Inn"
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TEACHING STUDENTS THE USE OF THE BAROMETER
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BARBARA I. McCLELLAND Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
To MANY students, the reading of the barometer is just something that must be done to fulfili the requirements of rertain experiments. However, a further and very interesting application may be made with this reading. Since the beginning of this school year, the readings hare been plotted on graph paper placed beside the laboratory barometer. The readings have been taken daily at 9 A.M. and 3 P.M. during the week. The pressure was plotted with red pencil against the date, using a solid line except for weekends-a broken line then indicating the absence of readings from Sat,urday until Monday. The readings of the barometer-made conspicuous by the red l i n e s o o n attracted attention. Interest grew, and many of the students became as conscious of the t m o m ~ t e rand the effect of the air pressure on the
weather as those who were actually in charge of keeping the graph. When one sheet of graph paper is filled, it is moved to a higher lace on a near-bv wall-each new addition being folded in such a way that the barometric readings for the entire school year will (by June) be shown in one continuous graph. Comparison of next year's pressure with that of a corresponding date for this year will be even more intereshg. Whether or not the graphs serve any other purpose, they nevertheless are bringing the laboratory barometer more to the attention of the students using it, and helping them to understand better the relation between atmospheric pressure and the weather by actually seeing t,he "low" on the graph when the weather is nnsettled and t,he "high" when it is fair.
