Weather equipment and terms Tips
Read these 10 Weather equipment and terms Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Weather tips and hundreds of other topics.
A scale for measuring the wind
Many weather instruments use the Beaufort Wind Scale as the method of estimating and reporting wind speeds. The scale was developed by Sir Francis Beaufort in the early 1800s for the British Royal Navy.
What dces a barometer do?
Just about everyone has heard the nightly weather report include the forecaster stating “the barometer is falling” but just what does that really mean?
A barometer measures rising and falling air pressure – a falling barometer means a decrease in air pressure while a rising barometer indicates increasing air pressure.
Air pressure has a very pronounced effect on the weather and, by knowing about barometric pressure, you are able to make certain predictions about the weather.
What does a thermometer do?
Simply put, thermometers measure changes in temperature. Bulb thermometers operate on a basis that liquid changes its volume relative to its temperature; other thermometers tell you the temperature in the furnace, how high your fever is or room temperature.
All about humidity
Humidity is the amount of water vapor present in the air. When someone says “Boy, it's humid today” what they're really saying is that there's a lot of water vapor in the air!
Humidity has a relative
Relative humidity is the ratio of the amount of water vapor present in the air compared to the greatest amount possible at the same temperature.
The condensed version ...
Have you ever noticed that fog on your windows eventually turning into water and settling on the bottom of the window sill? That, in effect, is what condensation is all about – the process by which water vapor undergoes a change from a gas to a liquid.
The difference between F and C
Gabriel Fahrenheit, a German physicist, created the Fahrenheit temperature scale in 1714. It is a temperature scale based upon water at sea level having a freezing temperature of 32 degrees F and a boiling point of 212 degrees F. This form of temperature measurement is common in the United States.
Celsius is a temperature scale where the freezing point of water at sea level is set at 0 degrees C and has a boiling point of 100 degrees C. This form of measurement is most commonly used in countries which observe the metric system of measurement.
Measuring the wind
An anemometer is the modern descendent of the weather vane. The anemometer (or wind gauge) measures wind speed and direction. Tiny cups on the anemometer capture the wind and spin round and round. The revolutions-per-minute of the cups determines wind speed. Anemometers also help determine wind chill temperature.
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