Six's thermometer Six's thermometer is a thermometer which can measure the maximum and minimum temperatures reached over

a period of time, usually during a day. It is commonly used wherever a simple way is needed to measure the extremes of temperature at a location, for instance in meteorology and horticulture. It is also commonly known as a maximum minimum thermometer, of which it is the earliest practical design and the most common type used. It is an example of a registering thermometer, that is a thermometer that keeps a record of where the temperature has been in the past. It gives three readings: the current temperature, the highest temperature reached since it was last reset, and the lowest temperature reached since it was last reset. It consists of a U-shaped glass tube with two separate temperature scales set along each arm of the U. One of these is for recording the maximum temperature encountered and the other for the minimum temperature. The arms of the U-shaped tube terminate in sealed glass bulbs. The bulb at the top of the minimum reading scale arm is full of alcohol, the other contains a vacuum (or low pressure alcohol vapour) In the bend of the U is a section of mercury, a metal which is liquid at normal temperatures. This is pushed around the tube by the thermal expansion and contraction of the alcohol in the first bulb as it responds to the external temperature. The near vacuum in the other bulb allows free movement of the alcohol and mercury. It is the alcohol which measures the temperature; the mercury indicates the temperature reading on both scales. This is unlike a normal mercury thermometer, in which the expansion and contraction of mercury itself indicates temperature Its purpose is to record the maximum and minimum temperatures reached since the thermometer was last read. Generally speaking a minimum temperature occurs during the night and a maximum during the day.

Mercury barometers

A mercury barometer has a glass tube of at least 84 cm in height, closed at one end, with an open mercury-filled reservoir at the base. The weight of the mercury creates a vacuum in the top of the tube. Mercury in the tube adjusts until the weight of the mercury column balances the atmospheric force exerted on the reservoir. High atmospheric pressure places more force on the reservoir, forcing mercury higher in the column. Low pressure allows the mercury to drop to a lower level in the column by lowering the force placed on the reservoir. Since higher temperature at the instrument will reduce the density of the mercury, the scale for reading the height of the mercury is adjusted to compensate for this effect. Torricelli documented that the height of the mercury in a barometer changed slightly each day and concluded that this was due to the changing pressure in the atmosphere Mercury barometer is used for measuring atmospheric pressure. Because atmospheric pressure changes with distance above or below sea level, a barometer can also be used to measure altitude.

Aneroid barometers
See also: Barograph Old aneroid barometer

Modern aneroid barometer An aneroid barometer, invented by the French 19th century engineer and inventor Lucien Vidie, uses a small, flexible metal box called an aneroid cell. This aneroid capsule (cell) is made from an alloy of beryllium and copper.[9] The evacuated capsule (or usually more capsules) is prevented from collapsing by a strong spring. Small changes in external air pressure cause the cell to expand or contract. This expansion and contraction drives mechanical levers such that the tiny movements of the capsule are amplified and displayed on the face of the aneroid barometer. Many models include a manually set needle which is used to mark the current measurement so a change can be seen. In addition, the mechanism is made deliberately "stiff" so that tapping the barometer reveals whether the pressure is rising or falling as the pointer moves. An aneroid barometer is a barometer which measures pressure without using fluids! An aneroid barometer is somewhat different and uses a sealed chamber upon which the fluctuating atmospheric pressure acts. Through mechanical means a pointer is moved on a calibrated scale. Wind wanes Wind vanes can be both simple and advanced. The simplest of wind vanes employ an uneven surface area with an evenly distributed weight balance such that the side with the larger surface area is blown away from the wind while the side with the smaller surface area points in the direction of the wind. More advanced wind vanes use anemometers to measure wind speed and pressure. When an anemometer is combined with a wind vane, the resulting device is called an aerovane. While many types of anemometers exist, propeller-style anemometers are most often used on aerovanes and provide measurements that attest to the overall strength of the wind. Meteorologists then use these measurements to predict weather patterns. Knowing which direction as well as speed and pressure the wind is coming from can help weather forecasters predict when storm patterns and heat waves will arrive at a city or county. A device that shows the direction the wind is blowing.

wind vanes still provide decoration and an indication of which way the wind is blowing. Wind vanes are commonly adhered to boats as a navigational device. Anemometer An anemometer is a device for measuring wind speed, and is a common weather station instrument. The term is derived from the Greek word anemos, meaning wind, and is used to describe any airspeed measurement instrument used in meteorology or aerodynamicsAnemometers can be divided into two classes: those that measure the velocity of the wind, and those that measure the pressure of the wind, but as there is a close connection between the pressure and the velocity and a suitable anemometer

