EDUCATION: URBANMAAP

Aerosols Study: Data Collection Guidelines

Sunphotometer measurements must be taken side-by-side with a minimum of two instrument operators. You may want to have two student instrument operators per instrument, one to operate the instrument and the other to record the data.

Remember that the best times to make your measurements are from 7 to 9 a.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. when the air mass is changing the fastest.

Identify a sunny location at your school where your team will always take measurements

During each observation:

• Plug the voltmeter leads into the sunphotometer jacks: red to red and black to black.
• Turn on the voltmeter to DC Voltage
• Turn on the sunphotometer, the voltage should read about 13mV if everything is working properly
• Direct the sunphotometer towards the sun
• Align the external guides so that the sunbeam shines through the first guide and lands on the dot on the second guide. Make minor adjustments until you find the largest and most stable voltage reading.
• Record the time of the measurement, the voltage, and sky conditions

Repeat the measurement every 30 minutes for about two hours in the morning and again in the evening.

Meet at the end of each day with your teammates to assemble the data that you have each collected.

Record your school data on a printed copy of the data entry form.

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