How to Make a Rain Gauge out of a Plastic Bottle

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Peel the label off of a plastic bottle.

   Common choices are a 500 milliliters (16.9  fl oz) drinking bottle or a2.00 liters (67.6  fl oz) bottle.
   
   Either way peel or cut the label off of the bottle.
   
   This will allow you to mark on the bottle later and see inside the bottle.
2. 2

   Step 2: Cut the top off of your bottle.

   Use a pair of scissors or a utility knife to cut the top off of the bottle.
   
   Cut right where the sides stop going straight up and start to turn in.
   
   This will leave you the most room in your rain gauge and provide you an effective funnel.
   
   Have an adult assist or supervise this step. , Turn the top upside down and put it back on top of the bottle.
   
   This should leave the top of the bottle pointing inside the bottle (make sure the lid is off).
   
   Now, that water can effectively flow into the gauge.
   
   Tape your funnel around the edge with packing tape (if you have it) to keep the funnel in place. , Adding sand to the bottom of the bottle will provide weight to keep the bottle from tipping over.
   
   It will also give you a level surface to measure water (the bottom of most bottles is unlevel).
   
   Putting ½ inch of sand in the bottle is sufficient.
   
   You can use any sand.
   
   Collect some along a river bank or on the beach, or go buy some at your local hardware store. , Add just enough water to cover the sand completely.
   
   The amount of water needed to fill all of the holes between sand particles and cover the top of the sand is called the saturation point.
   
   Use a marker to mark the saturation point on the outside of your bottle. , From the saturation mark, measure up the bottle and make marks every inch.
   
   You can also make marks in between these lines to designate fractions of an inch (½, ¼, ⅛, etc.).
   
   Put clear tape over your markings to protect them from weather.
   
   You can also use clear tape to tape a ruler to the bottle.
   
   You can also mark the bottle in centimeters or millimeters. , Usually, rainfall is measured at ground level.
   
   This means that you will need to dig a hole just deep enough to put your bottle in.
   
   The top of the bottle should be flush with the ground around it. , Leave the bottle uncovered.
   
   When it rains, rainwater will be funneled into the bottle.
   
   This will allow you to record the amount of rain that fell on that particular day. , Write down the amount of rainfall that you record.
   
   This way, you can put the rain gauge back in the same place and collect water from the next rain.
   
   Over time, you can chart how much rainfall your area has received.
   
   Note that these readings will differ depending on the size bottle you use.
   
   Any bottle will differ from the official rain gauge used by meteorologists.
3. 3

   Step 3: Flip the top to make a funnel.

4. 4

   Step 4: Add sand to the bottom of the bottle.

5. 5

   Step 5: Saturate the sand with water.

6. 6

   Step 6: Make a ruler on the bottle.

7. 7

   Step 7: Put the bottle in a hole outside.

8. 8

   Step 8: Let the bottle collect rain.

9. 9

   Step 9: Record your readings.

Detailed Guide

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