Q&A for How to Make an Anemometer

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Question

What do I need to make the anemometer?

Community Answer

5 plastic cups, 2 straws, a nail, a hole punch, and a stapler.

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Question

What is the difference between a weather vane and an anemometer?

Community Answer

A weather vane shows the direction of the wind while anemometer shows the speed of the wind.

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Question

How do I measure the wind speed? Isn't that the whole point of the project?

Community Answer

To measure the wind speed, count the number of spins the anemometer makes in one second with the help of a stopwatch. Every spin it makes is one mile per hour (mph).

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Question

What does the article mean by intersecting straws?

Community Answer

You put the straws through the cups and then have them come out of the other side of the cup.

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Question

What can I use instead of a pencil?

Community Answer

Disposal chopsticks would work as a great replacement to a pencil.

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Question

How do I get the correct four marks on the plastic cups?

Community Answer

Use a knife to make the holes and measure the distance from the rim with a ruler.

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Question

Does the size of the cup matter?

Community Answer

No. All the cups have to be the same size, but they could be small or big, it doesn't matter.

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Question

How do I punch 1/2 in the bottom of the hole?

Community Answer

Poke it with a small screwdriver and then cut it with scissors.

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Question

Can I replace the cups with anything else?

Community Answer

Cut ping pong balls in half. In some cases, this proves to be more effective. Also, you can use makeshift cones. The wind is only trapped on one side and passes over the other side.

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Question

How can I let the anemometer stand on its own?

Community Answer

Put your anemometer in soft ground and then put wood around it so the wind does not blow it away.

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Question

Can I use anything beside straws when making an anemometer?

Community Answer

You could use cardboard strips to replace the straw, but the cardboard has to be strong and able to hold up two cups.

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Question

Do I need to use a single hole punch when making an anemometer?

Community Answer

No. You can use a knife or a pen. Just be careful with the knife.

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Question

How long does it take to make an anemometer?

Community Answer

10 to 15 minutes at the most.

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Question

If I have no straws or chopsticks in the anemometer, will it still work?

Community Answer

No, it won't work, but if you're saying that you don't have a pencil or chopstick, just use something that resembles a stick.

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Question

How do I punch a hole in the bottom of the cup if I don't have a small screwdriver or scissors?

Community Answer

You can try to use a pencil and poke a hole on the bottom. This might take a few tries and a lot of broken pencil tips, but it should work. You can also use a pen to poke a hole.

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Question

Will my anemometer withstand harsh weather?

Community Answer

No. You can test with the fan or light wind to get a better result. A hurricane or tornado will break it, and lightning will destroy it if it's the tallest object.

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Question

What if I don't have a hole puncher?

Community Answer

You can use a knife or a cutter or a blade, if you don't have a puncher. In fact, even I didn't have a hole puncher, but I made a rough cut, and made it a hole using a pair of scissors.

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Question

Can I use chopsticks instead of straws?

Community Answer

No. You can not us chopsticks because a push pin will not go through them. Use plastic or paper drinking straws.

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Question

Spins per second, so you mean minute?

Sai Charith Pallavajula Satya

Community Answer

If it spins half a circle in a second, then it is 0.5 mph.

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Question

How does it stand up?

Aiden Chen

Community Answer

It doesn't. You have to raise the pencil yourself. In the video shown, a pencil can't stand up straight unless you stick it into something.

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