Download ArticleDownload Article

An anemometer is a tool made to measure the speed of wind. With a few simple materials, making an anemometer is an easy arts and crafts project that students can do to help them learn various scientific methods and subjects such as experimentation, recording data, windy velocity, and physics.

Part 1
Part 1 of 2:

Making Holes In The Cups

Download Article
  1. How.com.vn English: Step 1 Punch holes in the cups.
    Gather four 3 oz. paper or plastic party cups, and use a single hole paper puncher to punch a hole on the side of each cup. The punched hole should be about ½ inch under the rim of the cup.
  2. How.com.vn English: Watermark How.com.vn to Make an Anemometer
    With the fifth party cup, use the single hole puncher to punch two holes directly across from each other, ½ inch underneath the rim of the cup. The holes should be level and even. Punch two more holes ¼ inch from the rim of the cup, directly across from one another, and in between the two first punched holes.
    • The final result should appear to have four equally spaced and perpendicular holes near the rim of the center cup.
    Advertisement
  3. How.com.vn English: Watermark How.com.vn to Make an Anemometer
    Use a pushpin to punch a small hole in the bottom of the center cup.[1] Then use scissors to make the hole slightly bigger, so a pencil can fit through the hole and sit loosely.
  4. Advertisement
Part 2
Part 2 of 2:

Connecting The Anemometer Parts

Download Article
  1. How.com.vn English: Watermark How.com.vn to Make an Anemometer
    Fit a straw through the hole in one of the cups that has one hole punched in it. About ½ inch of the straw should be poking through the inside of the cup. Bend this ½ inch of straw poking into the cup, and tape it to the inside wall of the cup.[2]
    • Do this same procedure with another straw and another cup with one hole punched in it.[3] Afterward, you should have to cups with two straws coming out from their sides.
  2. How.com.vn English: Watermark How.com.vn to Make an Anemometer
    Feed the straw coming from one of the cups through the two holes (directly across from each other) in the center cup. Once the straw comes out the other end of the center cup, feed the straw through another cup with one hole punched in it.[4] When the straw is inserted into the other cup with one hole punched in it, let ½ inch of the straw go through to the inside of the cup. Fold the ½ inch of straw on the inside of the cup, and tape it down to the cup’s inner wall.
    • Repeat this step with the other cup and attached straw.[5]
  3. How.com.vn English: Watermark How.com.vn to Make an Anemometer
    Feed the straw attached to the other one hole-pinched cup through the other two holes in the center cup. When the straw is through the two holes, attach another one hole-punched cup onto the end of the straw. Just like before, allow ½ inch of the straw to penetrate to the inside of the cup. Bend the ½ inch of straw, and tape it to the inside of the cup.[6]
    • Make sure that the two cups on each end of the straws are facing in opposite directions. When all the cups are added to the ends of the straws, all openings of the cups should be facing the same direction.[7]
  4. How.com.vn English: Watermark How.com.vn to Make an Anemometer
    Push the eraser side of the pencil through the bottom hole in the center cup. Push the pencil upward until it meets to the intersecting straws. Push the pushpin through the two intersecting straws and into the eraser end of the pencil.
    • Be sure that you don’t push the pin in as tight as it will go, otherwise the anemometer won’t spin when exposed to wind.[8] Push the pushpin in just enough so the straws stay connected to each other and the pencil eraser.
  5. Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    What do I need to make the anemometer?
    How.com.vn English: Community Answer
    Community Answer
    4 plastic cups, 2 straws, a nail, a hole punch, and a stapler.
  • Question
    What is the difference between a weather vane and an anemometer?
    How.com.vn English: Community Answer
    Community Answer
    A weather vane shows the direction of the wind while anemometer shows the speed of the wind.
  • Question
    How do I measure the wind speed? Isn't that the whole point of the project?
    How.com.vn English: Community Answer
    Community Answer
    To measure the wind speed, count the number of spins the anemometer makes in one second with the help of a stopwatch. Every spin it makes is one mile per hour (mph).
See more answers
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Video

      Tips

      • Use straws that would hold.
      • After you make your first hole punch in the center cup, stick the pencil through the hole to mark where you want to punch the opposing hole.
      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
      Advertisement

      Things You'll Need

      • Five paper or plastic 3oz. cups
      • Pencil
      • Tape
      • Single hole punch
      • Two straws


      About This Article

      Tested by:
      How.com.vn Video Team
      How.com.vn is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 42 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 254,047 times.
      149 votes - 74%
      Co-authors: 42
      Updated: March 21, 2024
      Views: 254,047
      Categories: Meteorology
      Article SummaryX

      To make an anemometer, start by punching a hole under the rim of 4 plastic cups. Then, punch 4 holes that are equal in distance from each other in a fifth cup, and make a small hole in the bottom of the cup. Next, push 2 straws into the cup through the holes so that they’re intersecting each other. Then, connect each of the cups with 1 hole to the ends of the straws, and turn the cups so that they’re all facing the same direction. Finally, insert a pencil into the bottom of the center cup, and use a push pin to secure the eraser to the straws. To learn more, like how to adjust your anemometer if it won’t spin in the wind, read on!

      Did this summary help you?

      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 254,047 times.

      Reader Success Stories

      • How.com.vn English: Anonymous

        Anonymous

        Dec 11, 2023

        "I used this for my stem project and got an A."
      Share your story

      Did this article help you?

      ⚠️ Disclaimer:

      Content from Wiki How English language website. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License; additional terms may apply.
      Wiki How does not encourage the violation of any laws, and cannot be responsible for any violations of such laws, should you link to this domain, or use, reproduce, or republish the information contained herein.

      Notices:
      • - A few of these subjects are frequently censored by educational, governmental, corporate, parental and other filtering schemes.
      • - Some articles may contain names, images, artworks or descriptions of events that some cultures restrict access to
      • - Please note: Wiki How does not give you opinion about the law, or advice about medical. If you need specific advice (for example, medical, legal, financial or risk management), please seek a professional who is licensed or knowledgeable in that area.
      • - Readers should not judge the importance of topics based on their coverage on Wiki How, nor think a topic is important just because it is the subject of a Wiki article.

      Advertisement