1st week of July - Family
Fun Project
Making a
Soda Bottle Tornado Tube:
A tornado is a natural storm disaster created when a front of hot,
humid air and a front of cool, dry air collide in the atmosphere. The
warm air is pushed upward, and causes winds carrying water droplets
to rotate into a vortex, speeding at up to 300 mph in the center. This
spinning column of air and water droplets then begins to stretch between
the earth and a convection cloud to create a tornado. The water
droplets form from the condensation of water vapor in the area within
the funnel where there is low temperature and pressure.
This week's project is just for fun and you will be able to see what
a tornado looks like on a very small scale.
Materials
Required:
• two 2-liter soda bottles with caps
• Duct tape
•
Silicon glue or caulking
• Water
• Drill (get an adult to do this
step)
•Note: Many science and novelty stores
sell a “Tornado Tube” adapter which allows you to connect the
two soda bottles without drilling or gluing.
1. Take the caps off both the soda
bottles.
2. Get an adult’s help to drill a 1/2" hole
in the center of each cap.
3. Put a bead of silicon
around the hole on the outside of the top of 1 cap. Place
the cap tops together thread side should face out . Let dry.
4. Wrap a piece of duct tape around the outside of
the two caps for more support.
5. Screw the double
cap onto one of the soda bottles.
6. Fill the
other soda bottle about 3/4 full of water. Add food colouring or
plastic confetti to the water if you want.
7. Screw
the empty bottle onto the top of the bottle containing the
water.
8. Hold the duct-taped area with one hand and
the bottom of the bottle with the other hand.
9.
Turn the bottles upside-down and swirl them in a few quick circles. A
tornado vortex forms as the water drains into the lower bottle.
Add a Twist of Color - Try adding 2 ounces of
colored lamp oil to the water. Lamp oil is available at most department
stores were oil lamps are sold. The oil will float on the surface of the
water since oil is less dense than water. When the oil and water swirl
together, the less dense oil travels down the vortex first and creates a
"colored" tornado effect.
Last
week's Family Fun Project - Creating A Square Foot
Garden
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