Tornado Tubes [Toy]
by American Science & Surplus
![Tornado Tubes [Toy]](/images/Tornado-Tubes-Toy-B000GYSZOI-L.jpg)
Our Price: $2.90
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $2.50 (click here)
Category: Toy
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Product Summary
Manufacturer: American Science & SurplusBrand: American Science & Surplus
Product features:
- Simple, yet clever 1" dia. by 3" long plastic device to demonstrate the vortex effect of a tornado. Partially fill with water one of the two half-gallon size plastic soda bottles which you supply. Screw the bottles into opposite ends of the tube which we supply.
- Tip so the full bottle is on top and give it a circular starting whirl. Presto! You have a vortex. Call it a tornado if you're a meteorologist, a Charybdis if you're a classicist, or a whirlpool if you're into oceanography.
- Lots of fun and a fine opportunity to attempt to explain the effects of the earth's rotation on water draining out of a bathtub. The phenomena are related we're told, but good luck!!
Toys and Games Reviews of Tornado Tubes [Toy]
Customer Review: Awesome in its simplicity, simply awesome.
Summary: 5 Stars
Like others have said, it really is a simple little gadget, but tons of fun. From ages 3 to 43, you just can't stop playing around with the setup. Spinning it at different speeds, getting the water rotating sideways then tipping it up, and watching the size and shape of the resulting whirlpool effect.
A couple of notes:
Tried playing around with 20oz bottles first, worked for creating the whirlpool, but the openings are slightly different and could not get a good seal so there were water leaks.
Used plumber's teflon tape when putting it on two 2-liter bottles and that worked like a charm. Filled it with about a tablespoon of multicolored glitter. About half of it floats and half sinks. Then added some red food coloring to get a rich red color.
Now flip it up and give it a good few seconds of swirl! It's great to watch the whirlpool form, and watch the floating glitter oscillate up and down the funnel as it tries to decide whether buoyancy or gravity wins!
Description of Tornado Tubes [Toy]
Simple, yet clever 1" dia. by 3" long plastic device to demonstrate the vortex effect of a tornado. Partially fill with water one of the two half-gallon size plastic soda bottles which you supply. Screw the bottles into opposite ends of the tube which we supply. Tip so the full bottle is on top and give it a circular starting whirl. Presto! You have a vortex. Call it a tornado if you're a meteorologist, a Charybdis if you're a classicist, or a whirlpool if you're into oceanography. Lots of fun and a fine opportunity to attempt to explain the effects of the earth's rotation on water draining out of a bathtub. The phenomena are related we're told, but good luck!!Learning & Education Toys
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