| How to Build a Rain Gauge Posted: 12 May 2022 09:00 AM PDT If you'd like to keep track of how much rainfall you're getting, you can either buy a rain gauge or make one for yourself. You only need a few simple materials and a small amount of time. Use the gauge to compare the rainfall day to day, week to week, or even month to month. [Edit]Creating a Rain Gauge With Built In Measurement - Cut the top off of the bottle. Use a pair of scissors to carefully cut the top of the bottle off. Cut just beneath where the bottle begins to narrow. A plastic soda bottle works best. Be sure to remove the paper label completely.[1]
- Parental supervision may be necessary for younger children when cutting the bottle.
- Place pebbles in the bottom. Pour in the pebbles in the bottom of the bottle. Soda bottles are never flat. Pour in the pebbles to even out the bottom and to keep the gauge from tipping over if it's windy or the downpour is extremely heavy.[2]
- Turn the top of the bottle into a funnel. Remove the cap from the top of the bottle and turn it upside down. Place it upside down on the bottom part of the bottle so that the top is pointing downward. Secure the funnel in place by lining up the cut edges and taping the two halves together.[3]
- Make sure that the top half is firmly held in place, and that there aren't any gaps between the two pieces of your gauge.
- Create your measuring line. Cut a long piece of duct tape and place it on the side of the gauge so that it creates a straight vertical line from the bottom of the bottle to the top. Take a marker and a straightedge to draw a horizontal line just above the pebbles. This is the bottom of the gauge.[4]
- Use duct tape for it's strong adhesive properties. Masking tape, or other forms of tape, may come loose when soaking wet.
- Mark off half-centimeter or half-inch intervals. Take a ruler and place it against the tape so that the 0 lines up with the bottom line you have marked off. Use a marker to mark off every half-centimeter or half-inch along the tape until you get to the top. Label the centimetres or inches from the top to the bottom. You want to be sure that your measurements will be easy to read throughout the duration of the experiment.[5]
- Every half interval does not need to be labeled. Label every other mark by beginning with the second mark as 1 inch or cm. The marks in-between each label are a half measurement. Make sure to wait until your marker dries on the tape before placing your gauge in the rain. Do not use washable markers or apply markings while in the rain. If you have to reapply new tape or new markings midway through the experiment, your results may be considered inaccurate.
- You may use any unit of measurement your experiment calls for. You can mark off every quarter-inch, eighth-inch, or centimeter.
- Place the gauge at an optimal location. Set your gauge on a level surface. Make sure it isn't obstructed by any branches or in the way of people walking by. Pour some water in the bottom until it reaches the 0 mark and then you're ready to collect.[6]
- You may also use coloured jelly instead of water to give yourself a reference point of where to start measuring. Use jelly or oil rather than another liquid as those may dissolve and mix into the water, ruining your measurements. These bottles are not evenly shaped on the bottom so you must account for this by establishing your starting point.
- Make sure that the gauge is in a protected area. You want to ensure that there's no disturbance from wind, debris, or anything else that could block or prevent rain from entering, like a branch or powerline.
- Pay attention to the weather. Check the forecast for rain. Check your gauge exactly 24 hours later to see how high the water has risen. Now you know how much rain has fallen.[7]
- Check how closely your measurements compare to official ones by checking the news or online for the rainfall measurements of your area for the day.
- Repeat your measurements. You can continue measuring for 7 - 14 days or until your curiosity has stopped. If this is an experiment assigned by your teacher, make sure you follow every perimeter and take measurements until the experiment tells you to stop.[8]
- Try to take your measurements at roughly the same time so that you get a 24-hour reading. Then, dump the rain out between each measurement to start a new measurement for the next day.
[Edit]Using a Measuring Cylinder - Get a plastic bottle. Find an empty two litre plastic bottle from your recyclables. You can also buy a two litre bottle of soda from your local supermarket or corner store and empty it out. Make sure that it is completely empty and dry of its contents before using.
- Cut off the top. Cut a consistent diameter by carefully positioning masking tape a quarter of the way down around the bottle to create a horizontal line. Use sharp scissors to cut the bottle at the masking tape. You want the diameter to be consistent.
- Invert the top of the bottle. Remove the top of the bottle and invert it to fit upside down over the bottom of the bottle like a funnel. Use paperclips to hold the two halves snugly together. If there is a heavy downpour, you will need to make sure your rain gauge does not come apart.
- Place your rain gauge. Find an adequate location to collect rain. You don't want to place the gauge close to a high traffic area where it could get knocked over. Avoid placing it near buildings or trees where a change in wind direction could prevent any rain from falling into the gauge.
