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FAQ

MAKING A WEATHER VANE - Level 1

EXPERIMENT 12

Equipment:

Thin wood strips (white pine is good):
1 20" x 4"
2 12" x l"
2 8" x 3"
Long, slender nail
Small nails
Wooden or glass bead
Post about 10' high (or exposed corner of building, such as garage)

Cut arrow and shaft from 20" strip. Cut tailpieces from 8" strips. Nail them to shaft of arrow on each side; spread them apart to form an angle of 20 degrees in order to catch the wind easily. Use a protractor to measure angle aob (see illustration). Find the balance point by resting the shaft on extended finger until arrowhead and tailpieces balance level; drill a hole at this point. Insert long nail in the hole. Place bead on nail to act as bearing. Mount on post, preferably away from building.

With compass, determine north. Using the 12" strips, one marked N and S, and the other E and W, as pointers, nail the pointers on the post to show direction from which the wind is blowing. Observe the changes.

The following picture was sent to us by Sally Secundo of the weather vane constructed for her son's project

Funded in part by

From
Raytheon Aviation
Educational Materials

Updated: March 31, 2008