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Tornado in a Bottle

In this science activity, children will create and view a water tornado, using two 2-liter bottles.
Water Tornado Science Activity for Kids

Tornado in a Bottle

Materials

  • 2 clear plastic large soda bottles
  • Tape
  • Water
  • Food coloring (optional)
Directions
  1. Fill one of the bottles three-quarters full of water.
  2. Add a couple drops of food coloring.
  3. Invert the other bottle so that it sits on top of the first bottle with the openings together.
  4. Wind the tape tightly around the necks of the bottles so that no water can leak out. The top bottle should be securely balanced on top of the bottom bottle.
  5. Now, hold the bottles with two hands and swirl the water around.
  6. Turn upside down and watch what happens.
Note: Tornadoes can sometimes produce winds of 250 miles (400 km) per hour. A water spout is a tornado over water and a dust devil is a tornado over sand in the desert.

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