Temperature and Windspeed Correlation Research

Overview

 Weather and temperature have an impact on our lives every day. Most notably what we are going to wear on a day-to-day basis depending on the temperature. This research projects aims to investigate the relationship between wind speed and temperature to provide an accurate understanding of weather patterns. Through trials and research, we will be able to understand if wind has any effect on the actual or ’feels like’ temperature in our daily lives. 

Process

Discovery Research

To start the research, the team needed to understand a little more about how research is conducted at the university level. For this, Dr. Fischer, a professor and researcher at KU was interviewed. Dr. Fischer’s research focuses on the effects of extended pipetting on hand bones, particularly the thumb joint, to understand its potential link to arthritis, and on preventative measures for cleft palate formation. His work aims to reduce arthritis risk in individuals with repetitive hand movements and minimize cleft palate occurrences through proactive measures. The research involves using MRI scans to analyze affected bones and monitor the development of rodent fetuses’ palates. Dr. Fischer chose his research questions based on observations of increased arthritis risk in lab workers and the need to understand cleft palate formation. Success in this research requires determination, discipline, and compassion. Undergraduate students can get involved by talking to professors or searching online for opportunities. 

Data Collection

During the test day, we used temperature and wind sensors to gather our data. The coding approach involved conducting a one-day test within a consistent environment to ensure the most reliable results. To enhance the accuracy of our findings, we conducted trials both within and outside of the wind, allowing us to obtain controlled data and better understand the impact of environmental variables on the sensor measurements. This approach provided a thorough assessment of the sensors' performance under varying conditions. 

Analysis 

Over the course of a one-day experiment, we collected five trials in a controlled environment. Each trial used a windspeed sensor to collect the data. The data was then placed into a plot chart to give a visual reference of all data collected. This allowed us to see what patterns formed from in the wind temperature and outside of the wind. By doing so, we were able to easily comprehend what the data was trending towards.  

Results

The outcomes of this study were gathered to find the correlation between windspeed and temperature. Following the series of five trials and collection of data, the observed results found showed little to no relationship between the two. From trial one through five, there was slight differences in windspeed, yet no real fluctuation of temperature. For example, during the second trial, at one point the wind speed was drastically different yet provided the same temperature 

Conclusion

The conclusion of this research is simple and provided no correlation between the windspeed and temperature. The result of ‘feels like’ temperature is the act of wind taking heat away from our bodies, but not directly changing the temperature. For furthering this study, we could research the temperature change according to the body temperature. Since wind takes heat away from our bodies, body heat will slowly decrease which gives us the ‘” feels like” temperature. 

This project was then presented during the KU Fall 2023 Undergraduate Research Symposium.