWeather
StationCase,determine
whichway is north.
Nextmountyourweather
vaneon thetopof the
case.The
arrowwillpoint
to thedirection
the
windis blowing
from.Putin an openfield,
mak/ng
surethatitisfacing
north.
Record
this
dataon yourdatasheet.
Coriolis Effect
The Coriolis Effect occurs as the Earth spins on
its axis, dragging the winds in the Northern and
Southern Hemispheres to the right and to the
left.
Direction of the winds
~
~~7/~~,/"
n
~,.intheff°isrpthh:~e
~ the winds
in
~~~H~irec’tio,,
of
:’~..~////
the Southern
"~/~///~N Hemisphere
Wind Speed
Local wind speeds can dramatically affect weather, lh
1806, Francis Beaufort develol:ed a scale for determining
the effects of wind speed on local weather. This scale is
called the Beaufort scale.
"
Beaufort Weather Observations on
Scale
Condition Sea s nd Land
Water
is still;
Force
Calm
Smo.~erises
0
vertically.
1
2
3
Smo~edrifts
slowly; Small
rippl~ in water.
Light breeze Lea~esrustle.
Gentle breeze Lea~es and twigs
Light wind
mov~.
4
Moderate
W’md
5
Fresh wind
6
Strong wind
7
Near gale
8
Gale
9
Severegale
I0
Storm
II
Severe storm
12
Hurricane
]Nlnd Speed
’ (mph)
Under1
1-3
4-7
8-12
SmaI branches
13-18
mov,~’;Small
waw~in water.
Smai trees sway.
19-24
Telephonewires
whistle; Toowindy 25-31
to use umbrellas;
Large wavesform.
Whcletrees sway
32-38
Twi~:ssnapoff;
Difficult to walk
39-46
against the wind;
Way."crests form.
Rooftiles are
47-54
blox~noff;
High waves.
Tree~ uprooted.
Buildings damaged. 55-63
Wide;spread damage;64-72
Poorvisibility
Severe destruction. 73
Usfng your anemometer to measure wind speed:
Wind speed is measured using a device called an
anemometer. This device typ cally has 3 hemispherical
cups mounted on a vertical shafi. As wind forces the
shafi to rotate, the speed can be measured.
Take the anemometer into an
open area where the wind is
blowing. Hold the anemometer
in the air. While the wind is
blowing, look at the meter. The
numberon the meter represents
the wind speed in kilometers
per hour. Record this data on
your data sheet.
Note: The anemomet:r
measures speed in km/hr. To
convert this to miles per hot.r,
multiply the reading on the anemometerby 0.621.
Windchill measures howmuchcolder the wind will makeyou feel. To find wind chill, use your
therfnometer to find the temperature and use the anemometerto determine wind speed (mph).
Plot both figures on this chart. The point where the two measurementsmeet is the wind chill.
°30
°9
15 mph
~
2°
20 mph
Temperature
°15
°
25° 20°
10,
°
°_11
°o18
.5
°5
°¯ .25
o0
°.31
o-10
°-17
°
-24
-31 o
°_39
25 mph
°l
°_7
°-15
°-22
°-29
°.315
°-44
30 mph
°_2
°_10
°-18
°
-25
°
o33
-41 °
°-49
Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the
air. The relative humidity is the percentage of
actual humidity compared to the maximum
amount of humidity the air could hold. More
importantly, warm air can hold more water
vapor than cold air. On a warm summer day,
you can really feel all that water vapor or
humidity.
Measuring humidity
Humidity is measured with an instrument
called a hygrometer. A hygrometer is made up
of two thermometers with one bulb wrapped in
a wet cloth. The wrapped bulb cools as the
water evaporates. The dryer the air, the cooler
the bulb. The greater difference in the two
thermometers, the lower the relative humidity.
To make your own Hygrometer
A hair hygrometer was invented in 1783 to measure
changes in humidity. Hair will increase in length when
the humidity rises and shorten a, the humidity in the air
drops. You can make your own hair hygrometer with a
strand of hair attached to a pointer.
Supplies needed:
Corrugated Cardboard, about 9%. 12" (You can
use the box this kit comesin.)
Thin piece of cardboard
"
0
Scissors
paper fastener
Paper fastener
Strand of hair (aboth 12" long)
Tape or glue
Dime
/
Trace or copy this pointer
onto a piece of thin cardboard
andcut it out.
ape card/b/oard
¯ punchtips
thrrmgt: both
9ointer and
corrugated
cardboard.
On back of
cardboard,
.wread :ips
openc~s sho~rn.
Fastener
should
able to
~
hair
D~’
poit{ter
the pumhcd
hoh,.
.lhstener i
dime
Humid
1. Trace this pointer
~
onto a piece of thin cardboard.
Withadult supervision, cut it out.
2. Tapea strand of hair to the top left comerof your piece
of corrugated cardboard.
3.Tape the other end of the hair strand to the pointer as shown. Use a
thumbtackto attach the pointer to the corrugated cardboard. Attach
the pointer far enoughdownso that the hair is slightly stretched
whenthe pointer is horizontal. Glue or tap,: a dime onto the pointer.
5. Bring your hair hygrometer into a bathroot a steamed up by a shower.
Makea mark when the pointer stops. This ndicates 100%humidity.
6. Use a hair dryer to dry the hair. Makea markwhenthe pointer stops.
This indicates 0%humidity. Nowyou can observe and record the
humidityin the air based on this scale.
