Under the Weather

Science Project Under the Weather

Purpose The purpose of this experiment is to investigate the relationship between wind direction and the weather. The questions that I will be answering are: Is there a relationship between wind directions and the weather? Does wind direction affect the possibility of precipitation? For my experiment I am going to construct three home-made weather vanes. These weather vanes will work like a manufactured weather vane, and by looking at the direction that the point is pointing to, I will be able to tell what the wind direction is. I can then observe the weather to gather my conclusions.

Hypothesis I am going to investigate the relationship between wind direction and the weather. I have formed the following hypotheses: #1. I predict that wind direction is related to possibility of precipitation, and that when the wind is from the east we will have precipitation. #2. When the winds are from the north, they will bring cold weather. #3. When the wind is from the south, they will bring warmer weather. #4. When the wind is from the west, they will bring clear weather

Hypothesis I formed my hypothesis after reading about the weather relationships in the book “Simple Science” by Richard Churchill. In his book there are several experiments about weather and I was interested in the ones relating to the wind. It makes sense to me that north winds will be cold because they come from the North Pole, and that southern winds will be warmer because they come from the southern hemisphere

Materials I used the following materials to make three of my weather vanes 3 of 2 litre milk cartons 3 large straws 6 index cards (size 13 ½ cm long and 7 ½ cm wide) glue stick white glue ruler marker tape paper for recording data pen

Materials pencil for recording data 3 pieces of wooden dowel 30 cm each hammer 3 nails compass outdoor thermometer sand scissors tape

Method Part 1. To construct Weather Vanes Gather all materials Prepare a work space (I used our kitchen table) Measure 30 cm from bottom of milk carton Mark this length with marker on all four sides Cut around milk carton on this mark using scissors Measure index cards and mark with pencil, so that one end is 7 ½ cm wide and the other end is 3 & ½ cm wide Cut out each index card using scissors into shape described in step 6.

Method Using glue stick, glue 2 pieces of index card together Measure and mark 2 & ½ cm from one end of straw Cut to this mark with scissors Place dap of white glue into slit of straw Slide smallest end of index card into slit Tape into place Fill milk carton with sand. Mark using marker, North, South, East, and West on each corner of milk carton

Method Hold dowel firmly Using hammer and a nail, nail straw through its centre into dowel, and ensuring that the index card is not lying flat, ensuring that it can spin freely. Place tape of end of straw that doesn’t have the index card (this will be called the point) Place finished dowel in centre of milk carton, and make sure the sand is packed tightly around it so that it stands straight, and is secure. Repeat steps 3 to 19 to make the other 2 weather vanes Number the Weather Vanes (#1, #2, and #3)

Method Part 2: Taking Measurements. Gather compass and three weather vanes Go outside to an open area Using compass find North Position Weather Vane #1, so that the corner marked “N” for North, faces North. The Other corners will be then aligned in the proper directions. Repeat steps 3 and 4 with the two other Weather Vanes. Observe wind direction. When the wind blows, it pushes the larger surface (the index card); as a result the point of the straw will be pointing in the direction that the wind is coming from. Observe for precipitation Observe for Temperature using outdoor thermometer Record results Repeat steps 3-9 daily for 21 days.

Control Variables The control variables for an experiment are the things that remain the same. The control variables that I have identified for my experiment include: The three weather vanes were constructed with the same materials The three weather vanes The weather vanes were placed in the same area each time The thermometer was in the same place every day The measurements were taken at the same time each day

Manipulated Variable The manipulated variables are things that change. For this experiment the manipulated variable would be: The actual changes in wind direction

Responding Variables The responding variables are things that result from the changes in the manipulated variable. For this experiment, the responding variables would be; Direction that the point on the weather vane points to. Changes in temperature (in degrees Celsius) Amount and kind of precipitation (e.g. snow, rain, sleet, etc.) Type of day (e.g. clear, cloudy, rainy, snowy, etc.)

Results For this experiment I used three weather vanes so that I would have more accurate data. I tracked my data for 21 days and recorded it in a table each day. The results were recorded at approximately 4:30 pm each day. Every day I observed the weather vane to see which direction the wind was coming from. I observed the weather and classified it as clear, rainy, or snowy. I also measured and recorded the temperature in degrees Celsius every day.

Average Results To find average results for this experiment I have created a table. I decided to find out the number of times that: North winds brought cold clear weather East winds brought precipitation South winds brought warm weather West winds brought clear weather

Average Results Table 5 100% 0% 6 4 67% 33% 21 19 90% 10% North Winds Days Of Wind Direction Brought Expected Weather % of Times Prediction Was Correct % of Error North Winds 5 100% 0% East Winds 6 4 67% 33% South Winds West Winds Total Days 21 19 90% 10%

Analysis For my experiment I have included the following types of graphs: Bar Graph. Pie Graph.

Double Bar Graph This graph is a double bar graph; it will show both the number of days of each wind direction and the number of days that the wind direction brought the expected weather. Y axis = # of days. The x-axis = the wind directions and the % of time weather predictions were correct Title: Average Results For # of Days & Correct Prediction

Pie Chart . Title; Percentage of time that weather prediction due to wind direction was correct You can easily see that east was correct the least amount of times (only 67% of times).

Conclusions The purpose of my experiment was to investigate the relationship between wind directions and the weather. By using weather vanes, my results show that there is a relationship between wind direction and the weather and also that wind direction affects the possibility of perception.

My hypotheses were correct #1. I predicted that when the wind was from the east we would have precipitation. This hypothesis was partially correct; my results showed that east winds brought precipitation 67% of the time. #2. When the winds are from the north, they would bring cold weather. This hypothesis was correct, my results showed that north winds brought cold weather 100% of the time. #3. When the wind is from the south, they would bring warmer weather. This hypothesis was correct, my results showed that south winds brought warm weather 100% of the time. #4. When the wind is from the west, they would bring clear weather. This hypothesis was correct, my results showed that west winds brought clear weather 100% of the time.

Accuracy From my experiment I was able to conclude that by using a weather vane to track wind direction, I was able to gather data that wind direction brought the expected type of weather 90% of the time.

Sources of Error No experiment is ever full proof. Sources of error can cause your results to be incorrect. Some sources of error for this experiment are:

Sources of Error Human error. I had to use the compass to find north, and position the weather vanes in the correct position each day, I could have misjudged this. Human error. I had observed the point of the straw on the weather vane to see what direction the wind was coming from each day. I only had four directions written on my weather vanes so if the point was between two directions I judged which one it was closer to, I may have misjudged them. I tried to measure them at the same time each day however some days I was late. When I made them I tried to make them the exact same but they were not perfect. I only measured from one point in my yard, there are trees around that may have blocked the wind causing false results. The outdoor thermometer was not near the site I measured the wind direction from.

Ways to Improve My Experiment If I was going to repeat my experiment for another year, there are several ways that I could improve on it. I would try to reduce human error by being more careful while using the compass and positioning the weather vanes. When I made me weather vanes I would include the following directions: North, North-East, East, South-East, South, South-West, West, and North-West. I would make sure I measured at the exact time each day. I would measure more then 21 days. I would measure from more then one area in my yard. I would place the outdoor thermometer next to the site I was measuring from. I would measure the actual amount of precipitation.

The End