Things You'll Need
2 plastic soda bottles (with caps)
Cap Method:
Electric drill
1/4 inch drill bit
Glue
Washer Method:
Washer with 3/8 inch hole
Electrical tape
A tornado in a bottle is a great way to teach kids about elemental forces. With a few inexpensive objects, you can replicate a powerful force of nature; after all, a tornado is really nothing more than a spinning column of air (although the top touches the clouds and the bottom touches the ground, which creates all the problems). All you need are two soda bottles and a little device called a tornado tube connector. This can be purchased in a teacher store or from a specialty catalog, but it's also simple to make.
Cap Method
Step 1
Remove the caps from the plastic bottles.
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Step 2
Use a strong adhesive (Crazy Glue, for example) to glue the caps together, top to top.
Step 3
After the caps have dried, drill a 1/4 inch hole through both of them. This is your tornado tube connector!
Step 4
Fill one soda bottle about 2/3 full of water. Add food coloring for effect, if desired.
Step 5
Screw one side of the tornado tube connector into the bottle with the water, and the other side into an empty bottle.
Washer Method
Step 1
Fill one soda bottle about two-thirds full of water.
Step 2
Place the washer on top of the soda bottle.
Step 3
Put the empty soda bottle on top of the washer. You might want a second person to hold it stationary.
Step 4
Bind the bottles together with electrical tape.
Step 5
Shake the bottle gently to make sure there are no leaks.
Tip
The washer method works well and is a bit easier to do (especially for those uncomfortable using drills), but if you're looking for a permanent tornado tube, stick with the first method.
If the tornado tube is used frequently, the electrical tape may need to be replaced every so often.
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