Tornado in a Bottle

For carrying out this project, you would just require some easily available things. Moreover, the process is also very simple. This is one of the simplest projects, and is the most suitable for science students; it takes just around 20 minutes to conduct it.

The basic things required are one or two 2 liter soda bottles, some amount of water, a drill (optional), vortex bottle connector, glitter or foil confetti (optional), and food colors (optional).

You can even execute the project without using glitter or foil confetti and food color. They both are optional materials, as they are just used to clearly see a colored tornado spinning in the bottle. Instead of these items, you also have the option of using colored lamp oil in the water.

When oil and water whirls together, the former tends to go down the vortex and creates a colored tornado. A drill is also an optional tool, as it is only supposed to be used if you are not using a bottle connector. Without using it, you would be required to make holes through the bottle caps, for which the drill would be used.

This procedure is done using two soda bottles and a bottle connector, and not using bottle caps and a drill. The first step is to put ¾th amount of water in one bottle. Add glitter, foil confetti, or colored lamp oil to the water if you want. Now, you have a bottle filled with water, and a bottle without any water.

The next step is to use the bottle connector to join the spouts of both bottles, with the empty one on the top. Ensure that the connector is snugly fit, and there is no chance for the water to leak out. Now, turn the bottles upside down, shake them in a circular motion, and then stop.

At this point, you will see a kind of a small tornado forming in the bottle, with the water flowing down the empty bottle. If you have added color to the water, you will see a colored vortex of the mini tornado.

There is another simpler technique for conducting this experiment by using only one bottle. But in this method, you would require a drill and the bottle cap. Take a drill, and make a hole in the cap. Fill ¾^th portion of the bottle with water, along with any other colorful materials you want.

Put the cap onto the bottle tightly, and make sure that water does not leak out in any way. Turn the bottle upside down and place it on your palm. The cap is now sealed by the surface of your palm.

Shake the bottle in a circular manner, and then remove the hand from the cap. You will see the same kind of mini-tornado forming in the bottle, with the water draining off the bottle.