• What is the difference between the
highest maximum temperature and
the lowest maximum temperature in
the year?
Answers
Answer:
Weather can be described using terms such as wet or fine, warm or cold, windy or calm, so why is there a need to measure the weather? For most people, a description of the weather is adequate but for many businesses more detailed and accurate measurements are required. The science of studying weather is called meteorology. Weather scientists or meteorologists measure temperature, rainfall, pressure, humidity, sunshine and cloudiness and they make predictions and forecasts about what the weather will do in the future. This is important for giving people advance notice of severe weather such as floods and hurricanes.
2.2 Measuring temperature
Temperature, or the hotness or coldness of a substance, is measured with a thermometer. A thermometer is usually made from a tube of hollow glass with a bulb shaped base. The bulb is filled with a liquid, usually mercury which expands as temperatures rise and falls as temperatures drop. A scale on the thermometer can be read to find out what the temperature is. Celsius (°C) is the most common scale for thermometers.
To make sure that the thermometer is measuring the temperature of the surrounding air, it must be shaded from direct sunlight and should have sufficient air circulating around it. The Stevenson Screen was designed by Thomas Stevenson (father of Robert Louis Stevenson) to create an enclosure with as near as possible temperature as the air outside.
The Stevenson Screen is a wooden box with slatted sides, a sloping roof and legs to keep the screen off the ground. It is painted white to reflect the sun and it has opening doors which can be locked for security.
Figure 2.1 shows a maximum-minimum thermometer. This type of thermometer measures both the highest (maximum) and lowest (minimum) temperature over a period of time, usually one day (24 hours).
Figure 2.1: A maximum-minimum thermometer
2.3 Recording temperature with a maximum-minimum thermometer
Figure 2.1 shows that a maximum-minimum thermometer is U- shaped. There are two markers one for the maximum temperature and one for the minimum. The mercury in the tube pushes the markers as temperatures go up or down.
The maximum-minimum thermometer should be placed in a Stevenson screen shelter for the most accurate recording of temperature.
Instructions
1. Around 1200 hours (mid-day), set the thermometer by using a small magnet to drag the markers so that they are both on top of the mercury column. Hang the thermometer in the shelter.
2. At mid-day the following day record the maximum and minimum temperature. The maximum temperature is read at the level of the bottom of the maximum marker, the minimum temperature is read at the bottom of the minimum marker.
3. Record the present temperature by reading at the top of the mercury column on either side (they read the same on the maximum or the minimum side).
4. Reset the indicators with the magnet so that the markers are on top of the mercury column.
5. Repeat instructions 2 to 4 each day for the next week.
6. Record all of your results in table form (e.g. Figure 2.2.).
Figure 2 .2 Sample recording chart.
Day
Maximum temperature °C
Minimum temperature °C
Temperature at time of reading (mid-day)
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
2.4 Temperature readings
The temperature of air measured using a maximum-minimum thermometer can be used to show the difference in temperature over a period of time, usually one day. The difference between the daily maximum and the daily minimum is called the diurnal range. Figure 2.1 shows a maximum temperature of 15°C and a minimum temperature of 8°C. The diurnal range for this example is 7°C (15-8 = 7).
The difference between the daily maximum and the daily minimum temperature is the diurnal range.
EXERCISES
If you have access to a computer with a graphics package, try and produce two graphs, one of the maximum temperatures and one of the minimum temperatures, that you recorded in Figure 2.2.
Alternatively, use graph paper to plot your results.
What was the diurnal range (daily range) for each of the days that you recorded the temperatures in Figure 2.2? Fill in the table below.
Sun.
Mon.
Tues.
Wed.
Thurs.
Fri.
Sat.
Diurnal range °C
Study the maximum-minimum thermometers below. Imagine that each thermometer has been measuring the temperature of the air at your school at different times of the year.
Max/Min Thermometer A
Max/Min Thermometer B
Fill in the correct temperatures for both thermometers:
Thermometer A
Thermometer B
Present temperature
Maximum temperature
Minimum temperature
Tick which season you think thermometers A & B represent?
Explanation:
for extra practice solve the exercise
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