Weather Science Fair Projects, Revised and Expanded Using the Scientific Method Book

Introduction: Weather Experiments and Projects Using the Scientific Method 7

How Scientists Search for Answers 10

Using the Scientific Method in Experiments and Projects 12

Science Fairs 20

Safety First 24

1 Weather Maps and Instruments 27

1.1 Weather Maps 28

1.2 Weather Instruments You Can Make 31

1.3 The Rainfall Content of Snow 40

1.4 Other Instruments for Your Weather Station 42

2 Earth's Atmosphere and the Sky We See 49

2.1 The Amount of Oxygen in Air 51

2.2 Blue Sky, Yellow Sun, and Red Sunsets 56

2.3 Rainbows in the Sky and Elsewhere 59

2.4 Bending Light to Make a "Rainbow" 62

2.5 Refraction at Sunrise Sunset, and in a Cup 67

3 Humidity and Weather 71

3.1 Finding the Dew Point 74

3.2 Measuring Humidity with a Hygrometer 78

3.3 Weather Records at Your Weather Station 83

4 The Sun: Earth's Source of Heat 87

4.1 The Sun and Seasons 88

4.2 The Effect of Angle on the Absorption of Radiant Energy 92

4.3 The Sun's Effect on Earth's Air 95

4.4 Hot Air, Cold Air, and Volume 97

4.5 Transferring Energy to Water and Soil 100

4.6 The Effect of Color on Radiant Energy Absorption 103

5 The Water Cycle 107

5.1 Models of the Hydrologic Cycle 108

5.2 Factors Affecting the Evaporation Water 111

6 Air and Wind Patterns on a Spinning Globe 115

6.1 Stable and Unstable Air 116

6.2 The Cause of Wind 119

6.3 Wind and Friction 121

6.4 The Coriolis Effect 123

7 Clouds and Stormy Weather 131

7.1 Recipe for a Cloud 132

7.2 Making a Cloud 134

7.3 Thunder and Lightning 142

7.4 A Liquid Tornado 145

8 Forecasting Weather 149

Questions and Answers 152

Appendix: Science Supply Companies 154

Further Reading 155

Internet Addresses 156

Index 157