Report Copyright Infringement View in OSM UK

Description

Make a rain collector for recording rainfall

Resources

2 litre bottle
Masking tape and pen and/or permanent marker
Ruler
A pack of jelly
Scissors
Paper clips

Instructions

Make the jelly up in a jug according to the instructions. Put it to one side but don't allow to set in the jug. Cut around the large bottle about two thirds of the way up. Turn the top upside down and check that it fits into the bottom, like a funnel. Hold it in place with the paper clips.

Stick the masking tape vertically to the side of the bottle. Put a zero at a point just above the moulded indentations where the bottle smooths out. Now then use your ruler to mark off 1cm intervals on the side of the bottle up to 10cm. If you have a permanent marker you might not need the masking tape.

Now - the problem with your bottle is it probably has the large moulded bit at the bottom and we need to level that off or we will get an inaccurate reading. So, pour in your jelly until it reaches the zero on your gauge. Leave it on a flat surface and when the jelly sets you will have level bottom to your rain gauge.

Bury the large bottle so that the top is about 5 cm above the ground, in order to prevent large raindrops splashing into the gauge. This will also stop the rain gauge blowing away on windy days. Think about where to put your rain gauge and choose a position in the open, away from trees or buildings.

Eat the rest of the jelly with lashings of ice cream.

Check the rain gauge every day, preferably at the same time. Measure the amount of rainfall collected in the small bottle, then empty the water out (be careful not to empty the jelly out). It is important to check the rain gauge even if there has been no rainfall. This is because small amounts of dew may accumulate in the bottle, leading to false readings when rain does fall. You also need to check that leaves or spiders have not fallen into the funnel, as this may block it.

Tags

(none)

Badge Links

• Meteorologist - Measuring