Commonly Used

Weather Instrument

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The weather forecasts that helped you plan activities for this week was probably made by a meteorologist. A meteorologist is a person who studies the weather. Meteorologists need many kinds of data before the weather can be predicted.

How can they get this data?????

Why do we need weather instruments?

Why do we need weather instruments?

The ability to make accurate weather forecasts depends on the speed at which large amounts of data can be analyzed.

The technology of weather instruments is where the greatest advances have been made during the past few decades. This has improved our weather forecasting abilities.

What is the name of a person who studies weather?

A. weather man

B. pharmacologist

C. mathematician

D. meteorologist

Ok then! What kind of weather instruments can we use to help us forecast the weather?

Let’s find out!

1. Barometer

Measures air pressure Tells you if the pressure is rising

or fallingRising pressure = sunny and dry

Falling pressure = stormy and wet 1st one built by Italian scientist, Torricelli in

1643

2. Wind Sock

Measures the wind direction and relative wind speed.

Used by aircraft at airports to judge the wind direction.

What is it? Cone shaped tube with

one large open end and on the other end a smaller opening.

A barometer measures air pressure

A. True

B. False

3. Wind Vane

Instrument that determines

the direction from which the wind

is blowing

It has a tail and a nose mounted at its center of gravity so it can rotate freely.

The tail points where the wind is GOING

The nose (smallest part) points where the wind is coming FROM.

4. Anemometer

Measures wind speed.

How it works: The cups catch the wind, turning a dial

attached to the instrument. The dial then shows the wind speed

What measures wind speed?

A. Anemometer

B. Wind vane

C. Wind sock

D. nothing

5. Thermometer

Measures air temperature

Made in closed glass tubes with liquids like mercury.

How it works: When the air heats the tube the

liquid expands and moves up the tube.

Then there is a scale to determine the actual temperature depending on where the liquid is at

6. Weather Balloon

Measures weather conditions higher up in the atmosphere

Takes measurements on Air pressure Temperature Humidity Wind speed Wind direction

7. Rain Gauge

Measures the amount of rain/snow fallen over a specific time period

How it’s made: On the top is a funnel that

directs rainwater into a long and narrow cylinder which is seated inside a larger cylinder.

The amount collected in the cylinder can then be measured by the scale on the outside of the cylinder.

You need a rain gauge to determine the temperature

outside.

A. True

B. False

8. HygrometerMeasures the amount of water vapor (or humidity) in the air.

• How it works- Made of two thermometers. One is a normal

thermometer. The other thermometer has a cotton cloth on it that is kept wet .

• Then you take the temperatures from each thermometer and use a chart to determine the humidity outside.

• The Hygrometer is also called a Psychrometer

How many tools deal with wind?

A. 1

B. 2

C. 3

D. 4

Which weather tool measures the humidity (amount of water

vapor) in the air?

A. Rain gauge

B. Weather balloon

C. meteorologist

D. Hygrometer