WATER CYCLE
As the Sun heats up the Earth’s water, such as
oceansand seas, the water evaporates, turning water
into its gaseous state of vapor. The heated vapor
rises high into the troposphere,whereit then cools,
turns into droplets ofwateror further condensesinto
snowfalling back to the Earth, eventually to be
heated up again into water vapor. This cycle is
unending.
Rain and Snow
Whenwater vapor rises and forms clouds, the tiny
droplets of vapor collide with each other forming
large droplets of water that fall to Earth. When
water vapor forms into higher clouds, the droplets
forminto ice crystals. Theseice crystals can dropto
Earthas snow,sleet or rain.
Measuring Snow
Put on somewarmclothes, grab a ruler and measure
the snow in inches. Avoid areas where you see
obvious snowdriRs.
MeasuringRain
Rainis usually measuredusing a devicecalled ~i rain
gauge. A rain gauge can be a cup with measuring
lines. Therain gaugeshoud be secured and placed in
a cleared area wherenoth~ngis overhead. The water
level shouldbe recorded,qnd the jar emptiedat least
oncea day.
Usingthe RainGaugein t.~is kit:
Place your rain gauge in an open
area, awayfrom trees or buildings.
Youcan take the rain gauge off the
side of the case, flip ~he holder
upside downto "stake" it into the
ground. Checkthe rain g;mge every
day at the sametime. Recordon your
data sheet howmuchrain is in your
gauge to the nearest 1/2 af an inch
(.55). Emptythe gaugeewryday.
Cloudsformwhenmoisture rises high enoughinto the air to cool and condense.Different types of clouds can
help us determineour weatherforecast. Usethe cloud chart includedin yourkit to identify the cloudsyou see
in the sky. Recordyour observationson your data sheet.
Thereare three basic types of clouds. Eachtype mayappearas a low, middleor high level cloud.
CUMULUS
STRATUS
CIRRUS
LowLevel Clouds
Middle Level Clouds
High Level Clouds
Under7,000 feet
7,000- 17,000feet
20,000feet and higher
Cumulus
- Whitepuffy clouds.
Theyappear on hot, sunnydays.
Stratocumulus
- Grayor white
puffs.Theyusually indicate dry
weather.
Cumulonimbus
- Dense, very
tall cloud formationsthat can
reachup to 40,000feet tail.
They produce heavy showers
and thunderstorms.
Stratus- Dull, gray layers of
clouds. Theyproducerain,
drizzle or snow.
Altocumulous- Gray and white
streaks of clouds. Theymay
indicate the start of a summer
thunderstorm.
Altostratus- Dull gray layers
of clouds. Mayappear before
the onsetof rain.
Nimbostratus- Thick, dark
clouds. Theyusually produce
rain or snow.
7
Cirrus - Whitewhispery
streaks xery high in the sky.
Theyare madeof ice crystals
andmayindicate the arrival
of bad weather.
Cirrostratus - Layers of white
cloudsh’,gh in the sky. They
are a warningof rain.
Cirrocumulous
- Patterns of
white ripples. Theymay
indicate lhe onset of unsettled
weather.
The Smithsonian Institution
TheSmithsonianInstitution is hometo morethan 141 million objects, ranging in size from insects and
diamondsto locomotives and spacecraft. It is the world’s largest museumcomplex, comprising 15
museumsand galleries and the National Zoo in WashingtonD.C., and two additional museumsin New’
YorkCity. Millions of visitors each year visit the nation’s capital to views,ach treasures as the Hope
Diamond,the Star SpangledBanner,and the WrightFlyer. A broad range of e~:hibits providesa fun .and
educational experiencefor youngand old alike.
Oneof the world’sleadingscientific researchcenters, the Institution has facilities in eight states andthe
Republicof Panama.Researchprojects in the arts, history, and science are carried out by the Smithsonian
all over the world, someof the Smithsonian’sresearch centers include the :3mithsonian Astrophysical
Observatoryin Cambridge,Massachusetts, the SmithsonianMarineStation at Link Port, in Florida, and
the SmithsonianTropica.1ResearchInstitute, in Panama.
For membership
information or pre-visit planning material, write or call ~e Visitor Information and
Associates ReceptionCenter, SmithsonianInstitution, WashingtonD.C., 20560, (202) 357-2700(voice),
(202) 357-1729(TRY).Youmayalso visit the Smithsonianthrough our websit~:, www.si.edu.
History
JamesSmithson(1765-1829),a British scientist,-drew up his will in 1826 raining his nephew,Henry
JamesHungerford,as beneficiary. Smithsonstipulated that, should the nephewdie without heirs (as he
did in 1835), the estate wouldgo to the UnitedStates to found"at. Washington~
under_thenameof th_e. _
Smithsonian
Institution, an establishmentfor the increase and diffusion of knowledge..."
OnJuly 1, 1836, Congress accepted the legacy bequeathed to the nation by James Smithson, and
pledgedthe faith of the UnitedStates to the charitable trust. In 1838,followingapprovalof the bequestby
the British courts, the United States received Smithson’sestatebags--of gold sovereigns--then the
equivalent of $515,169. Eight years later, on August10, 1846, an Act of Congresssigned by President
James K. Polk established the Smithsonian Institution in its present form and provided for the
administrationof the trust, independentof the government
itself, by Boardof Regentsand Secretary of the
Smithsonian..
8