Student Research Reports

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In our project, we compared precipitation measurements using a metal Helmann rain gauge and a plastic rain gauge. Since we did not have a graduated cylinder for the metal rain gauge at our disposal, we set the research questions: How do we measure the amount of precipitation in a rain gauge that does not have an internal droplet? Will the measured amount of precipitation differ compared to the amount measured by a plastic rain gauge? In the period from 15th October 2017 to 22nd December 2017, we measured precipitation in both rain gauges according to the GLOBE protocol. We calculated the surface of the Hellman rain gauge opening by measuring its radius in three ways. Accordingly, we got the factor by which we calculated the precipitation amount measured in a graduated cylinder from ml to mm, that is, L/m2. By comparing the precipitation amount measured in both rain gauges we recorded that the measured precipitation amount in the metal Hellman rain gauge was smaller by an average of less than 0,5 mm and thus we did not confirm the hypothesis that the measured precipitation in both rain gauges would be the same.