A
windsock or
wind cone is a
conicalthumb|250px|right|A right circular cone and an oblique circular coneA cone is a three-dimensional geometric shape that tapers smoothly from a flat, round base to a point called the apex or vertex...
textileA textile is a flexible material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw wool fibres, linen, cotton, or other material on a spinning wheel to produce long strands...
tubeTubing is a pipe or hollow cylinder for the conveyance of fluids . The terms "pipe" and "tubing" are almost interchangeable, although minor distinctions exist — generally, "tubing" implies tighter engineering requirements than "pipe". Both "pipe" and "tube" imply a level of rigidity and...
designed to indicate
windWind is the flow of air or other gases that compose an atmosphere . On Earth, wind consists of the bulk movement of air...
direction and relative
wind speedWind speed is the speed of wind, the movement of air or other gases in an atmosphere. It is a scalar quantity, the magnitude of the vector of motion....
. Windsocks typically are used at
airportAn airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
s and at
chemical plantA chemical plant is an industrial process plant that manufactures chemicals, usually on a large scale. The general objective of a chemical plant is to create new material wealth via the chemical or biological transformation and or separation of materials. Chemical plants use special equipment,...
s where there is risk of
gasThis page is about the physical properties of gas as a state of matter. For the uses of gases, and other meanings, see Gas .A gas is one of four states of matter. Near absolute zero, a substance exists as a solid...
eous
leakA leak is a hole or other opening, usually unintended and therefore undesired, in a container or fluid-containing system, such as a tank or a ship's hull, through which the contents of the container can escape or outside matter can enter the container. The word "leak" is also used as a verb;...
age. They are sometimes located alongside
highwayA highway is a main road for travel by the public between important destinations, such as cities and states. Highway designs vary widely and can range from a two-lane road without margins to a multi-lane, grade separated motorway. In English and U.S...
s at windy locations.
Wind directionWind direction is the direction from which a wind originates. It is usually reported in cardinal directions or in azimuth degrees.There are a variety of instruments used to measure wind direction, such as the windsock and wind vane. Both of these instruments work by moving to minimize air resistance...
is the opposite of the direction in which the windsock is pointing (note that wind directions are conventionally specified as being the
compass pointCompass Point may refer to:* Compass point, a direction on a traditional compass* Compass Point * Compass Point Shopping Centre, a shopping mall in Singapore...
from which the wind originates; so a windsock pointing due
northNorth is one of the four cardinal directions, specifically the direction that, in Western culture, is treated as the fundamental direction:* North is used to define all other directions....
indicates a
southSouth is one of the cardinal directions and is opposite to the north.By Western convention, the bottom side of a map is south; the southern direction has azimuth or bearing of 180°....
erly wind).
A
windsock or
wind cone is a
conicalthumb|250px|right|A right circular cone and an oblique circular coneA cone is a three-dimensional geometric shape that tapers smoothly from a flat, round base to a point called the apex or vertex...
textileA textile is a flexible material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw wool fibres, linen, cotton, or other material on a spinning wheel to produce long strands...
tubeTubing is a pipe or hollow cylinder for the conveyance of fluids . The terms "pipe" and "tubing" are almost interchangeable, although minor distinctions exist — generally, "tubing" implies tighter engineering requirements than "pipe". Both "pipe" and "tube" imply a level of rigidity and...
designed to indicate
windWind is the flow of air or other gases that compose an atmosphere . On Earth, wind consists of the bulk movement of air...
direction and relative
wind speedWind speed is the speed of wind, the movement of air or other gases in an atmosphere. It is a scalar quantity, the magnitude of the vector of motion....
. Windsocks typically are used at
airportAn airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
s and at
chemical plantA chemical plant is an industrial process plant that manufactures chemicals, usually on a large scale. The general objective of a chemical plant is to create new material wealth via the chemical or biological transformation and or separation of materials. Chemical plants use special equipment,...
s where there is risk of
gasThis page is about the physical properties of gas as a state of matter. For the uses of gases, and other meanings, see Gas .A gas is one of four states of matter. Near absolute zero, a substance exists as a solid...
eous
leakA leak is a hole or other opening, usually unintended and therefore undesired, in a container or fluid-containing system, such as a tank or a ship's hull, through which the contents of the container can escape or outside matter can enter the container. The word "leak" is also used as a verb;...
age. They are sometimes located alongside
highwayA highway is a main road for travel by the public between important destinations, such as cities and states. Highway designs vary widely and can range from a two-lane road without margins to a multi-lane, grade separated motorway. In English and U.S...
s at windy locations.
Wind directionWind direction is the direction from which a wind originates. It is usually reported in cardinal directions or in azimuth degrees.There are a variety of instruments used to measure wind direction, such as the windsock and wind vane. Both of these instruments work by moving to minimize air resistance...
is the opposite of the direction in which the windsock is pointing (note that wind directions are conventionally specified as being the
compass pointCompass Point may refer to:* Compass point, a direction on a traditional compass* Compass Point * Compass Point Shopping Centre, a shopping mall in Singapore...
from which the wind originates; so a windsock pointing due
northNorth is one of the four cardinal directions, specifically the direction that, in Western culture, is treated as the fundamental direction:* North is used to define all other directions....
indicates a
southSouth is one of the cardinal directions and is opposite to the north.By Western convention, the bottom side of a map is south; the southern direction has azimuth or bearing of 180°....
erly wind). Windspeed is indicated by the windsock's
angleIn geometry and trigonometry, an angle is the figure formed by two rays sharing a common endpoint, called the vertex of the angle...
relative to the mounting pole; in low winds, the windsock droops; in high winds it flies
horizontalIn astronomy, geography, geometry and related sciences and contexts, a plane is said to be horizontal at a given point if it is locally perpendicular to the gradient of the gravity field, i.e., with the direction of the gravitational force at that point.In radio science, horizontal plane is used...
ly.
Per
FAAThe Federal Aviation Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Transportation with authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
standards referenced below, a wind will fully extend the windsock. A
breezeWind is the flow of air or other gases that compose an atmosphere . On Earth, wind consists of the bulk movement of air...
will cause the windsock to orient itself according to the wind.
At many
airportAn airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
s, windsocks are lighted at
nightNight or nighttime is the period of time when the sun is below the horizon. The opposite of night is day . Time of day varies based on factors such as season, latitude, longitude and timezone.-Duration and geography:Nights are shorter than days on average due to two factors...
, either by flood lights on top surrounding it or with one mounted on the pole shining inside it.
See also
- Anemometer
An anemometer is a device that is used for measuring wind speed, and is one instrument used in a weather station. The term is derived from the Greek word anemos, meaning wind...
- a device for measuring wind speed
- Weather vane
A weather vane, also known as a wind vane or weathercock, is an instrument for showing the direction of the wind. They are typically used as an architectural ornament to the highest point of a building....
- a device for indicating wind direction
- Air sock
An Air sock is a textile or fabric duct used for draught-free air distribution and delivery of conditioned air as an alternative to traditional spiral or rectangular steel ducts with grilles and diffusers...
- Koinobori
', meaning "carp streamer" in Japanese, are carp-shaped wind socks traditionally flown in Japan to celebrate Tango no Sekku , a traditional calendrical event which is now designated a National holiday; Children's Day. These wind socks are made by drawing carp patterns on paper, cloth or other...
- Japanese decorative fish shaped windsocks
External links