Tornado in a bottle Follow FizzicsEd 150 Science Experiments: Comments 2 You will need: Two plastic bottles with the same size with lids A hammer A thick nail to poke a hole in the lids with Thick, waterproof sticky tape Food colouring (optional) Glitter (optional) Water Adult supervision with the hammer and nail Written by Fizzics Education. Reviewed by Ben Newsome CF. Cite this experiment Copyright Notice Instruction 1 Make a hole in the centre of two bottle lids using a thick nail. 2 Using some thick, canvas-backed plastic tape (needs to be waterproof), attach the lids together so that the tops of the lids are touching and the hole goes through both lids. 3 Fill one bottle 3/4 full with water. Add some food colouring and glitter. 4 Attach the lids to the bottles so that one bottle sits on top of the other. Invert so that the water runs from one bottle to the other. Observe what happens. 5 Invert the bottles again, and this time, give the bottles a rapid twirl in a horizontal direction. This should start off your vortex, or ‘tornado in a bottle’. 6 School science visits since 2004! – Curriculum-linked & award-winning incursions. – Over 40 primary & high school programs to choose from. – Designed by experienced educators. – Over 2 million students reached. – Face to face incursions & online programs available. – Early learning centre visits too! 7 Online courses for teachers & parents – Help students learn how science really works 8 Get the Unit of Work on Pressure here! Want to dive into air pressure? It’s all about air pressure in many ways! From how storms form to how planes fly, this unit covers many concepts about air pressure. Includes cross-curricular teaching ideas, student quizzes, a sample marking rubric, scope & sequences & more Why Does This Happen? The Science of a Tornado in a Bottle The vortex spins because of centripetal force—the same force that famously makes an ice skater spinning on the spot twirl faster when their arms are pulled into their body. This is known as the conservation of angular momentum. As the water spins and moves towards the narrow neck of the bottle, it must spin faster to maintain that momentum. The real secret to the “tornado” is displacement. In a normal bottle, water tries to fall out while air tries to get in, causing a slow “glug-glug” sound as they fight for space in the neck. However, the funnel-shaped vortex creates a hollow “eye” in the centre. This opening allows air from the bottom bottle to flow steadily upward at the same time the water is spiralling downward. Because the air and water no longer have to take turns passing through the opening, the water pours into the bottom bottle significantly faster than it would without the vortex. Variables to test Find out more on variables here. Viscosity Try using different liquids, such as canola oil, honey, or glycerine. Does a thicker liquid spin as fast, or does internal friction slow the vortex down? Aperture Size What happens when you change the size of the opening between the bottles? Does a wider hole make the tornado disappear faster? Scale Can you make a tornado happen inside a much larger bottle, like a 10-litre water cooler jug? Does it require more energy to start the spin? âś… Reviewed: April 5, 2026 APA 7 Citation: Fizzics Education. (2018). Tornado in a bottle. https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/150-science-experiments/force-movement-experiments/tornado-twister/ Copy APA Citation Reviewer This resource was last reviewed for scientific accuracy on April 5, 2026. Ben Newsome CF is the recipient of the 2023 UTS Chancellor’s Award for Excellence and a Churchill Fellow. He is a global leader in science communication and the founder of Fizzics Education. Learn more! Teaching about air pressure? Check out the Flight or Weather show! Teaching about Newton’s laws? Check out the Forces, Friction & Movement workshop! Get in touch with FizzicsEd to find out how we can work with your class. Flight or Weather Years 3 to 6 Maximum 30 students School science show (NSW & VIC) 60 minutes Online Class Available Read More Enquire Now Vortex valve $3.30 excl. GST View Details Add to Cart Trustpilot STEM Full Day Accelerator - Primary Designed from real classroom experiences, this modular day helps you create consistently effective science learning that directly address the new curriculum with easily accessible and cost-effective materials. Read More Enquire Now Be Amazing! How to teach science, the way primary kids love. $29.95 excl. GST View Details Add to Cart Trustpilot
Using some thick, canvas-backed plastic tape (needs to be waterproof), attach the lids together so that the tops of the lids are touching and the hole goes through both lids.
Attach the lids to the bottles so that one bottle sits on top of the other. Invert so that the water runs from one bottle to the other. Observe what happens.
Invert the bottles again, and this time, give the bottles a rapid twirl in a horizontal direction. This should start off your vortex, or ‘tornado in a bottle’.
School science visits since 2004! – Curriculum-linked & award-winning incursions. – Over 40 primary & high school programs to choose from. – Designed by experienced educators. – Over 2 million students reached. – Face to face incursions & online programs available. – Early learning centre visits too!
Get the Unit of Work on Pressure here! Want to dive into air pressure? It’s all about air pressure in many ways! From how storms form to how planes fly, this unit covers many concepts about air pressure. Includes cross-curricular teaching ideas, student quizzes, a sample marking rubric, scope & sequences & more
Teaching about air pressure? Check out the Flight or Weather show! Teaching about Newton’s laws? Check out the Forces, Friction & Movement workshop! Get in touch with FizzicsEd to find out how we can work with your class.
Flight or Weather Years 3 to 6 Maximum 30 students School science show (NSW & VIC) 60 minutes Online Class Available Read More Enquire Now
STEM Full Day Accelerator - Primary Designed from real classroom experiences, this modular day helps you create consistently effective science learning that directly address the new curriculum with easily accessible and cost-effective materials. Read More Enquire Now
Designed from real classroom experiences, this modular day helps you create consistently effective science learning that directly address the new curriculum with easily accessible and cost-effective materials.
Be Amazing! How to teach science, the way primary kids love. $29.95 excl. GST View Details Add to Cart Trustpilot
The first thing that was a good idea to be able with a little bit of the time and we had to get the rest of the things that we were able to do it Reply
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