Rain gauge

Standard Rain Gauge

A rain gauge is a type of instrument used by meteorologists and hydrologists to gather and measure the amount of liquid precipitation over a set period of time

use in measurement of precipitation (in climate (meteorology): Precipitation; The amount of precipitation falling during a fixed period is measured regularly at many thousands of places on Earths surface by rather simple rain gauges. Measurement of precipitation intensity requires a recording rain gauge, in which water falling into a collector of known surface area is continuously recorded on a moving chart or a magnetic tape. Investigations are being carried out on the... in hydrologic sciences: Precipitation ) Direct measurements of precipitation are made by a variety of gauges, all of which consist of some form of funnel that directs the infalling water to some

storage container. Storage gauges simply store the incident precipitation, and the accumulated water is usually measured on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Recording gauges allow rates of precipitation to be determined. HygrometerA Hygrometer (UK: /harmt/) is an instrument used for measuring the moisture content in the environmental air, or humidity. Humidity is difficult to measure accurately. Most measurement devices usually rely on measurements of some other quantity such as temperature, pressure, mass or a mechanical or electrical change in a substance as moisture is absorbed. From calculations based on physical principles, or especially by calibration with a reference standard, these measured quantities can lead to a measurement of humidity. Modern electronic devices use temperature of condensation, changes in electrical resistance, and changes in electrical capacitance to measure humidity changes.

Besides greenhouses and industrial spaces, hygrometers are also used in some incubators (egg), saunas, humidors and museums. They are also used in the care of wooden musical instruments such as guitars and violins which can be damaged by improper humidity conditions. In residential settings, hygrometers are used to aid humidity control (too low humidity damages human skin and body, while too high humidity favours growth of mildew and dust mite). Hygrometers are also used in the coating industry because the application of paint and other coatings may be very sensitive to humidity and dew point. With a growing demand on the amount of measurements taken the psychrometer is now replaced by a dewpoint gauge known as a Dewcheck. These devices make measurements a lot faster but are often not allowed in explosive environments

Dry Bulb Temperature

Dry bulb temperature is typically called "air temperature." The temperature is read off a normal thermometer, and the water content of the air does not affect its reading. It is simply the ambient temperature of the surrounding atmosphere. Temperature is

typically measured in the shade, to avoid heating caused by direct sunlight upon the thermometer.

Wet Bulb Temperature

The wet bulb temperature is read from a thermometer with its bulb wrapped in saturated muslin. The wet bulb temperature is always less than the dry bulb temperature, as the evaporation of water exerts a cooling effect. (Heat is dissipated by evaporating the water, just like when a human perspires.) If the air is completely saturated with water vapor, or at 100 percent relative humidity, then the wet bulb temperature and the dry bulb temperature will be equal. The air already is saturated with water, and the wet bulb does not provide any cooling because its water does not evaporate.

PyrometerA pyrometer measures high temperatures. Usually shaped like a gun, it points a laser at the direct area of reading, sending radiation waves to detect temperature. It measures the surface of a surface of the body by using a non-contact device that calculates radiation. It is a Greek word which means "fire" and measurement." It is used in a process better known as pyrometry, which is, of course, the measuring of heat. Pyrometers measure heat temperatures anywhere from 100 to 1999 F. They are used for electrical testing. Specifically, they help read the heat of different power meters. This is important so that the electrician or handler will be safe from burns. This tool allows the person to avoid any contact whatsoever with the object being measured The pyrometer is used in general when the object being measured cannot be used by anything else. When purchased, the item is already specifically calibrated. It is, however, important to keep it in good condition.

Thermographsa thermometer that records temperature variations on a graph as a function of time..It is a type of thermometer that produces a continuous record of a fluctuating temperature

It shows a visual picture so temperatures over a large area can be compared It is able to find deteriorating, i.e., higher temperature components prior to their failure It is a non-destructive test method It can be used to detect objects in dark areas

Stevenson screen A Stevenson screen or instrument shelter is an enclosure to shield meteorological instruments against precipitation and direct heat radiation from outside sources, while still allowing air to circulate freely around them.[1] It forms part of a standard weather station. The Stevenson screen holds instruments that may include thermometers (ordinary, maximum/minimum), a hygrometer, a psychrometer, a dewcell, a barometer and a thermograph. Stevenson screens may also be known as a cotton region shelter, an instrument shelter, a thermometer shelter, a thermoscreen or a thermometer screen. Its purpose is to provide a standardised environment in which to measure temperature, humidity, dewpoint and atmospheric pressure

In some areas the use of single unit automatic weather stations is supplanting the Stevenson screen