With water, dish soap, and a few twists, you can create a tornado in a bottle! This can be a great way to learn how tornadoes work. To do a basic experiment, you can try creating a tornado in a single bottle. On the other hand, if you want to do something more advanced, then you can put two bottles together. Read on to learn how to do it!
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Fill the bottle (s)
Step 1. Fill a plastic bottle with water
Leave two inches of air at the top of the bottle. The size of the bottle does not matter; But the bigger the bottle, the bigger the tornado. The larger the tornado, the easier it will be to observe the effects in the water.
- If you are creating the tornado with a single bottle, you can use a plastic water bottle or a clear glass mason jar. If you're making a two-bottle tornado, then try using a couple of two-liter soda bottles.
- Try experimenting with more or less water. Note whether the amount of water had an effect on the size and speed of the tornado.
Step 2. Add liquid dish soap
Two jets from a bottle of concentrated soap will suffice. You can also use oil or anything that is hydrophobic (which repels water).
- Don't try to use other cleaning products like bleach or soap powder. Don't use laundry detergent, as it is designed to interact differently with water than dish soap.
- Try changing the amount of dish soap you add to the bottle, or the brand of soap. See if a particular brand works better than another, or if more or less soap has a different effect.
Step 3. Add a dash of glitter
This step is optional, but it can make it easier to see the tornado in action. Similarly, you can also add coloring to better see the effect. If you use a large bottle, you can also put some small Monopoly houses inside to simulate the houses that the tornado is taking away.
Step 4. Seal the bottle
If you are making a single bottle tornado, you will only need to twist the cap to seal. Instead, if you are making a tornado with two bottles, you will need to find a way to secure the openings so that they are airtight when they face each other. You can try using glue, tape, dough, or a large rubber band.
Part 2 of 3: Create a Tornado with a Bottle
Step 1. Make sure the bottle is sealed
The effect won't work well unless the container is completely sealed. Explore the lid with your hand to check that everything is okay.
Step 2. Spin the bottle
Grab it by the top or bottom and use your wrist to stir the water in a circular vortex. After a few seconds of shaking the bottle, you should see the water begin to spin in the center. That is the "tornado." Ask yourself the following questions:
- Why is it spinning?
- Is the tornado spinning clockwise or counterclockwise?
- How do the flares interact with the tornado?
Step 3. Experiment
Try spinning the bottle a little slower or faster. Try turning it upside down. See if changing the turn pattern or its orientation has any effect on the shape of the tornado.
Step 4. Learn why the water spins
The water responds to the “centripetal force”; a force that pushes an object or liquid toward the center of its circular path. In this case, the water is spinning around the “center” of the vertex, which is located in the center of the bottle because the bottle defines the size of the “body of water”.
Part 3 of 3: Create a Tornado with Two Bottles
Step 1. Make sure the two bottles are together in its mouth
The connection must be perfectly sealed. Put the bottles upright, so that the full bottle of water is on the bottom on the floor or table, and the empty bottle is on the other. Make sure to leave about 2.5 - 5 centimeters (1 to 2 inches) of air at the top of the "full" bottle.
Step 2. Turn the bottles over
Make it like the movement you make when turning an hourglass. The bottom bottle should now be empty of water, while the top bottle should be full of water. Grab the bottles to give them a stand; Your creation will be somewhat heavy!
Step 3. Watch the water fall
The air pressure in the top bottle is less than the air pressure in the bottom bottle, so not much water should fall between the bottle mouths.
Step 4. Twist the full water bottle in circles
If you gently twist the full water bottle on top, then the water should start to drop more strongly. This should create a vertex or "tornado" in the center of the water-filled bottle as the liquid flows from a place with low pressure to a place with high pressure.
Advice
- If you're creating a two-bottle tornado, be sure to hold the bottle necks so they don't break.
- Try adding different things to the mix, such as oil or food coloring. Experiment with different types of liquid.
- Try adding colored sprinkles. You can also use small feathers or salt; anything you think could be lifted by the tornado.
- For a more realistic visual effect, add a few small leaves to simulate the foliage that is often blown off by tornadoes.