Measuring the Wind

Student Worksheet:
Design Your Own Anemometer

You are working as a team of engineers who have been given the challenge to design your own anemometer out of everyday items. You'll be testing your anemometer in several different "wind" speeds generated by a fan or hairdryer in your classroom. You also must devise a system for measuring and recording the speed of the wind as indicated by their anemometer.  And, you'll need to chart your wind speeds on a graph, review the designs of other student "engineering" teams, and present your findings to the class. 
 Planning Stage
Meet as a team and discuss the problem you need to solve.  You'll need to decide if you want to make a four cup or three cup anemometer -- or maybe you'll have a better idea and a new design! Then your team needs to develop and agree on a design for your anemometer.  You'll need to determine what materials you want to use -- keep in mind that your design must be strong enough to withstand wind from a fan or hairdryer and you'll have to be able to generate information about the speed of the wind on a scale you develop -- so there may be some design elements you can engineer into your anemometer to help you keep track of the motion. Draw your design in the box below, and be sure to indicate the description and number of parts you plan to use. Present your design to the class. You may choose to revise your teams' plan after you receive feedback from class.  

	
Materials Needed:

	
  Measuring the Wind

Student Worksheet (continued): 

 Construction Phase

Build your anemometer.  During construction you may decide you need additional materials or that your design needs to change.  This is ok -- just make a new sketch and revise your materials list. 

 Testing Phase

Each team will test their anemometer at three different "wind" speeds using a classroom fan or hairdryer.  Test three times at each speed and determine your average wind speed for each setting of your fan or hairdryer. At each test indicate in the box below what you observe the wind speed to be. Be sure to watch the tests of the other teams and observe how their different designs worked.

Test #	Fan Speed Setting	Wind Speed as Measured by Anemometer	Average Wind Speed at Fan Speed Setting	
1	Low			
2	Low			
3	Low			
1	Medium			
2	Medium			
3	Medium			
1	High			
2	High			
3	High			

 Documentation Phase

Using graph paper, draw a chart that indicates how the wind speed as measured by your anemometer increased as the fan or hairdryer speed setting increased.  Use your average wind speeds for the graph.
 
 Evaluation Phase

Evaluate your teams' results, complete the evaluation worksheet, and present your findings to the class.

  Measuring the Wind

Student Worksheet 
Evaluation: 

Use this worksheet to evaluate your team's results in the "Measuring the Wind" activity.

1. Did you succeed in creating a anemometer that measured the three different "wind" speeds?  If not, why did it fail?

2. Did you decide to revise your original design or request additional materials while in the construction phase?  Why?

3. Did you find that the readings from one of your tests may have resulted in a major shift in your average reading for that wind speed?    

4. If your anemometer was used to test a location to see if it would be a good site to install a wind turbine to harness wind energy, do you think that three tests per speed setting would be enough to generate a reliable average?  If not, how many tests do you think would be adequate?

5.  If you could have had access to materials that were different than those provided, what would your team have requested?  Why?

  Measuring the Wind

Student Worksheet 
Evaluation: (continued) 

6. Do you think that engineers have to adapt their original plans during the construction of systems or products?  Why might they?

7. If you had to do it all over again, how would your planned design change?  Why?

8.  What designs or methods did you see other teams try that you thought worked well?

9.  Why do you think the design of anemometers changed so much over time?

10. List three other pieces of equipment that have been re-engineered over time to improve functionality.

1.

2.

3.