Weather Weather InstrumentsInstrumentsOnce again brought to you by your Once again brought to you by your amazing, insightful and abundantly amazing, insightful and abundantly intelligent teacher, Mr. Harris intelligent teacher, Mr. Harris

Weather instrumentsWeather instruments The different aspects of The different aspects of

the weather require the weather require different instruments or different instruments or tools to measure them.tools to measure them.

Before these instruments Before these instruments were invented, scientists were invented, scientists had to use their senses had to use their senses and patterns within the and patterns within the weather to understand it. weather to understand it. These scientist These scientist understood that a tool understood that a tool must be made that must be made that would make reading, would make reading, understanding and understanding and predicting the weather predicting the weather more efficient and more efficient and easier.easier.

Things such as air Things such as air pressure, humidity, wind pressure, humidity, wind speed, precipitation speed, precipitation levels and temperature levels and temperature are all measured by both are all measured by both manual and digital manual and digital instruments or tools.instruments or tools.

Relative HumidityRelative Humidity

Relative humidity is Relative humidity is the actual amount of the actual amount of water vapor in the air water vapor in the air compared to the total compared to the total amount of vapor the amount of vapor the air can hold.air can hold.

It is measured as a It is measured as a percentagepercentage

Psychrometers are Psychrometers are used to measure it. used to measure it. They are comprised They are comprised of two thermometers: of two thermometers: one with a wet bulb one with a wet bulb and one with a dry and one with a dry bulb.bulb.

PsychrometersPsychrometers

Air pressureAir pressure

Air pressure is the Air pressure is the amount of pressure amount of pressure that the air around us that the air around us puts on us and the puts on us and the things that surround things that surround us. It is measured in us. It is measured in pounds per square pounds per square inch. (lb/in2)inch. (lb/in2)

High pressure means High pressure means good weather, low good weather, low pressure means pressure means cloudy and/or stormy cloudy and/or stormy weather.weather.

We use a Barometer We use a Barometer to measure the air to measure the air pressure.pressure.

BarometersBarometers

TemperatureTemperature

Temperature is how Temperature is how much heat is in much heat is in something. Heat is something. Heat is energy. The absence of energy. The absence of heat is cold.heat is cold.

It determines a lot of It determines a lot of what the weather what the weather actually does. The actually does. The differences in differences in temperature is one temperature is one cause of wind.cause of wind.

Thermometers measure Thermometers measure temperature. Some are temperature. Some are different than others and use different than others and use different chemicals to different chemicals to measure but they all do the measure but they all do the same thing.same thing.

The measurement is in The measurement is in degrees Fahrenheit or degrees Fahrenheit or Celsius. We are used to Celsius. We are used to Fahrenheit.Fahrenheit.

We can measure We can measure temperature of our bodies, temperature of our bodies, the air and other things.the air and other things.

ThermometersThermometers

PrecipitationPrecipitation

Precipitation occurs Precipitation occurs when clouds become when clouds become saturated and empty saturated and empty out.out.

Rain gauges Rain gauges measure how much measure how much precipitation actually precipitation actually falls at any given falls at any given time.time.

We use this We use this information to information to develop patterns and develop patterns and possibly predict possibly predict future precipitation future precipitation levels.levels.

These levels are These levels are measured in inches measured in inches or centimeters.or centimeters.

Rain GaugesRain Gauges

Where’s Jose?Where’s Jose?

If Jose was lost in the If Jose was lost in the middle of a hurricane middle of a hurricane could look at a map could look at a map and find his exact and find his exact latitude and longitude, latitude and longitude, he could enter those he could enter those coordinates into a coordinates into a GPS (Global GPS (Global Positioning System) Positioning System) and find his way home.and find his way home.

GPS is a computer based GPS is a computer based unit that can measures unit that can measures distance from one point to distance from one point to another. It uses satellites another. It uses satellites to triangulate a position to triangulate a position on the planet. We use on the planet. We use these in our cars and these in our cars and while hunting or hiking.while hunting or hiking.

Some people play a game Some people play a game called GeoCaching.called GeoCaching.

GPSGPS