Dear Daisy,

It is possible to build a seismometer out of inexpensive and easy to 
work with items such as popsicle sticks and paper cups.  Here's a 
picture from a workshop for teachers where they are doing just that:
http://jclahr.com/science/earth_science/northridge_2007/photos/target0.html
There are some added pictures here:
http://www.iris.edu/about/ENO/iows/2_2004b.htm
This page gives the basic instructions:
http://www.howstuffworks.com/framed.htm?parent=question142.htm&url=http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/lessons/indiv/davis/hs/Seismograph.html

UC Berkeley provides ideas for a slightly more elaborate but still 
quite easy to build seismometer:
http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/lessons/indiv/davis/hs/Seismograph.html

Most important, have some fun with this and try to come up with your 
own design.  Send me a picture when your project is done, or post a 
picture on your school web site so that I can see it.

Yours,
John Lahr


>----- Original Message ----- From: "Daisy Torres" 
>To: 
>Sent: Friday, February 09, 2007 4:39 PM
>Subject: HELLO
>
>
>>HI I ACTUALLY HAVE TO MAKE A SEISMOGRAPH FOR SCHOOL.  MY TEACHER 
>>TOLD ME I COULD DO IT OUT OF POPSICLE STICKS (WHICH I WANT TO DO IT OUT OF).
>>   BUT I LOOK AT ALL THIS HEAVY STUFF LIKE WOOD THAT SUPPOSABLY 
>> THATS HOW YOU DO ONE.  BUT I DONT HAVE THAT MAATERIAL AND REALLY 
>> DONT WANT TO DO IT OUT OF NONE OF THAT STUFF.  AND I DONT KNOW HOW 
>> TO DO ONE. IM VERY CONFUSED.
>>  WHAT CAN I DO IT OUT OFF?
>>  (LIKE POPSICLE STICKS) IF I CAN HOW?
>>  "REMEMBER IM ONLY IN 8TH GRADE.
>>  PLEASE RESPOND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, PLAESE!!!!
>


#################################/ John C. Lahr
################################/ Emeritus Seismologist
###############################/ U.S. Geological Survey
==========================/ Central Region Geologic Hazards Team
#############################//#################################
############################//##################################
                              PO Box 548  /###################################
              Corvallis, Oregon 97339 /===============================
              Phone: (541) 758-2699 /####################################
                Cell: (541) 740-4844 /#####################################
              Fax: (413) 658-2699 /######################################
                  johnjan@........ /#######################################
                                  http://jclahr.com/science/


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