
Rainfall Patterns Across the US
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Does the same amount of rain and snow fall everywhere in the United States? Different cities can get very different amounts in the same month.
You collect weekly precipitation data from schools across the country by email. Each school reports how much rain or snow fell that week. You also set up homemade rain gauges at home to track local differences.
The results show big gaps between cities. One city may get almost no snow while another gets over 50 centimeters in the same month.
Hypothesis
The hypothesis is that there will be different amounts of precipitation in different parts of the US.
Method & Materials
You will collect data from different parts of the US, measure the amount of precipitation at your own home, and compare the data.
You will need a rain gauge, 2 liter pop bottles, and email.
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See what’s includedResults
We found that there were different amounts of precipitation across the US, and even in our own area. California had a lot of rain due to El Nino, while Evanston had no snow.
Why do this project?
This science project is interesting because it shows how weather can vary in different parts of the country.
Also Consider
Experiment variations to consider include measuring the amount of precipitation over a longer period of time, or collecting data from more locations.
Full project details
Additional information and source material for this project are available below.Related video
These videos explain the science behind this project and demonstrate key concepts used in the experiment.
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