- Keep it upright by placing it in a bucket or container. You may also dig a hole for the gauge to stand about halfway in.
- Measure your findings. Remove the gauge from its location at the prescribed time every day and take your measurement. Pour the collected rain into a measuring cylinder. Be careful not to spill any water.
- For example, your measuring cylinder may be measuring in cm so if you have collected rain for one week and the water you pour in from your rain gauge reaches the 10 cm mark on your measuring cylinder, you can ascertain that roughly 10 cm of rain has fallen during the week.
- Compare your daily measurements. Using a pen and paper, record your findings every day at the exact same time of day to give you an accurate comparison.
- Account for an uneven bottle. Most soda bottles are uneven at the bottom. Before you measure any rain, use a ruler to measure how much liquid fills the uneven bottom. Subtract this small amount from your final findings.
- Analyze your results. Compare the amount of rain you gather to the length of time it takes to reach this amount. For example, how many days will it take to rain 15 cm. You can also compare the rainfall from month to month, week to week, or day to day. You may even graph your results to see the changes as the season progresses into the next.
- You may also compare your findings with the wind speed, wind direction, or air pressure. Be sure to always replace your gauge at the same location.
- You may also want to put a small amount of cooking oil, baby oil, etc in the container before putting it in the rain. The oil keeps the water from evaporating, making your measurement more accurate.
- Remember, if you put a millimeter of oil in the container, subtract a millimeter from your final measurement.
- If you use a taller, thinner collecting vessel for the gauge itself, then you could calibrate it so that it can be read directly without need for the calculation every time you take a reading.
- You should leave some space and dig the rain gauge into the ground. It will stay put longer.
[Edit]Warnings - Place in an open space where there are no overhanging plants, trees, hedges, buildings etc.
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Rainy weather
- Paper and pencil
Method 1: - Empty two-liter plastic bottle
- Scissors
- A few handfuls of clean pebbles, gravel, or marbles
- Duct tape
- Water
- Ruler
- Permanent marker
Method 2: - Empty two-liter plastic bottle
- Scissors
- Masking tape
- Measuring Cylinder
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| How to Volunteer Posted: 12 May 2022 01:00 AM PDT Volunteering in your community gives you a chance to give back. You'll feel a sense of pride that you are volunteering your time, and a local organization will benefit, too. If you want to get started volunteering, find an organization that's a good fit for you, and then decide what you have to offer. Then you can apply to volunteer at that organization and get started in your new position. [Edit]Picking an Organization - Focus on causes you feel strongly about. When you decide to volunteer, you may want to plug into the first volunteer opportunity you come across. However, you're likely to be happier and volunteer longer at an organization that supports a cause you care about. When looking for an organization to volunteer at, try to pick one with a cause that riles your passions.[1]
- For example, if you're passionate about animal welfare, maybe you want to volunteer at an animal shelter. If you believe in literacy, maybe you want to volunteer at a library or a school.
- Look for more than just the "standard" volunteer organizations. When you think about volunteering, your mind may focus on organizations such as soup kitchens, homeless shelters, or food banks. While those organizations are very worthy of your time, you may find other opportunities better fit your personality or skill set, ones that you may not think of immediately but that still need help.[2]
- For example, you may find that volunteering with your local parks, at a prison, with youth organizations, or even for disaster relief may be more to your liking.
- Use a volunteer site to find a good match. Much like job search sites, you can use volunteer sites like Volunteer Match or Serve.gov to help you find volunteer opportunities in your area. Organizations list volunteer openings on their website, and you can search through and narrow them down, much like you would job listings.[3]
- Talk to friends and family. If you still can't narrow down where you want to volunteer, start asking people you know where they volunteer. You may find one of them has the perfect opportunity for you, and it can make it easier to volunteer with someone you know the first time.[4]
- Volunteering with friends can make it less scary and more enjoyable because you're with people you know and have fun with.
- Pick an organization that will teach you something new. The first objective of volunteering is helping an organization and your community. However, volunteer opportunities can also benefit you. For one, they can give you career experience you don't have. Some organizations will also offer you training and career development. Consider how volunteering at a particular organization may benefit you in the future.[5]
- For instance, volunteering at a clinic can teach you some about the healthcare system, while volunteering at library can teach you about community programs, literacy initiatives, and library organization. If you volunteer with the park system, you'll learn about park management.
- You could also choose organizations that would develop skills you already have. For instance, if you are partially fluent in another language, you could offer your skills as a translator to community organizations, improving your skills along the way.
