What Is Meteorology Meteorology is the study of changes in the weather Have you ever wondered how weather forecasters know what the weather will be like Meteorologists use all different kinds of tools to forecast whether it will rain snow or thunder and whether it will be hot or cold WEATHER FORECAST SAT SUN Studying the Weather It can be important to know what the weather will be like especially in extreme places like the top of a mountain Meteorologists use tools to measure things such as the speed of the wind and how much rainfall there has been They measure the air pressure to figure out what the weather will be like over the next few days You can make all these weather-predicting tools in this book Try it and become a weather expert 4
Setting Up Your Backyard Laboratory Find an outside space that you can use to do these experiments Some of them can be messy Remember to check with whomever owns the space that it is OK to do your experiments there You may want to find a picnic table to work on You should be able to find most of the things you will need around your home or yard You may need to buy some small items so check the You Will Need section before you start a project BE SCIENTIFIC As a scientist it is important to be precise It is not always easy to forecast the weather Forecasters would rather say the weather will be unpredictable than guess incorrectly Knowing what the weather will be like is really important to people in jobs such as agriculture transportation and fishing The wrong forecast can even put lives in danger The experiments STAYING SAFE chosen because they are Science experiments can be dangerous Ask be careful in this book have been specially but you must still Wear any fun and relatively safe all Follow an adult to help you suggested protective clothing warnings and be careful 5
Make a Barometer One of the best tools for predicting changes in the weather is a barometer A barometer measures the pressure in the air Changes in air pressure affect our weather High pressure usually means we will get clear weather and low pressure means we are likely to get unsettled stormy weather YOU WILL NEED jar or coffee tin balloon rubber band PVA glue straw card stock and a cereal box markers Try making your own barometer Stretch a piece of balloon over the glass jar or coffee tin Put a rubber band around it to secure it in place Make sure the tin or jar is airtight 1 6 Barometers like this one have a small flexible box inside Small changes in air pressure cause the box to expand or contract which moves the needle around the dial
2 3 Place a straw so one end is at the center of the jar and the other end sticks out over the edge Glue it in place WHAT’S HAPPENING When air pressure is high air is pressing down on the balloon causing the straw to point up When air pressure is low the air in the jar pushes up against the balloon causing the straw to point down 7 Glue a sheet of card stock to a cereal box Stand it next to your barometer Draw the sun just above the top of the lid and a cloud just below the lid 4 Mark where the top of the straw points with a line and note the time Did the air pressure change during the day 10 a m
