With water, dish soap and a little spin, you can make a tornado in a bottle! This experiment can be a great way to learn how tornadoes work. For a basic experiment, try making a tornado in a bottle. If you want to try a more complicated experiment, use two bottles and stick them together. Keep reading this article to find out how!
Step
Part 1 of 3: Filling the Bottle
Step 1. Fill a plastic bottle with water
Leave 5 centimeters of space at the top of the bottle. You can use any size bottle, but the bigger the bottle you choose, the bigger the tornado. The bigger the tornado, the easier it will be for you to observe its effect on the water.
- If you're only making a tornado with one bottle, you can use a plastic water bottle or a clear glass bottle. If you want to make a tornado with two bottles, use two 2 liter soda bottles.
- Experiment with the amount of water. Note whether the amount of water has an impact on the size and speed of the tornado.
Step 2. Add dish soap
Two drops of concentrated soap is enough. You can also use oil or other hydrophobic substances (substances that do not dissolve in water).
- Do not use other cleaning products such as bleach or non-liquid soap. Also, don't use laundry detergent. These products are formulated to interact with water in a different way than dish soap.
- Try experimenting with the amount or brand of dish soap you use. Pay attention to whether certain brands work better than others (or whether the amount of soap has an effect on the formation of a tornado).
Step 3. Add a pinch of glitter powder
This step is optional, but makes it easier for you to see a rotating tornado. Alternatively, add food coloring for easier viewing. If you're using a large bottle, try popping some plastic houses from the game of Monopoly to simulate a "house" being lifted by a tornado.
Step 4. Close the bottle
If you're making a tornado with a single bottle, all you have to do is put the cap on and lock it. If you're making a tornado with two bottles, find a way to attach the mouths of the bottles together and lock them together to make them watertight. Try using super glue, putty, duct tape, or a large rubber band.
Part 2 of 3: Making a Tornado with One Bottle
Step 1. Make sure the bottle is tightly closed
The trick will not work unless the bottle is completely airtight. Test the bottle cap by hand.
Step 2. Twist the bottle
Hold the bottle by the top or bottom, and use your wrist to shake the water in the bottle in a circular motion (as if you were making a whirlpool). After a few seconds of shaking the bottle, you can see the water start to swirl in the center of the bottle. This is your "tornado". Think about the following questions:
- Why does the water rotate?
- Does the tornado rotate clockwise or vice versa?
- How does shimmer powder interact with tornadoes?
Step 3. Try experimenting
Spin the bottle slower or faster. You can also turn the bottle upside down, then twist it. Observe if changes in the spin pattern affect the appearance of the tornado.
Step 4. Learn what makes water swirl and swirl
This whirlpool is the effect of the centripetal force-a force that moves inward and pulls other objects or liquids into the center of its rotating path. In this experiment, the water rotates and swirls in the “center” of the vortex which is the center of the bottle because the bottle determines the size or area of the “body of water”.
Part 3 of 3: Making a Tornado with Two Bottles
Step 1. Make sure the two bottles are connected at the mouth
These connected parts must be airtight and watertight. Place the bottles upright so that the bottom of the first bottle (full of water) is on the ground or table, and the bottom of the second bottle (empty) is on top. Make sure you leave an inch or so of space at the top of the bottle filled with water.
Step 2. Turn the bottle upside down
Think of this movement as if you were turning an hourglass. The first bottle will now be empty, and the second bottle will be filled with water. Hold the bottle to hold it in place because once the prop is turned over, the center of the load is at the top (full bottle).
Step 3. Observe the water flowing down
The air pressure in the second bottle (above) is lower than the air pressure in the first bottle (below) so that the water flow that passes through the two mouths of the bottle will not be large.
Step 4. Shake the bottle of water in a circular motion
If you turn the top bottle (which is filled with water) slowly, the water will begin to flow smoothly. This spin forms a vortex or “tornado” in the center of the bottle as the water flows from the low pressure chamber to the high pressure chamber.
Tips
- If you're making a tornado with two bottles, make sure you hold the necks of both bottles so the props don't break.
- Try adding messes. You can also use feathers, salt, or any object that a tornado can attract!
- Try adding a variety of ingredients to the tornado mixture, such as oil and food coloring. Experiment with different types of fluids.
- For a more realistic visual effect, insert a few small leaves to simulate leaves being swept away by a tornado.
