Science Smarts: We aren’t exactly in tornado alley, but it’s good to know how they work

By Patty Rooks on June 14, 2025.

What strange weather many parts of North America have been experiencing lately. From devastating forest fires to floods and tornado outbreaks – the NOAA reported that to date in 2025 there have already been 700 tornadoes in the United States!

Alberta has seen a fair share of crazy weather, and it is not even the summer yet. According to the Northern Tornadoes Project, Alberta averages 11 tornadoes a year. Wow, I would have never thought it would be that high.

Although this experiment is not going to form a real tornado, it will allow you a SAFE close-up look at just what one looks like. Let’s get started!

*Remember to ask an adult before doing this experiment.

Materials

– Two empty clear pop bottles with lids (I like 500mL for small hands and 2L for older children)

– Water

– Drill

– 3/8″ drill bit

– Good strong glue

– Small piece of sandpaper

– Duct tape

– Scissors

– Adult helper

– Glitter or small buildings/animals (optional but makes it more realistic)

Procedure

1. Thoroughly rinse the pop bottles and lids out so there is no more sticky pop in them!

2. Take the lids from the pop bottles. Using the sand paper, rub the flat side of the lid. You want to make them quite rough as this allows the glue to adhere better (in my opinion!).

3. Glue the two lids together – flat sides to flat sides. Use a really good strong glue to stick these together. I also like to put a bead of glue all around the outside of the caps just for added stability. They are going to be put to the test, so you want them to be good and solid. Allow the glue to set and harden for a little while.

4. For added protection from leaks or in case the glue does not hold (trust me, it happens!) I like to run a few strips of duct tape around the centre of this cap pushing it on there TIGHTLY. Use the scissors to cut it to the correct size.

5. Ask an adult to drill a 3/8″ hole in the middle of the lids that you glued together. Place it on a nice flat sturdy surface so you get a nice even hole all of the way through. This can be tough going through both lids so be CARAEFUL

6. Fill one of the bottles about ½ full of water.

7. If you wish, add a small shake of glitter or some small plastic toy animals. This is optional (but fun to watch).

8. Carefully screw the tops onto the full water bottle.

9. Put the empty water bottle on top.

10. Make sure the bottles are secured tightly.

11. Flip the bottles over and rapidly rotate the bottles in a horizontal circle a few times. Set on the counter and observe what happens.

12. Add some toy animals to see the effects of that could happen if a tornado happens to land near you.

What is going on?

When you turn the bottles upside down, you should have observed a funnel shape or tornado! This vortex forms in the bottle as the water flows from the top bottle to the lower bottle. When you rotate the bottles, the water in the upper bottle starts to rotate. As the water rotates, a force is acting upon it – centripetal force.

This centripetal force pulls the water toward the centre of the bottle, and then gravity kicks in as it helps pull the water throughout the hole in you drilled in the lids. As the water drains into the bottom bottle, you should see the vortex forming.

This of course this ONLY LOOKS like a tornado. A tornado is actually formed from a thunderstorm in a cumulonimbus cloud. The perfect combination for a thunderstorm is warm moist air meeting up with some cool dry air. As these two air masses meet, they create a great deal of instability in the atmosphere. A change in the wind direction and speed at high altitudes then allow the air to move horizontally. The rising air from the ground pushes up on the swirling air stretching the cloud longer and toward the ground with a funnel like appearance. Once this funnel cloud touches the ground it is called a tornado! Keep your eyes out this summer; you never know what you may see!

Calling all educators – booking for our Hands on Learning Kits for the 2025 – 2026 school year will open up June 1 – you can book for the entire year if you have your planning ready. Email your requests ASAP as it is first come first served. As well, keep reading here as there will an exciting announcement on a new hands on offering for the Junior High Classroom thanks to the generous support of TC Energy!

Patty Rooks, senior scientific consultant Praxis Science Outreach Society. Praxis has moved! We are very fortunate to be located in the Community Futures Entre Corp Building at #202 556 Fourth St. SE, Medicine Hat, Alberta, T1A 0K8. For all your science needs, please email praxis@praxismh.ca.

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