You will need (per student or group):

1 pint jar

   

 

 

 

1 large balloon

2 straws

Electricians tape

Scissors

1 poster board

Directions:

 

Cut the end off of the balloon so it may be stretched across the top of the jar. Tape it tightly with the electrician's tape.

  Tape the end of a straw across the top of the balloon-covered jar.

 If you insert the end of the second straw into the end of the first straw that is taped to the balloon, it will exaggerate the changes of the angle.

Your barometer should look like this.

 Snip the end of the straw so it is pointed. (You just built a barometer.)

 

Calibrating your barometer:

 Place the barometer in front of a piece of poster board. Mark where the pointed end is indicating on the poster board.

 

 

 

 Use an actual barometer to see what the barometric pressure is at that time

  Record the barometric pressure on the poster board where the pointer is indicating.

  Repeat the process several times a day for several days.

 

 

 

  Record the relationship between the barometric pressure and the weather.

  Use your barometer to predict weather changes before they occur.

Something to think about:

 How does the barometer work?

 

  Investigate sea level barometric pressure and mountain top barometric pressure. How do they vary? Why?

 

 

  Investigate barometric pressure during hurricanes. Graph the barometric pressure and the wind speed. What is the relationship? Graph the barometric pressure and storm surge. What is the relationship? What does this have to do with the Bernoulli Principle?

  What do air planes, curve balls, straws, hurricanes, and an airbrush have in common? There is a clue above. Can you explain it?

 

Caution- Do not to put your barometer in an area where there will be extreme temperature fluctuations and direct sun light. You want the straw's end to rise and fall because of barometric pressure changes, not because of temperature changes. This is a good time to talk about controlling variables.

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