- Volunteer overseas. While you'll find plenty of opportunities to volunteer in your own community, volunteering overseas is also an option. When you volunteer overseas, you can do everything from assisting at a pop-up health clinic in a remote village, assisting scientists on a biological expedition, or building schools in an impoverished area.[6]
- When volunteering abroad, you can go on short, week-long excursions, or you can commit to much longer periods of volunteering
- You could even join an organization like the Peace Corps for a long-term experience, where you can volunteer in fields like agriculture, education, health, economic development, and youth development.[7]
[Edit]Establishing What You Can Offer - Identify your skills. When thinking about where you want to volunteer, considering your skill set is important. Organizations are always looking for people with different skill sets, so no matter what you're good at, you should be able to find a place that can use those skills. First, though, you need to identify those skills.[8]
- For example, maybe you have stellar people skills, so you'd do well at a place where you interact with people often, such as a soup kitchen or homeless shelter.
- On the other hand, if writing is more your style, look into opportunities that can put that skill to use. For example, maybe you could write brochures for local nonprofits.
- Review your weekly schedule. You don't want to say that you can volunteer five times a week only to bail on the organization after a month. You need to be realistic about how much time you can give to an organization based on your other commitments.[9]
- Try not to over-commit yourself. If you try to do too much, you're more likely to give up.
- Establish the length of time you'd like to volunteer. Maybe you really only want to volunteer at a place for a month. On the other hand, maybe you're looking for a place to volunteer for the long term. Either is fine, but you need to figure out what you want and be upfront about it with the organization.[10]
- Knowing the length of time you want to commit to can also help you choose an organization and type of volunteering. For instance, if you only want a short-term commitment, you might want to help organize an educational talk at the local art museum. On the other hand, if you want a long-term commitment, you might become a docent at the museum.[11]
- You can even find one-time volunteer opportunities, such as volunteering at a pet adoption event, helping at the library's annual sale, or joining a group park cleanup.
- Volunteer in person or online. Some people have the time to go in person to an organization to volunteer. If that's you, great. If it's not, think about volunteering remotely by doing work online. Many organizations are now looking for people who can help with things like writing and PR work, most of which can be done online.[12]
- You'll find there are all kinds of ways to volunteer. You can run in a marathon to raise money for an organization, work as a big brother or big sister, or organize food at a food bank.
- If you do want to volunteer online, you'd still need to find the right organization. You could send emails to local organizations and offer your writing or design skills, for instance, though they will probably still want to meet you in person at least once. You could also do things like tutor kids on the internet who are in need of homework assistance.
[Edit]Beginning a Volunteer Opportunity - Treat the application like a job. While some volunteer opportunities will be relatively low-key when it comes to the application process, others will want many of the same things an employer would want. For instance, many will have you fill out an application. They'll likely want to talk with you, as well as check your references. Be courteous and professional throughout these interactions.
- Spend some time preparing for the interview, much as you would for a job interview. Be ready to talk about yourself, your background, and what you have to offer to the organization.[13]
- Remember, the interview is also a time for you to assess whether the organization is the right fit for you. Don't be afraid to ask any questions you may have.
- Ask what's expected of volunteers. Organizations are going to have certain objectives for their volunteers. Some may require training or a certain number of hours per week. Some may have a rigid volunteer schedule, while others may be more flexible. The important thing is you know what you're getting into ahead of time.[14]
- For instance, volunteers at a museum may be expected to learn parts of the galleries to give tours, while volunteers at a clinic will be expected to maintain certain privacy standards.
- If you're helping with a 5K charity run, you may find volunteers are expected to do things like sign people in, assist at water stations, or help organize the crowd.
- Complete any needed training. For some organizations, training will be minimal. You may need to attend a short orientation, for instance. In other organizations, it may be more extensive. One suicide crisis organization, for instance, requires its volunteers to take a training course and get certification that costs $250, though you may be able to get assistance with the cost.
- Start volunteering slowly. That is, you don't want to immediately commit to volunteering three times a week for a year only to find that you hate your volunteer position. Of course, you can always back out, but it's better to commit to just a little bit of time at first to see if you like volunteering at the organization. Once you've volunteered there for a short period and decided you like it, you can commit to a longer period of time.[15]
- Move organizations if needed.. You shouldn't stay in a volunteer position you're unhappy with. If you are unhappy, try asking about how your work could be shifted within the organization. If that doesn't work, consider finding another opportunity somewhere else.[16]
- If you are offered a leadership position or nominated as an officer, consider carefully whether that is what you want. If what you love is the in-the-trenches work for an organization, its board meetings and budgets may only prove to be a burden and an extra time commitment. On the other hand, if you feel you can best contribute by helping an organization to run smoothly, give leadership a try.
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