How to Make Weather Barometers
Constructing a barometer is a fun and easy activity for children and adults of all ages. While scientific aneroid barometers are usually made from an elastic metal that has been stretched over a circular container, the round part of a balloon works as a great substitute for home experiments. Once finished, this homemade weather instrument can be used to predict upcoming changes in the weather.
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Things You'll Need
- Coffee can, wide mouth glass, or any other container with a wide opening
- Straw
- Pin or needle
- Balloon
- Glue
- Cardboard or paper
- Scissors
- Strong rubber band
Instructions
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Cut the small end off the balloon so that it has an opening wide enough to stretch over the mouth of the container.
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2
Stretch the balloon across the opening of the container. Secure the balloon in place with a thick rubber band. Make sure the rubber band tightly seals off the sides of the container so that no air can slip through.
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3
Glue the pin to the end of the straw. Position the pin so that it sticks straight out from the end of the straw.
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4
Glue the other end of the straw to the center of the stretched-out balloon. Be sure not to use hot glue. The coffee can should be upright, with the straw positioned so that the needle point horizontally. .
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5
Tape or glue the cardboard so that it can stand upright. You may want to do this by cutting flaps in the bottom of the piece of cardboard and taping it to a table, desk, etc. If you have a hard time getting it to stand upright, you may want to secure it to the side a fixed object. The cardboard will be used to measure the rise and fall of your new barometer, so make sure it extends a couple inches above and below the "needle" of the barometer.
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Use the weather report to determine if the barometric pressure is high or low. Mark your paper or cardboard accordingly.
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Track the barometric pressure over the next several days to make sure your barometer is working accurately. You may need to adjust the markings on the paper accordingly.
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Test your new barometer by trying to predict the weather. Use the following information as a guideline:
A high pressure reading that is rising, steady, or slowly falling usually indicates fair weather. A high reading that is falling quickly means the weather will be cloudy and warmer.
If the needle indicates medium pressure that is not rapidly falling, the weather will normally stay the same. If the pressure is falling quickly, precipitation is probable.
When the pressure is low but rising or steady, the weather is likely to clear and get cooler. If it is slowly falling, there will be precipitation. A low reading that is quickly falling indicates an approaching storm.
Generally speaking, a rising barometric pressure indicates that the weather will improve, while a falling pressure indicates cloudy, rainy, or stormy weather.
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Tips & Warnings
Instead of a straw and a pin, you can use any long object with a pointed end. Ideas include a chopstick, a sharpened pencil, or a straight pine needle. If the objects makes the container fall over, fill it partially with water and try again.
References
- Photo Credit STORM image by SKYDIVECOP from Fotolia.com
