Ainin Sofiya Noran

Design 10 - Weather Station

Mr. Sajid Khursheed
10 May 2015
1. Explain and justify the need
I will be creating a weather station by developing a model
system to measure the wind speed to help the community. Wind
speed is essential in helping to make weather predictions. Predicting
the weather is essential as it helps people plan on what to wear and
if certain daily activities can be done.
Other than checking the weather forecast, people can also use
the weather station I will be creating to look at the wind speed. The
wind speed will be measured by using Anemometer device created
using materials that can be found in our daily lives. Through this
project, I hope to help the community measure the wind speed
using the model Anemometer device I will be creating. It will be
created using materials that are easy to get.

2. Identify and prioritize the research

Primary research

Whatistheresourceandwhattypeisit?
Primary(interview,letters,emails,diaries,
ReasonforinclusionWhyhaveyouchosen
photographs)orSecondary(textbooks,
toincludethisparticularpieceofresearch?
HighMed
magazinearticles,histories,criticisms,
Low
commentaries,encyclopedias)
Importance

High

High

High

Interview(Primarysource)

Iwillbeaskingmycustomerseveralquestions.
Theinterviewquestionshelpmelearnthe
requirementsneededfrommycustomer.This
willhelpguidemethroughoutfinishingmy
projectandhavesomethingtoaimfor.

Visittoweatherstation(Primarysource)

IvisitedtheBeijingMetrologicalWeather
Stationtolookatrealweatherstations.This
helpsthemakingofweatherstationmodels
easierbecauseIveseenreallifeweather
stationsbefore.

Website(Secondarysource)
Whatisanemometer?

Thiswebsitesprovideinformationabout
anemometerandhowitworks.Thiswebsite
helpsmeunderstandtheanemometersystem
better.

Thiswebsitehelpsmeunderstandweather
stationsandhowtheywork.Thisprovidesme
informationoftherequirementsneededfor
weatherstationssoIcanuseitwhenmaking
myownmodel.

High

Website(Secondarysource)
Introductiontoweatherstation

Medium

Website(Secondarysource)
Howiswindspeedusedtomeasurethe
weather?

Medium

Website(Secondarysource)
Exampleofweatherstationinstruments

Thiswebsitewillshowmeexamplesof
weatherstationmodelsthatwillhelpmein
makingmyownweatherstationmodel.

Website(Secondarysource)
Howisanemometerusedinthemodel?

Onthiswebsite,Iwillbeabletoknowhow
anemometerworkssoIwillbeabletosetitup
formymodelstationmodel.

Sciencetextbook(Secondarysource)
Weather(wind)

Iwillbeusingthesciencetextbooktoread
abouthowthewindspeedworks.Thiswill
helpmefigureouthowwindisrelatedto
weather.

Medium

Medium

Informationaboutthewindspeedisessential,
asIwillbeusingmyweatherstationmodelto
measurethewindspeed.Ineedtoknowhow
thespeedofwindismeasured.

3.Analyse a range of existing products

Visit to Beijing Metrological Weather Station
Visiting the Beijing Metrological Weather Station helped me learn
about weather station and different tools used to forecast the weather.
We visited the weather station where the people who work at the place
explained to us the equipment they use to measure the weather. Some
of the equipment are not used for all the seasons, for example an
equipment used only in winter to measure depth of snow.
After the visit, we went to the weather forecast broadcast station
where we get to see how weather news is broadcasted. This gives us
thorough understanding of how weather forecast is broadcasted and
the importance of weather forecasting.
Interview
I asked seven people about their knowledge on weather forecasting
and if they rely on weather forecasting. This helps me gather more
information on the importance of it.
1) How often do you watch weather forecast news or look through
websites to see the weather forecast?
Answers
1) I am outside most of the time so checking the weather forecast
channel is very important for me so I watch it everyday.
2) I mostly look at the weather forecast during the winter season to
see if it will snow anytime soon and how low the temperature drops!
3) I rarely look at weather forecasts; its usually a coincidence that I
see it on television.
4) I have an application on my cellphone that tells me the temperature
and weather forecast everyday because I find it very important to plan
my daily routine.
5) No, I don't find weather forecasting important and I don't rely on it.

2) Do you use weather forecast to plan daily activities?

Answers
1) Yes, definitely. Planning daily activities would be hard without
knowing how a day's weather is going to be.
2) Only during the cold season as it helps me decide on what to wear
on a certain day based on the temperature.
3) No, I don't find it important.
4) Yes. Weather forecasting helps me decide on daily activities and if
outdoor activities can be done on a certain day based on the weather
conditions.
5) No, I don't find weather forecasting important and I don't rely on it.
3) Do you think the weather forecast is accurate?
Answers
1) It usually helps me plan my activities and is mostly accurate. It can
be a bit inaccurate sometimes but it doesnt happen very often.
2) The temperature is usually accurate but the snowfall especially is
always inaccurate.
3) It is accurate most of the time.
4) It is very accurate because whenever a prediction is done, the
weather always changes according to the prediction.
5) I'm not quite sure.
4) Have you made an anemometer device before?
Answers
1) I have no knowledge of an anemometer.
2) I have made one using cups but it did not turn, maybe because the
wind was not strong enough.
3) No, but I have learned about anemometer devices before.
4) Yes, I made it when I was in elementary school.
5) No, I have never made it before.
5) Have you used a real anemometer device to measure the wind
speed? If yes, how was it?
Answers
1) No.
2) Yes! The device I made did not turn when there was wind and it
could be because the wind was not strong or because the structure of
the anemometer device was not right.

