How much is a barometer?

Answer 1

Technically, millimeters of Mercury. These days, though, inches of Mercury is much more common. When the weatherman says that the barometer is 29.7, they are referring to the number of inches that the air pressure will force mercury to go up inside a glass tube. These days, they don't use the actual mercury column so much, but rather mechanical barometers.

Answer 2

Barometers fall into three major cost categories:

* Expensive scientific instruments worth several hundred dollars. Difficult to red, adjust, calibrate and maintain and often filled with toxic mercury.

* Gift shop novelty items ranging in cost from a few dollars to over a hundred dollars based on the fanciness of the housing. Nice to look at and usually fairly accurate.

* Do it yourself tin can/rubber sheet/drinking straw arrangements which are essentially free. Not as fancy, but can be reasonably accurate.

The fourth option of looking at the local government weather site for barometric information on the internet gives the advantage of data gathered by an expensive scientific instrument while costing pennies a day.

Aside: The gov't site gives data to calibrate the homemade variety and/or set the other two types as well as providing direct information.

Answer 3

The price of a barometer can vary depending on the quality and brand. On average, you can expect to pay between $20 to $100 for a basic barometer for home use. Specialized or antique barometers can cost significantly more.