Question

Suggest two methods to find out wind direction at a given place.

Answer 1

Hint: Air exerts pressure on objects. If an object is too light then it can be moved by air when it moves in the direction of airflow. You can experience this in your daily life or you can experience at your home to relate to your daily life. You can find the direction of wind by using body movement also, like if you feel air is resistive then air must be coming towards you.

Complete step by step answer:
There are many scientific instruments like anemometers and wind vanes which are used to find out wind direction. You may not have these instruments at every place. There are many simple methods which can be used to find out wind direction. They are as follow:

1. Fly a kite:
Flying a kite is a very simple method to use to find out the wind direction. Just make a kite and fly it. The direction in which kites fly is the direction of wind because the kite is very light and it is pushed by air. If you don’t have a kite or don’t know how to fly a kite, don’t worry, take any piece of cloth and any light thing like cloth or your shirt or your handkerchief and hold it in your hand and raise your hand, it will fly in the direction of wind.

2. Make smoke:
Making smoke is also a very simple method to find out the wind direction. Smoke will always flow in the direction of wind.

Additional Information:
Once the direction of wind is determined, it can be reported in two way
1. Cardinal direction: In this method, we note the direction from which wind is blowing. For example, a northerly wind blows from the north to the south.

2. Azimuth degrees: Wind direction can be reported in clockwise degrees counting from north. So wind coming from north is reported as ${{0}^{{}^\circ }}$, wind coming from east will be reported as ${{90}^{{}^\circ }}$, wind blowing from south will be reported as \[{{180}^{{}^\circ }}\]and wind blowing from west will be reported as \[{{270}^{{}^\circ }}\].

Note: It is very easy to calculate the wind direction. You don’t need very high precise instruments. You just need a few things which are light so that they can move with air. There are various methods used to find direction of wind. If the feel of air is resistive then it must be coming towards you but if air is dragging you then its direction must be along with you.