3) No.
4) I experimented it with my teacher and it turned whenever the wind
blew. However, we did not measure the wind speed using the device
and only observed the movements of the device.
5) No.
(Sarah, Zaralisa, Hariz, Hafizul, Leesa)
Secondary research
An anemometer is a tool used to measure the wind speed and
wind pressure of a certain place. Anemometers are used to study
weather patterns and how the air moves and are still used for
professional work. The most common type of anemometer is a tool
with three to four cups attached to horizontal arms, which are then
attached to a stick or a rod. When wind blows, the cups will rotate
making the rod spin. The rod spins faster as the wind gets stronger and
anemometer measures the how many time it rotates and can be used
to measure the wind speed. Wind speeds however can be inconsistent
because of several factors. Storm and gusts can affect the wind speed
greatly so wind speed is usually measured by taking the average of the
measured speed over a short span of time. (national geographic)
When studying the weather, factors such as wind
speed/direction, humidity, visibility, pressure and temperature are very
important. Understanding how factors relate to each other helps us
understand the pattern and the reasons behind the connecting factors.
Rain gauges and anemometers are devices used to measure weather
that even amateurs could use. Real weather station is usually located

at a grassed area because it can also measure the soil, grass and
concrete temperature. (weatherforschools)
Wind that occurs frequently is caused by the difference in the air
pressure around us. Air travels from higher-pressure areas to lower
pressure areas, creating wind. The speed of the wind can be measured
using a tool, called anemometer. Anemometer helps because when
wind pushes into the cups, the cups rotate depending on the speed of
the wind. This is the simplest way to measure wind speed and this
method can be used by anyone, even students. (scientificamerican)
There are many kinds of weather station instruments that can be
used to collect data related to the environment. Some sensors used in
the instruments include thermometer to take temperature readings
and barometer to measure the atmospheric pressure. Other sensors
used could measure rain, wind and humidity. For this topic that
focuses on wind, anemometer is the type of sensor used to measure
how fast the wind is blowing. (acurite)
Anemometer is an instrument for measuring wind speed in
weather recording and forecasting. Anemometers are also used in
ventilation systems such as aircraft testing. The mostly used type of
anemometer is the cup where it consists of usually three cups attached
to the ends of horizontal arms. Wind catching in the cups causes the
cups to revolve which then helps measure the wind speed. The
anemometer device works very well in measuring wind speed for

aircraft systems where the blades move and record the speed in
kilometers per hour of the aircraft when it is connected to another
device. (howstuffworks)
A wind is a movement of air in the atmosphere with certain types
of winds being local and some being regional. Wind occurs in very
small areas but major wind patterns might cover fairly large areas.
Winds affect weather around the world, caused by different
atmospheric pressure. (Nelson textbook)
4. Design brief
For the weather station I will be creating, I will be focusing on
measuring the wind speed using an anemometer device to help other
people. Wind speed helps predict the weather so making a model of an
anemometer device would help me a lot in understanding how wind
speed work. The device will be made using easy to get materials that
do not cost a lot. This model will be created according to the design
specification, which is to measure the wind speed.
Based on the research done about how an anemometer device
works, the materials should be made correctly so the wind speed
measured is correct. The device needs to be symmetry and in useable
state. Although not always accurate, it will help measure the average
data needed for wind speed.

5. References

Amira, Sarah, Zaralisa Zainul, Hariz Fizi, Hafizul Alif, and Leesa Yunus.
"Weather

Forecast." Personal interview. 1 May 2015.

"Anemometer." - National Geographic Education. National Geographic,

n.d. Web. 11

May 2015.

<http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/encyclopedia/ane
mo

meter/?ar_a=1>.

"Weather for Schools." Weather for Schools. Weatherforschools, n.d.

Web. 11 May

2015.

<http://www.weatherforschools.me.uk/html/weatherstations.html>.
Cyberchase, Sciencebuddies. "Measure Wind Speed with Your Own
Wind Meter."

Scientific American Global RSS. Scientific American,

10 Nov. 2011. Web. 11 May 2015.

<http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bring-science- home-windspeed/>.
"Explore." What Is a Weather Station? Acurite, n.d. Web. 11 May 2015.
<http://www.acurite.com/what-is-a-weather-station>.
"Anemometer." HowStuffWorks. HowStuffWorks.com, n.d. Web. 11 May
2015.

<http://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/climateweather/meteorological-instruments/anemometer-info.htm>.

Education, Nelson, ed. "Prevailing Wind Patterns." Science 10. N.p.:

Nelson, n.d. 516- 17. Print.