How to Make a Beaker Rain Gauge
If you've ever left a bowl outside during a rain storm, you may have noticed that the bowl fills up several inches with water--while your local news station reports only half an inch of rainfall. This is because rain is measured by how much falls within one cubic inch of space. In other words, a bowl probably isn't the best rain gauge. With a simple beaker, however, one can quite accurately measure the amount of rainfall over a given time. Here's how it's done.
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Instructions
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How to Make a Beaker Rain Gauge
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Purchase an inexpensive beaker from a hobby shop, chemistry store, or supply shop. Make sure that the beaker is not blank, but has measurements--inches, half-inches, and quarter-inches--clearly marked.
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Use wire to fasten the beaker to a block of wood about 10 inches high, 2-3 inches wide, and a quarter-inch thick. Fasten the wire in two places: somewhere near the base, and somewhere toward the top. Many beakers possess tops that curve out, creating the perfect place for a wire. Once the wire has been wrapped around the beaker and the wood board, twist it on the back of the board so that the beaker is held snug.
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Select a place fit for rain measurements. It should be outside, obviously, and somewhere completely unblocked from the sky, like a fence post. Avoid using tree trunks or branches, as their canopies will almost certainly spoil the accuracy of your measurements.
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Nail the board straight up in your selected spot. Be sure that the base of the beaker is flat, parallel to flat ground.
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Wait for the rain.
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Tips & Warnings
If you can't find a beaker with measurements marked on it, use a permanent marker to draw on your own.
Don't twist the wire too tightly or you won't be able to remove the beaker for emptying.
- Photo Credit Photo by Daniel Wildman.
