Equipment
- a clear two (2) litre plastic drink bottle
- scissors
- paperclips
- jelly (3 or 4 cubes made up as directed on the packet)
- ruler
Method
1. Cut off the top of the bottle about a quarter of the way down, below the neck of the bottle, where the diameter is consistent. Cut smoothly.
2. Take the bottle top that you have cut off, turn it upside down and place it back in the bottom part of the bottle. It should fit snugly, but to make sure it does not fall out use a few paper clips to hold the two halves together.
3. The bottles are usually shaped at the bottom, however you need a completely flat bottom to be able to measure the depth accurately. To achieve this, pour in some brightly colored jelly mixture and let it set in the bottom of the bottle. Depth can them be measured from the top of the jelly.
4. Attach a ruler to the side off your rain gauge in order to measure the amount of water collected. Remember to line up the zero with the top of the jelly, not the bottom of the bottle.
