King Sejong of Korea invented the first rain gauge in 1441 to improve agricultural technology and measure rainfall levels. He distributed rain gauges to villages so farmers could track rainfall and predict harvest yields. The Korean invention of the rain gauge preceded the European version by over 200 years. A rain gauge catches and measures liquid precipitation through a funnel and tube system. It can measure rain or the liquid equivalent of snow. Standard rain gauges are manually read, while tipping bucket and weighing rain gauges electronically detect rainfall amounts and intensities. King Sejong also used rain gauge data to determine taxes for farmers.

1. By: Kelli Conway & Anthony TranRain Gauge!

2. The History!King Sejong invented the first rain gauge, he needed ways to improve agricultural technology. His son, King Munjong, invented a rain gauge while measuring rainfall at the palace, he decided that instead of digging into the earth to check rain levels, it would be better to use a standardized container. King Sejong sent a rain gauge to every village, and they were used as an official tool to measure the farmer's potential harvest. The rain gauge was invented in the fourth month of 1441. The invention of the rain gauge in Korea came two hundred years before inventor Christopher Wren created a tipping bucket rain gauge circa 1662 in Europe.

3. What it is used for!A rain gauge measures the amount of liquid precipitation that falls, It can measure either rain or, with added steps, the liquid equivalent of snow

4. How DOES it work?STANDARD RAIN GAUGE- Recording of rainfall using the standard or funnel rain gauge is generally done manually. Theses gauges work by catching the falling rain in a funnel-shaped collector that is attached to a measuring tube.TIPPING BUCKET RAIN GAUGE- Receiving funnel leads to one of two small buckets. Filling of one bucket occurs at one- hundredth of an inch. The result is a “tipping” of the liquid into the outer shell of the gauge, triggering the second bucket to take it’s placeWEIGHING RAIN GAUGE- This is because of the vacuum that accounts for the effects of wind, allowing more rain to enter the gauge. These gauges are very precise in measuring rainfall intensity as the weighing mechanism at the bottom of the collector can be used to measure depth and time simultaneously

5. Interesting Things about Rain Gauges!When Sejong invented the rain gauge he gave one to every villageAlso he used the rain gauge to determine how much tax farmers need to payYou should place a rain gauge in an open areaDon’t place them directly in the ground

6. Questions!Does a rain gauge only measure rain?Which rain gauge is the most accurate?What else did King Sejong use rain gauges for?