Procedure

4. The external Temperature wire was taped to the outside of the box.

The Data

The data file can be downloaded here.

There were 10,864 sets of data collected during the flight of the balloon.

VERY IMPORTANT!!!!!! Please read the information below. It is needed to properly analyze the data.

Definitions / Descriptions:

• Time - Data was recorded every second during flight. The numbers in the time column represent the number of seconds from the launch time which was 10:03:45 am.
• Pressure - The values in this column are a measure of the atmospheric pressure inside the box. The units are inches of Hg.
• T_Int F - This data is the temperature inside the Z-Log box (which is located inside the larger cooler). The temperature is measured electronically using the components on the circuit board. The units are degrees Fahrenheit. A hand-warmer was also placed inside of this box.
• T_Ext F - This data is measured by a temperature sensor that is attached to the circuit board using a wire. This sensor was taped to the outside of the Z-Log box which was located in the larger Styrofoam cooler. This sensor should have been taped to the outside of the large cooler exposed to the atmosphere. The units are degrees Fahrenheit.
• Altitude - This data is the altitude of the Z-Log device measured in feet.
• Vin - This represents the voltage input from the battery.
• UTC - This is the coordinated universal time which also called Zulu Time.
• Lat - Latitude (degrees)
• N/S - North or South
• Lon - Longitude (degrees)
• E/W - East or West
• Speed - This is the speed of the Z-Log device measured in miles per hour.
• Heading - This is the direction the Z-Log is traveling in degrees. North is considered zero degrees, East is ninety degrees, South is one hundred eighty degrees, and West is two hundred seventy degrees.
• GPS Altitude - This measurement is made by connecting to multiple GPS satellites. Then, the on-board computer uses the position of the satellites to geometrically determine the altitude of the Z-Log device in feet.
• Humidity - This data is a measure of the relative humidity inside the Z-Log box. The units are percent.

Analysis

Pressure vs. Time

As the balloon rose, the atmospheric pressure decreased until the balloon reached burst altitude. As the balloon fell (at a faster rate), the pressure increased until the landing. The lowest pressure during flight was 0.559 inches of Hg.

Altitude vs Time

Pressure vs. Altitude

Speed vs. Altitude

Pressure vs. Temperature Inside the Box

Altitude vs. Temperature Inside the Box