Background and Identification
An anemometer is an instrument invented by John Thomas Romney Robinson in 1846 to measure wind speed. The first anemometer featured cups at the end of metal arms that are attached to a vertical rod. When the cups catch the wind, they make the rod spin. The faster the wind blows, the faster the rod spins. The anemometer measures the rotations of the rod, which is used to calculate the wind speed.
There are also many other kinds of anemometers such as handheld anemometers and windmill anemometer. In a medical setting, anemometers are used to measure the velocity of gases in an air duct or liquids in a contained flow.
Additional Information
- Anemometer (Wikipedia)
- Anemometer (National Geographic)