Thursday, May 26, 2016

Tornado Tubes

This is an easy and fun experiment that you can do to demonstrate the power of a vortex. Kids will be able to safely see a tornado in action - a perfect activity to use when learning about tornadoes and maelstroms. We chose to offer this activity at our Kids' Expo event and the kids were absolutely mesmerized by them. We added lamp oil to several of the tubes to make the funnel more distinct. Younger children might need a little help figuring out how to get them going, but feel such a sense of excitement once they master the concept. 


Materials Needed:
Two 2-liter plastic soda bottles
Vortex Bottle Connector/Tornado Tube ($2-$5 each)
Water
Optional: colored lamp oil or food coloring, glitter, small plastic figures (Legos)   

Simply fill one bottle 2/3 full of water and connect both bottles together with the connector tube. We recommend adding glue to the top of the bottle where it connects to the tube to prevent leaking. Flip the bottles over, so that the water filled bottle is on top and gently swirl your bottles in a clockwise direction to create a vortex.

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