Difference between revisions of "Make a Tornado in a Bottle"
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| − | With water, dish soap, and a bit of spinning, you can make a tornado in a bottle! This can be a great way to learn how tornados work.<ref>http://www.mykidsadventures.com/tornado-in-a-bottle/</ref> For a basic experiment, try making a tornado in a single bottle. If you want to get more advanced, try putting two bottles together. Read on to learn how to get started! | + | With water, dish soap, and a bit of spinning, you can make a tornado in a bottle! This can be a great way to learn how tornados work.<ref name="rf1">http://www.mykidsadventures.com/tornado-in-a-bottle/</ref> For a basic experiment, try making a tornado in a single bottle. If you want to get more advanced, try putting two bottles together. Read on to learn how to get started! |
| − | [[Category:Science for Kids]] | + | [[Category: Science for Kids]] |
== Steps == | == Steps == | ||
===Filling the Bottle(s)=== | ===Filling the Bottle(s)=== | ||
| − | #Fill a plastic bottle with water. Leave two inches of air at the top of the bottle. The size of the bottle doesn't matter – but the bigger the bottle, the bigger the tornado. The bigger the tornado, the easier it will be to observe the effects on the water.<ref>http://www.weatherwizkids.com/experiments-tornado-bottle.htm</ref> | + | #Fill a plastic bottle with water. Leave two inches of air at the top of the bottle. The size of the bottle doesn't matter – but the bigger the bottle, the bigger the tornado. The bigger the tornado, the easier it will be to observe the effects on the water.<ref name="rf2">http://www.weatherwizkids.com/experiments-tornado-bottle.htm</ref> |
| − | #*If you are only making a one-bottle tornado, you can use a plastic water bottle or a clear glass canning jar.<ref>http://classroom.synonym.com/make-tornado-bottle-using-dishwashing-liquid-7965.html</ref> If you are making a larger two-bottle tornado, try using a pair of two-liter soda bottles. | + | #*If you are only making a one-bottle tornado, you can use a plastic water bottle or a clear glass canning jar.<ref name="rf3">http://classroom.synonym.com/make-tornado-bottle-using-dishwashing-liquid-7965.html</ref> If you are making a larger two-bottle tornado, try using a pair of two-liter soda bottles. |
#*Try experimenting with more or less water. Record whether the amount of water has any effect on the size and speed of the tornado. | #*Try experimenting with more or less water. Record whether the amount of water has any effect on the size and speed of the tornado. | ||
| − | #Add dish soap. Two squirts from a bottle of concentrated soap will do. You can also use oil, or anything hydrophilic (that repels water).<ref>http://www.scienceworld.ca/resources/activities/tornado-maker</ref> | + | #Add dish soap. Two squirts from a bottle of concentrated soap will do. You can also use oil, or anything hydrophilic (that repels water).<ref name="rf4">http://www.scienceworld.ca/resources/activities/tornado-maker</ref> |
| − | #*Don't try to use other cleaning products like bleach or non-liquid soap. Do not use laundry detergent: it is designed to interact differently with water than dish soap.<ref>http://news.wisc.edu/18253</ref> | + | #*Don't try to use other cleaning products like bleach or non-liquid soap. Do not use laundry detergent: it is designed to interact differently with water than dish soap.<ref name="rf5">http://news.wisc.edu/18253</ref> |
#*Try experimenting the amount of dish-washing soap, or the brand of dish-washing soap. See if a particular brand works better than another, or if more or less soap makes a difference. | #*Try experimenting the amount of dish-washing soap, or the brand of dish-washing soap. See if a particular brand works better than another, or if more or less soap makes a difference. | ||
| − | #Add a pinch of glitter. This step is optional, but it may make it easier to see the tornado in action. Alternately, add food coloring for flair. If you're using a large bottle, try putting a few plastic Monopoly houses into the water to simulate the "houses" that are being picked up the tornado.<ref | + | #Add a pinch of glitter. This step is optional, but it may make it easier to see the tornado in action. Alternately, add food coloring for flair. If you're using a large bottle, try putting a few plastic Monopoly houses into the water to simulate the "houses" that are being picked up the tornado.<ref name="rf3" /> |
| − | #Seal the bottle. If you are making a one-bottle tornado, you just need to twist the cap and seal it shut. If you are making a two-bottle tornado, you'll need to find a watertight way to fix the openings so that they face one another. Try using superglue, caulk, duct tape, or a large rubber band.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IF2ZByWaUMI</ref> | + | #Seal the bottle. If you are making a one-bottle tornado, you just need to twist the cap and seal it shut. If you are making a two-bottle tornado, you'll need to find a watertight way to fix the openings so that they face one another. Try using superglue, caulk, duct tape, or a large rubber band.<ref name="rf6">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IF2ZByWaUMI</ref> |
===Making a One-Bottle Tornado=== | ===Making a One-Bottle Tornado=== | ||
#Make sure that the bottle is sealed. The trick won't work well unless the container is completely airtight. Test the cap with your hand. | #Make sure that the bottle is sealed. The trick won't work well unless the container is completely airtight. Test the cap with your hand. | ||
#Spin the bottle. Hold it by the top or the bottom, and use your wrist to shake the water in a loose circular vortex. After a few seconds of spinning, you should see the water begin to swirl in the center. This is your "tornado." Ask questions: | #Spin the bottle. Hold it by the top or the bottom, and use your wrist to shake the water in a loose circular vortex. After a few seconds of spinning, you should see the water begin to swirl in the center. This is your "tornado." Ask questions: | ||
| − | #*Why is it spinning?<ref>http://www.kidzone.ws/science/tornado/</ref> | + | #*Why is it spinning?<ref name="rf7">http://www.kidzone.ws/science/tornado/</ref> |
#*Is the tornado spinning clockwise or counterclockwise? | #*Is the tornado spinning clockwise or counterclockwise? | ||
#*How does the glitter interact with the tornado? | #*How does the glitter interact with the tornado? | ||
#Experiment. Try spinning the bottle slower or faster. Try spinning it upside down. Observe whether changing the spin pattern has any effect on how the tornado looks. | #Experiment. Try spinning the bottle slower or faster. Try spinning it upside down. Observe whether changing the spin pattern has any effect on how the tornado looks. | ||
| − | #Learn why the water is spinning. It is responding to "centripetal force" – an inward-facing force that pulls an object or liquid toward the center of its circular path.<ref>http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/experiments/makeatornado.html</ref> In this case, the water is spinning around the "center" of the vortex, which happens to be the center of the bottle because the bottle defines the size of the "body of water."<ref>http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/for_fun/TornadoBottle.pdf</ref> | + | #Learn why the water is spinning. It is responding to "centripetal force" – an inward-facing force that pulls an object or liquid toward the center of its circular path.<ref name="rf8">http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/experiments/makeatornado.html</ref> In this case, the water is spinning around the "center" of the vortex, which happens to be the center of the bottle because the bottle defines the size of the "body of water."<ref name="rf9">http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/for_fun/TornadoBottle.pdf</ref> |
===Making a Two-Bottle Tornado=== | ===Making a Two-Bottle Tornado=== | ||
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#Swirl the water-filled bottle in circles. If you gently spin the water-filled bottle on top, water should begin to pour again. This should create a vortex or "tornado" in the center of the water-filled bottle as the liquid flows from a space of low pressure to a space of high pressure. | #Swirl the water-filled bottle in circles. If you gently spin the water-filled bottle on top, water should begin to pour again. This should create a vortex or "tornado" in the center of the water-filled bottle as the liquid flows from a space of low pressure to a space of high pressure. | ||
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== Tips == | == Tips == | ||
