The centrifugal force
This easy and quick tutorial will teach you how to make a small tornado, but also an interesting physics principle.
How does it work
What's behind this tornado is the centrifugal force.
First of all, when you turn the jar round, the water near the edge of the jar starts turning too. Then this movement gets slowly to the center of the water and the jar.
The centrifugal force says that in a rotation, water, and every body, will move away from the center of rotation, here at the center of the jar. The bubbles, that stay above the water, shows this effect.
You can also observe this effect with carousels with swings. They tend to go up and to the side thanks to the centrifugal force.
- An transparent jar and its cap
- Dish soap
How to make this experiment
- Fill up the jar with water. Leave 1 or 2 cm of air.
- Pour dish soap into the jar, and close it.
- Shake the jar to make a layer of bubbles.
- Shake again, but this time left to right, in a circular movement.
- You can observe that bubbles tornado in forming into the jar! Train yourself to make beautiful and long lasting tornado!